by Wynn Eisman

Created on: January 12, 2009   Last Updated: January 28, 2009

Nothing tempts an appetite more than smelling a fat, juicy steak, grilling in your kitchen. And nothing is more disappointing than serving the steak, only to find it is dry, tough and over or underdone. But read on and the simple secrets of cooking a really great steak will be yours to enjoy forever.

The first, and most important, item that we need to look at is the cut of steak you choose. For rapid cooking, such as grilling, a tender cut is needed. Choose a cut from along the animals back, e.g. rib fillet or sirloin. Buy the best you can afford, even if it means a smaller serve; it will be worth the sacrifice. Don't be afraid of a bit of fat, either, as this is necessary for the finished product to be moist. Chefs will often lard cuts from a younger animal or a leaner cut, think filet mignon, for this reason.

The next major factor in your success is the temperature at which you cook your meat. As grilling is a high temperature cookery method, you need to ensure that your steak is not too thickly cut; otherwise, the surface of the steak will burn before the inside is cooked. This is particularly true if you enjoy your steak well-done. This said, though, it is this high temperature, caramelising the meat, that makes this cookery method such a hit, so don't be tempted to grill your steak slowly, this is quick and hot.

This leads to the bit that a lot of people find a little mysterious; how to tell when your steak is cooked through to the point you like it. This is easier than you think if you use what's known as the thumb test. It goes like this: turn your hand, palm-up and relax all its muscles, leaving the fingers to loosely curl in. Now, using the index finger of your other hand, press the large, fleshy muscle where the thumb meets the hand. Notice how easily your finger sinks into the muscle. This is how a steak feels when it is cooked through to rare. Now, extend your thumb outwards, as hard as you can, leaving the muscle taunt. Press the muscle again. Notice how much firmer you need to push to dent the muscle? This amount of pressure is what you will feel when pressing a well-done' steak. A semi-relaxed thumb, then, represents a medium steak. With practice, this method is very accurate.

Never cut into your steak to check its level of doneness; this will result in a dry steak as the juices will flow freely from the sliced areas.

Another, more general way to judge the level of doneness is to keep track through turning the steak. It works like this: Pre-heat your grill and place your steak on to cook. When you see the blood rising to the top surface of the steak, it is time to turn it. Once the blood has risen to the surface on the second side, the steak is considered to be rare, two more sides and your steak will be medium and, two more for well-done.

This method is less accurate as it depends somewhat on the thickness of your steak. A combination of methods will help you learn what's best for you.

Learn more about this author, Wynn Eisman.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.