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This is one of the easiest and fastest things you can cook and the payoff will be a culinary delight if you are a steak lover. The best cuts for taste and tenderness, in my opinion, are T-bones, porterhouse and rib-eye steaks. I will base all cooking directions suggested here, on those three cuts of meat. It is not that some of the other cuts are not good but, the cuts listed above are the best for quick fixing. All of my suggestions can utilized on any one of these steak cuts.

The very first thing is to purchase very fresh meat from a reputable store. A trip to the local butcher is your best bet. You might pay a higher price but you will come home with meat that is fit for a king. The second thing to consider is thickness and size of the cut. Steaks need to have some depth to them in order for them to turn out perfect. I suggest choosing meat that is sliced between 3/4" and 1" in thickness. A steak that is too thick is hard to finish and one that is too thin will not turn out as juicy and succulent as you might prefer. You also need to make sure that the meat is marbled nicely. You need some fat content to make the meat stay moist and add flavor to the finished product. You do not want it to be over fatty but just right.

Now that you have made a selection on which steaks you will be cooking you can get your fire ready. It would be best to cook the meat on a good hot fire but, there are times when the weather does not permit outdoor grilling. That is when you can turn to the oven broiler for a steak that will melt in your mouth. The preparation for either method of cooking will be the same. Salt the steak about a medium amount and do the same when adding black pepper. Those are the two seasonings you need and nothing more.It is important not to over salt but it does take a good amount to bring out the best beef flavor. You will also want to cut slashes into any fat that is surrounding the steak. This will stop the meat from curling as it cooks. Make your cuts about one inch apart, all the way around any fat that is along the steaks edges. Now you are ready to finish the process. The best way to start the steak is at room temperature so let it set out to take the chill off.

Steak should be cooked on a hot fire or a broiler that is well heated and set on the closest setting to the fire. The grill should also be set so that the fire is about two inches from the grilling surface. The coals on the grill should be white and the fire surface should be large enough to extend to the complete size of your steak. You want to get the cooking process done quickly as this is what makes the steak stay tender and juicy. I do not suggest under cooking because of bacteria and I do not suggest over cooking because the meat will be dry and tough. I like my steak medium rare, which is a dark pink but not bloody red color. This will take about 2.5 minutes cooking time on each side of the steak. For a medium steak, which will still be light pink, cook it an additional 30 seconds on each side. The thicker the cut of meat, the longer it will take to cook. You will be better off to check for preferred color rather than guessing. You can always put it back on the fire for a minute. Happy steak cooking.

Learn more about this author, C.S.Alexis.
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