Bobby Flay's Hands-Off Rule You Need To Follow For Perfect Grilling

When you're grilling a juicy burger or succulent steak, it's tempting to keep moving, lifting, or flipping the food to see how it's cooking and make sure it's not sticking. But according to celeb chef Bobby Flay, this is one of the worst habits you can have — and in fact, it can actually cause the food to stick more. Instead, Flay's advice is simply to "put it on the grill and leave it alone" (via YouTube), which is also a top tip for getting perfect grill marks on your meat.

It's best to leave meat on the grates for two or three minutes before flipping it, according to Flay. While at first the protein will stick to the hot surface, after a few minutes it will begin to naturally lift away from the grates by itself. If it doesn't release easily, give it another 30 seconds with the grill lid pulled down before trying to flip it.

Another advantage to searing the meat this way is that it tastes better. The outside surface will caramelize so you'll get a delicious crust, and the protein will also cook more evenly as it's more consistently exposed to the heat. This is similar to the reason why you should avoid constantly stirring food as it cooks, because it produces gray meat instead of a browned, flavorful exterior.

While it can be beneficial to flip steak multiple times when cooking it in a skillet because of the direct heat — which can cause the surface to brown quickly –  the meat has more heat circulating around it on the grill. This means you don't need to worry about frequent flipping. "You only have to flip it once — especially things like steaks and burgers," advises Bobby Flay (via YouTube).

For even better results, pick a good cut of meat for grilling: Skirt steak or ribeye are flavorful and more affordable alternatives to tenderloin. Use the right oil, too. Flay favors canola oil rather than olive thanks to its neutral flavor and higher smoke point, which helps your food develop a good crust without burning. Always oil the food, not the grill, which will also help to prevent sticking.

Flay prefers to cook steaks and burgers medium rather than rare, so the fat has a chance to melt and enhance the flavor of the beef. Whatever your preference, rather than lifting or moving the meat to check its doneness, the chef suggests using a meat thermometer, which gives you a much more accurate result. Once it's cooked to your liking, let the meat rest and don't cut into it to see if it's done, as you risk losing the precious juices. Resting the beef is also Anthony Bourdain's top tip for perfect steak that's deliciously juicy every time.