Grilled Top Round Steak
Consider tough, chewy top round steak a thing of the past. This grilled top round recipe starts with a hearty dose of rosemary salt to tenderize the meat and infuse it with all that the woodsy aromatic herb offers. Then, the steak is seasoned, smoked at a low temperature, and seared at the end for excellent grill marks.
Equipment
- Z Grills Smoker Grill
- Z Grills Hickory Wood Pellets
- Food processor
- Probe Thermometer
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 1 (2-pound) top round steak
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- Rinse the steak, pat it dry, and transfer it to a rimmed baking sheet lined with a wire rack. A plate lined with paper towels is fine if you don't have a rimmed baking sheet and wire rack.
- Add the salt to a food processor with the rosemary and lemon zest. Pulse until fragrant and well combined. This helps release the oils from the rosemary and lemon zest into the salt.
- Liberally coat both sides of the top round with rosemary salt and refrigerate uncovered for 6-8 hours.
- Remove the top round steak from the refrigerator, rinse under cool water to remove the salt brine, and pat dry with paper towels.
- Combine the pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and sugar in a small bowl.
- Season both sides of the steak. Set the top round aside to come to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, preheat your Z Grills with hickory pellets or other wood pellet grill to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Insert the probe of your thermometer into the center of the thickest portion of the meat, place it onto the grates, close the lid, and smoke for 1 hour or until the internal temperature reaches 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove the top round from the grill and set it aside.
- Increase the grill temperature to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and preheat with the lid closed.
- Sear the steak for 3 minutes per side. Rotate the top round a quarter turn at the halfway mark for each side.
- Remove from the grill, rest for 5-10 minutes, then slice against the grain, and serve.
Notes
If you can’t see the grain clearly, cut a small slice from one end of the top round. Once cut, you’ll be able to determine the direction of the grain.
