by Amanda Vittitow

Created on: January 11, 2009   Last Updated: January 28, 2009

If you're like many people, grilling steaks brings a sense of happiness, joy, and mouth-watering goodness. After all, is there anything more satisfying and fulfilling than cutting into a tender, flavorful piece of meat and having it melt like butter in your mouth? Getting these great results is pretty easy and straight-forward.

What you need is this: A piece of good quality meat that's at least 1 inches thick with thin pieces of fat running through it (called marbling), bold seasonings, and either a charcoal or gas grill (personally I like the flavor a charcoal grill gives, but that's just my preference).

Seasonings: This can range from marinades to dry rubs to simple salt and pepper. It's really whatever your heart desires.

Grilling: If you're using a gas grill, turn the gas as high as it will go. If you're using a charcoal grill, let the charcoal heat up until there is a thin coating of ash, then spread it out evenly throughout the grill. While the grill is heating up, it gives you a time to get steak out of the refrigerator and time for it to rest and come up to room temperature. It also gives you time to season your steak if you're using a dry rub or salt and pepper.

When the grill heats up, put your steak on the grill. It should be hot enough for you to hear a sizzle when you put the steak on.

Now comes another question: How long do you need to cook your steak for to get maximized tenderness and doneness? Well you have five options: Rare, Medium Rare, Medium, Medium Well, and Well Done.

Rare: The steak should be lightly charred on the sides and should be bright pink through most of the steak. This steak needs to be cooked on high heat for a minute on both sides. The internal temperature of this steak is 50-55 degrees Celsius.

Medium Rare: The steak should be charred on all sides with a hint of red, but the center should still be pink. The internal temperature of this steak is 55-57 degrees Celsius. This steak should be cooked on high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side.

Medium: The steak should have a thick pink center. The internal temperature of this steak is 60-65 degrees Celsius and should be cooked over medium heat for about 5-6 minutes on each side.

Medium well: The steak will be brown all the way through with the slightest hint of pink. This steak needs to be cooked on high heat for a minute (the central part of your grill), and then cooked on medium heat (the side of your grill) for about 5-6 minutes on each side.

Well done: The steak will be brown all the way through with no hint of pink but should not be burnt. The steak needs to be cooked low and slow to prevent burning and toughness; cooked on medium heat 10-12 minutes on each side. The internal temperature of this steak is 77< degrees Celsius.

So you've grilled the steak to your perfection, what's next? Cut into it and chow down? No! As soon as you take the steak off the grill, you need to let it rest for five minutes. Why? Because letting the meat rest lets the juices redistribute and keeps the steak moist instead of tough.

Trust me, your mouth will thank you! Bon apptit!

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