The steak has long been the staple of fine dining and cuisine. Depending on the cut, an Angus beef steak can be one of the most expensive items on a restaurant menu, and with good reason. From the seasoning to the preparation, the art of cooking the perfect steak has been debated by many. You can’t sit down at a dinner table without someone giving their own opinion on what the perfect steak is. Whether you like it medium or rare, everyone has a certain taste to their meat that they like. The right steak will make or break a meal, and there are more than a few ways to cook it.

The right pellet smoker can make a difference in how your steak comes out, but there are also other ways to cook your steak. The primary method which seems to get all the favor is gas grilling, and if you know how to properly grill a steak, you’ll enjoy a delicious meal. The type of meat that you select is going to make a big difference in the quality of your dish, and if you have any reservations about eating steak, you probably should leave them at the door. Steak is a much finer cut of meat than, say, a pork chop, and the quality of the taste is much higher.

How To Prepare Your Meat

Once you have selected a cut of meat that you want, the prep is what comes next. When it comes to preparing your meat the first thing that you should do is tenderize. Tenderizing the meat will give you a full flavor, and it will also get rid of any tough to chew pieces. The meat that tends to be tough upon first selection, and tenderizing it only takes a few minutes. You’ll want to hit the meat as hard as you can with the tenderizer. The finer you can tenderize the meat, the more flavorful it will be, especially if you marinate it.

Let Your Meat Marinade

Good things never come to those who rush, and the same can be said for a piece of meat. Rushing into seasoning your piece of meat is only going to ruin the flavor in the long run. Taking the time to marinade your piece of meat will extend the flavor, and give the entire cut of meat a new and diverse flavoring instead of just the coating. Meat in itself is something that can be flavored with just about anything, but in the long run, you’ll want to give the meat time to marinate.

You can also find a variety of pre-made marinades at your local grocer that can be mixed in a matter of minutes. No matter what type of flavor you desire, the right marinade is only a packet of seasoning away. Flavoring your meat can be a fun and one of a kind experience, and it's one that will enhance every meal that you have.

Don’t Overcook Your Meat

Here’s the thing with steak: if you overcook it, the meat will come out like shoe leather. No one wants that, right? So, take the time to cook your meat the right way. When you are grilling, you traditionally want to cook each side of the meat for about 10-15 minutes, and if the grill is very hot, this could be less. A meat thermometer is a great ally to have in creating the perfect steak because the finished product will come out much better.

Take the time to cook both sides of the meat evenly as well, and if the meat has been frozen, you’ll want to cut into it to make sure that the center is cooked. The worst thing that you can have is a steak that’s cold in the middle.

Don’t be afraid of a little blood because that’s just flavor. When you go into most well-known steakhouses you are going to notice that the blood adds a good deal of the flavor, but taking the time to cook the meat is equally as important.

A Good Steak Makes A Difference

First and foremost, a cheap piece of meat is going to taste like a cheap piece of meat, so take the time to get a piece of meat that’s worth your time. Angus reserve is one of the best cuts of steak that you can get, and ranchers reserve is equally as good. When you look at the steak you want it to have a nice marbled look, and red is not always the best color for quality meat. Grey meat is often what an aged steak looks like, so keep an eye out for the higher-quality cuts as well.

You’ll also want to look for a steak that has less fat in it because nothing is worse than paying for meat with excess fat on it. You want a steak that’s very lean because lean meat is going to make a difference in what it tastes like. Choosing the right steak might seem like an exact science but its actually not, and the final product will be a pleasure to eat.

Prepare Your Meal With Adequate Sides

So, let's just be real here. You're not going to sit down at the table and eat a steak that has no sides with it. Be sure to choose some great sides with your meal, whether it's mashed potatoes or something more exotic. You can’t go wrong with a garden salad, as the taste of the crisp vegetables often contrasts with the thick and heavy cuts of meat. The right sides will make the meal much more pleasurable, and you’ll notice that the overall dinner feels more complete. Take the time to prepare your steak the right way and choose the right sides and you’ll have a meal that both tastes better than most restaurants can provide and costs less.