Summer is For Steak!

Many women don't like to grill, but it is really easy and keeps the kitchen cleaner!

I grill year-round, but most of us probably do the majority of our grilling in the summer. My favorite meal is steak, so I thought I'd post about a few of the basics involved in grilling a good steak.

1. Season your steaks and let them sit out at room temperature for an hour before cooking. My favorite way to season a steak is with a little garlic powder, onion powder and parsley.

2. Prepare all of your side dishes first. This will allow you to stay at the grill while the steaks are cooking to avoid burning or over-cooking.

3. Light the grill at least 15 minutes before cooking and turn it on high. I prefer to light mine 20 to 30 minutes ahead of time. Get that grill good and hot.

4. Do not oil your meat before cooking.

5. When you place your meat on the grill, set the temperature according to how you like your steak cooked. If you like a well-done steak, turn the heat down a little so as not to burn the outside while you're trying to get the inside cooked thoroughly.

6. Your steak is ready to turn when it releases itself from the grill (see #4). The natural fats in the meat will allow the meat to stop sticking to the grill. This could take anywhere from 3 to 8 minutes depending on your grill and the temperature you have it set at.

7. Do not press down on the steak as this will squeeze out the juices resulting in a dry steak.

8. The less you turn your steak, the juicier it will be. I prefer to only cook my steaks once on each side. You may prefer to cook yours twice on each side if you are going for square grill marks on both sides. Also, avoid pressing down on your steaks. That will only squeeze the juices right out of it resulting in dry meat.

9. To get good grill marks: make sure grill is very hot; place steaks on the grill; turn onto an unused part of the grill to make sure you are placing the raw side onto a hot place; turn again onto an unused part of the grill and let cook about 1 minute; turn a final time onto an unused part of the grill and cook an additional minute.

10. For a little added flavor and juiciness, put a pat of butter or margarine on the steak just before you take it off the grill. Be careful and don't walk away as the grease can catch fire.

11. Finally, let your steak rest for a couple of minutes before serving. The steak will finish cooking on the platter within about the next 3 minutes. The flavors and juices will be at their peak after a little rest.

Complete your meal with fries or baked potato, onion rings and a salad.