RUGER":2097ty3r said:
Gotcha so it is a personal preference and has nothing to do with grilling a tender steak.
I am definitely gonna try something different with the heat and cooking times.
Going by what was said here I think that is the root cause of my problems.
Tenderness has nothing to do with application of marinade or not. A marinade imparts flavor. The ability of the meat to absorb salt, distribute it throughout the tissue, and hold moisture is what dictates tenderness. It's also a matter of the steak marbling, grain of the muscle tissue, and amount of connective tissue fibers in the meat.
A Porterhouse will naturally be more tender than a chuck roast. It has less connective tissue, and all the muscle fibers orient in the same direction. The strip steak will be tougher than the tenderloin side, but still more tender than say a sirloin. You use a marinade on thin, stringy meat that'll cook quickly (flank steak) for dishes with a lot of flavor. Think fajitas. You can also use a marinade where the marinade serves as a braising sauce for a long-cooked piece of meat (roasts, stews, etc.)
As for a marinade, it's counterproductive in this case to cooking a nicely cooked steak. It makes the meat soggy, for one. It also has "tenderizing" components to it (acid, salt, & sugar) that will make a mushy consistency. With all the liquid, it'll cause the meat to almost boil itself before it develops a good char and crust. Plus, all the sugars in the marinade will caramelize & possibly burn on the meat.
Once you have a dry piece of meat, then you can cook it under high heat, develop a good sear, and finish roast it for a perfectly cooked center.
Salt it, let it rest (and come to room temperature), high heat sear, hot roast, let the meat rest again....the center will be warm & red, and you'll have a properly cooked fine steak.