How to Grill Ranch Steaks
on Aug 27, 2023
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Cook this lean, boneless cut of steak to medium rare for one of the best steaks you’ve ever had!
Ranch steaks are a lean boneless cut that comes from the center of the shoulder, the chuck region. While it doesn’t have much fat on it or much marbling, it is full of flavor. These steaks are best grilled to medium-rare — overcooking these steaks will result in dry, tough meat — cooking them perfectly will result in one of the best steaks you’ve ever had!
You can add a sauce to this steak (scroll down for ideas) or serve it plain and simple with some good grilling sides. Try Cauliflower Potato Salad, Classic Macaroni Salad, or Simple Couscous Salad.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients
- How to Buy Ranch Steaks
- How Long to Cook Ranch Steaks Over Direct High Heat
- Testing for Doneness Using the Touch Method
- How to Grill Ranch Steak
- FAQs
- Storage and Leftovers
- Best Sauces to Serve With Ranch Steak
- What to Serve With Ranch Steak
- More Grilled Steak Recipes
- How to Grill Ranch Steaks Recipe
Grilled Ranch Steaks: Cook this lean, boneless cut of steak to medium rare for one of the best steaks you’ve ever had!
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Ingredients
- Ranch steaks – A lean, boneless cut of shoulder steak, best cooked to medium-rare.
- Salt and pepper – All you need are the simplest of seasonings.
How to Buy Ranch Steaks
Buy the best grade of beef you can afford. The designations are based on the age of the animal and the quality of the meat. USDA Prime is the top of the range, with only about 2% of the beef in this country earning that label. You can find this at butchers, high-end supermarkets, and from quality online meat purveyors. USDA Choice comes after that, and the grade Select is below Choice and will be leaner still.
A freshly cut ranch steak should be a pretty bright red color and have no dark spots. Do not buy or cook any steaks with an off or sour odor.
How Long to Cook Ranch Steaks Over Direct High Heat
These times and internal temperatures take into account the fact that the temperature of the meat will continue to climb by several degrees once the steak is moved from the heat to a cutting board.
| Thickness | Doneness | Time |
|---|---|---|
| ½-inch thick | Rare (125 F) | 1-2 minutes per side |
| ½-inch thick | Medium-Rare (130 F) | 2-3 minutes per side |
| ½-inch thick | Medium (135 F) | 3-4 minutes per side |
| ½-inch thick | Medium-Well (140-145 F) | 4-5 minutes per side |
| 1-inch thick | Rare (125 F) | 3-4 minutes per side |
| 1-inch thick | Medium-Rare (130 F) | 4-6 minutes per side |
| 1-inch thick | Medium (135 F) | 6-8 minutes per side |
| 1-inch thick | Medium-Well (140-145 F) | 8-10 minutes per side |
| 1 ½ inches thick | Rare (125 F) | 5-6 minutes per side |
| 1 ½ inches thick | Medium-Rare (130 F) | 6-8 minutes per side |
| 1 ½ inches thick | Medium (135 F) | 8-9 minutes per side |
| 1 ½ inches thick | Medium-Well (140-145 F) | 9-11 minutes per side |
Testing for Doneness Using the Touch Method
William Rice offers the following technique for telling if steak is done cooking without a meat thermometer in his book The Steak Lover’s Cookbook.
- For Rare: Let one hand hang limp. With the index finger of the other hand, push gently into the soft triangle of flesh between the thumb and index finger of the hanging hand. It will offer very little resistance, give way easily, and feel soft and spongy. That is the feel of a rare steak.
- For Medium-Rare: Extend the hand in front of you and spread the finger. Press the same spot with the index finger of the other hand. The flesh will be firmer but not hard, springy, and slightly resistant. This is the feel of a medium-rare steak.
- For Medium: Make a fist and press the spot. It will feel firm and snap back quickly, offering only a minimum of give, as does meat cooked to medium.
Do not cook ranch streaks past medium! They will turn tough, and you’ll be disappointed!
How to Grill Ranch Steak
- Prepare the grill: Preheat the grill to medium-high. Carefully oil the grill rack by using grilling tongs to dip a wad of clean paper towels into some vegetable oil and run that over the clean hot grates.
- Season the steaks: Be generous with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Grill the steaks: Turn once about halfway through the cooking time for simple grill marks on each side. Or, turn the steaks every 2 minutes or so three times in total so that you achieve cross-hatch grill marks (turn the steaks 90 degrees as you flip them) until the steaks are done to your liking (see chart above).
- Let the steaks rest: Remove the steaks from the grill to a cutting board. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Slice the steaks. Slice the meat against the grain.
FAQs
A ranch steak often weighs about 8 to 10 ounces or so and is usually about 1 inch thick. You should plan on about 5 to 6 ounces of ranch steak per person, though steak lovers might want to go for seconds, so judge your crowd accordingly! A nice way to serve up these steaks is to slice and plate them attractively on a serving platter or individual plates.
First, make sure you have cleaned the grill well. Place the ranch steaks on the grill on the diagonal, at about a 45-degree angle. Grill for about 4 minutes, pressing on the steak gently with a spatula occasionally. Rotate the steaks a quarter turn (90 degrees) so the angle of the steaks on the grill is about 45 degrees in the other direction. You are looking to create diamond patterns with the grill marks.
Flip and grill the steaks the same way, at a 45-degree angle to the grill bars. Then after a few minutes, turn the steaks another quarter turn (90 degrees) so that the grill marks form the same diamond crosshatch pattern on the other side.
Ranch steak may be called different things, depending on where you are in the country and the world. You also might see them labeled boneless chuck shoulder steak, cut steak, shoulder petit, and chuck clod arm roast.
Storage and Leftovers
You can keep an uncooked ranch steak wrapped in its original packaging in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days — make sure they were very fresh when you bought them. Make sure to purchase your steaks from a place with really good meat and high turnover. Mine were grass-fed and grass-finished and from a great online meat company called ButcherBox. They come frozen and just need to be defrosted overnight in the refrigerator.
If you bought raw steaks to freeze for another time, freeze them the day you bought them. Remove them from their packaging, then wrap them well in plastic wrap, slide the wrapped steaks into freezer-proof zipper top bags, press out any excess air, then seal. Label the bags with the name of the steak and the date. You can freeze ranch steaks for up to 9 months.
Leftover cooked steak should be eaten within 4 days.
Best Sauces to Serve With Ranch Steak
What to Serve With Ranch Steak
More Grilled Steak Recipes
- Grilled Mexican Rib-Eye Steaks
- New York Strip Steak with Jalapeño Butter
- Rib-Eye Steaks with Thyme-Garlic Butter
- Chili-Rubbed Flank Steak with Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad
- Grilled Filet Mignon Steaks
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How to Grill Ranch Steaks
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 1 ½-inch thick ranch steaks (about 10 ounces each)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium-high. Carefully oil the grill rack by using grilling tongs to dip a wad of clean paper towels into some vegetable oil and run that over the clean hot grates.
- Season the steaks generously with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Grill the steaks, turning once about halfway through the cooking time for simple grill marks on each side. Or, turn the steaks every two minutes or so three times in total, so that you achieve cross-hatch grill marks (turn the steaks 90 degrees as you flip them), until the steaks are done to your liking. Grilling 1 1/2-inch ranch steaks should take about 9 to 11 minutes total for rare (120 F internal temperature), 11 to 13 minutes for medium-rare (125 F internal temperature), and 12 to 14 minutes (130 F for medium).
- Remove the steaks from the grill to a cutting board. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing them across the grain.
Notes
- Don’t overcook this cut of steak or it will become tough.
- Buy the best grade of beef you can afford. The designations are based on the age of the animal and the quality of the meat. USDA Prime is the top of the range, with only about 2% of the beef in this country earning that label. You can find this at butchers, high-end supermarkets, and from quality online meat purveyors. USDA Choice comes after that, and the grade Select is below Choice and will be leaner still.
- A freshly cut ranch steak should be a pretty bright red color and have no dark spots. Do not buy or cook any steaks with an off or sour odor.
