How to Grill Steak in Five Easy Steps

Grilling steak is a great way to keep the heat out of the house in the summertime. Not only does it keep you from having to turn on the oven, 90% of the mess stays outside. But not everyone has a hand for grilling. Here's an easy step-by-step guide on how to grill steak, and how to know when it's completely finished cooking, before you cook it to a piece of shoe leather.

Step 1: Prepare the steak

It's best to defrost the steak completely before grilling. This can be done by putting it in the fridge several hours before grilling, or by thawing it on the counter for 5-7 hours, depending on the size of the steak.

Make sure any large blobs of unwanted fat are trimmed off the steak before putting it on the grill, otherwise it will simply melt and drain into your grease grate below the grill rack.

If you're cooking large pieces of steak, chop them up into two or more pieces. Make sure all pieces, whichever size, have a slice down the middle to allow the heat to penetrate more thoroughly.

Step 2: Fire up the grill

You'll want to make sure the rack is hot before you put the steak on, otherwise it will just sit there getting lukewarm and attracting a bunch of flies and gnats. Depending on the kind of grill you have, you'll know the grill is hot when the grease in the bottom of the grate has turned to liquid, or the rack begins to sizzle.

Step 3: Add the steak

It's now time to add the steak. Make sure you allow at least a half inch of space on all sides of the steak in between each piece to allow for even and unhindered cooking. As a general rule, put the bigger pieces of steak in the middle, towards the center, and put the smaller pieces towards the outer edges.

Step 4: Cooking the steak

After the first five minutes or so, you should flip each piece of steak over. It doesn't take long before the outside of the steak begins to get hard while the inside stays pink and bloody. To prevent this, put small slices in different parts of the steak, or cut them completely in half and separate them. Also, you can turn the heat of the grill down so it cooks more slowly.

After another two to three minutes, you can add the sauce of your choice. Usually I don't add any while it's on the grill, as this seems to just make a mess, but A1 works well for on the grill or off the grill.

Step 5: Finishing the steak

Throughout the cooking process you should be rotating the steak every couple minutes to keep it cooking evenly. It usually takes about 20 minutes for a grill full of steak to cook completely, and sometimes longer. Don't get impatient and turn up the heat, as this will only result in tough, steak leather. If you like medium rare steak, you can leave it a little bit runny in the middle, but if you like it cooked thoroughly, simply cut open a part that hasn't been cut yet, and make sure all the steak is brown and not runny. Turn off the grill and slide the steak onto a clean plate - not the one you brought the steak out to the grill on.

You can find great steak recipes and grill ideas at foodnetwork.com as well.