Great Steaks

It has long been said that cooking is more of an art than an actual science, and nowhere is that more apparent then in preparing great steaks. While the perfect steak may be a matter of taste that is different for each person, if you use the method outlined here you can make some steaks that will completely blow away your family and friends.

1. Choose meat. In order to begin grilling your steak, you are will need to pick out the proper meat. When choosing your meat, the best route to go is asking your local butcher (every grocery store has a butcher) for recommendations. They will know the best of the current in-stock cuts and help you choose what is best for your needs. Keep in mind that the steak should be no more than 1-1/2 inches thick and that the best quality meats may be a little expensive. (But they are still cheaper than what you would pay in a restaurant.)
2. Prepare meat. Either have your butcher prepare the meat for cooking or prepare it yourself. Do this by trimming any fatty portions of the steak so they are no more than 1/4 inch thick. This prevents the fat from curling during the cooking process. (Curling fat can make the entire meat "buckle.")
3. Marinade. Marinating the steak is a vital step in making great steaks, so unless you want to have steak that may be as tough as shoe leather, don't skip this step. Either purchase your favorite steak marinade from the store or make your own marinade and allow the meat to sit in it for a minimum of two hours. The longer that the beef marinades, the juicier and more tender the end result will be; however, do not marinade the steak any longer than overnight.
4. Heat Grill. Before you can actually cook the meat, you need to heat up the grill. The hotter the grill is the better, since it will take less time for the meat to cook that way. If you are using a gas grill, then you will want to have the heat up to a minimum of 300 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are using a charcoal grill, then light the coals and allow them to heat up till the briquettes have a white filmy layer on them. After this has appeared on the briquettes, spread them around so that the heat is dispersed evenly throughout the grill.
5. Grill. Place the steaks onto the grill and allow them to rest there for five to seven minutes turning the meat a quarter turn half way through the cooking time to make those attractive hash marks. After the full time has passed, flip the steaks over and repeat. By this time the steak should be completely cooked to a nice medium consistency. However, if you would like to double check and make sure that the meat is completely cooked, utilize an instant-read thermometer. Medium is going to register between 135 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, medium rare is 125 degrees, and rare will show up between 115 degrees and 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Rest. Remove the meat from the grill and allow it to rest on a plate for about five minutes. While this may allow the meat to cool a little bit, it also allows the meat to reabsorb its own juices and become more succulent.

The cooking method listed here will provide a wonderful steak. Be aware, though, that the cooking time may vary due to a wide range of things. Things such as grill type, weather, temperature, and so on can affect the amount of time that it takes to cook. Once you have completed grilling, all that is really left is to sit back and enjoy your dinner.