The Perfect Grilled Steak

The Perfect Grilled Steak

Okay, so my absolute favorite food is grilled steak. It's juicy, tender, perfectly-cooked, and reminds me of those 80 degree days that I long for. Grilling steak is surprisingly easy, even when you don't know what temperature to cook it on, what kind of spices to put on it, or what to serve it with.

I found Shenandoah Spice Company's Butcher's Blend at the Culpeper Farmer's Market in the Summer of 2012, and my goodness, does it go well on everything. This blend is like the one that they use at those upscale steakhouses--it's got a great blend of pepper, whole mustard seeds, and coarse herbs and spices. It's all natural and made in the USA with no preservatives. You really can't get any better than that!

Delicious. Just smelling it makes me want steak!

You're going to want to choose a steak without a LOT of fat on it; some fat is good, as that's what gives the meat flavor. I, personally, like a nice sirloin.

Using the right amount of the spice blend is key, and if you don't have a nice steak rub on hand, there are three basic spices that everyone has that brings out the flavor in the meat even more: garlic, salt, and pepper.

I really do use these spices on just about everything that I cook. Sprinkle them on both sides of the meat liberally, but only salt one side.

Putting the spices on the meat 2-3 hours before you cook it is best, as you don't want the salt to draw out all of the water, but you want the flavors to be absorbed. Cover it and stick it in the fridge.

About 20 minutes before you cook the steak, take it out of the fridge and set it on the counter. Now, here comes the tricky part: grilling it. If you like a medium or medium-rare steak, turn the grill to its highest temperature and let it reach at least 500 degrees Fahrenheit (I always use a gas grill). If you want to cook it well done, put it on a medium or a medium-high setting.

To make the perfect medium-rare steak, you want to cook the outsides and warm the insides. I like to place the average-sized thickness steak on the extremely hot grill for 4 minutes, open it up, and turn it on its other side. Wait 4 more minutes. By this time, the steak should be done. If it is still a little too rare, cook it for 2 minutes at a time until you've reached your desired doneness.

For those that like to eat their meat well-done, cook the steak longer on each side at the lower temperature. Everyone likes their steak different, so just watch it on the grill.

Really, everything goes with steak: baked potatoes, roasted asparagus, sauteed sugar snap peas, you name it.

Grilling steak scares some people (several customers at the farmers' market have told me this). It's really a lot simpler and requires less work than you think!