Steps to Cooking the Perfect Steak

There is nothing better than a juicy steak meal for dinner, no matter what the season. There are as many ways to cook steak as there are varieties of this meat. The best ways all use dry heat, because it allows the exterior to caramelize and brown, providing the meat with more flavor.

Before cooking or grilling steak, allow it to come to at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit. This will prevent the steak from contracting when it meets the heat, which causes it to toughen. Rare steaks should be cooked to 120 degrees, medium rare to 125 degrees, and medium to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Let the steak sit for five to ten minutes before being served so that the juices will redistribute themselves while the meat continues cooking.

Purists will drop the steak right on the grill at this point, but there are ways to flavor the steak without saturating it in some type of marinade. Dry rubs work wonderfully, as so spice mixtures. By adding just a little bit of extra virgin olive oil to the surface of the steak, the mixture can be rubbed in without having to score the meat. Of course, scoring the meat will enable the spices to penetrate deeper, adding the flavor throughout the steak.

Preheat your grill so it is nice and hot before putting the steak down on top of it. The steak will take about 8-12 minutes to cook, depending upon how well you want the steak done. One key component to cooking the perfect steak is to make sure that it is only turned once. For instance, if you are making it medium rare, it should be cooked for about four minutes and then turned over, another four minutes and removed.

Steak may look intimidating, but it is actually one of the easiest things to cook on the grill. Play around with different combination's of marinades or dry rubs until the combination is found that you really enjoy. Once you find that secret combination, just remember to cook the steak at room temperature and only turn it once. The steak will be cooked evenly and have those beautiful grill marks that make your mouth water.

If you like cooking your own food, why not try southern cooking with a Presto Deep Fryer? You should also check out another great appliance to improve your skills, the Presto Electric Skillet.

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