‘Tis the season — grilling season!

Summer is the most glorious time to fire it up and tend to some beautiful cuts of meat.

BUT, it can be not so pleasurable if you don’t know what you’re doing.

If you’re a newbie or just need a little refresher, here’s a quick Grilling 101 course for your summertime enjoyment…

1. Selecting the best cut for the job depends on what you’re going for. Meaty and hearty or buttery tender? Make your cut decision after perusing this lesson on steak cuts and you won’t go wrong.
2. Season it early. Don’t just throw a piece of meat on the grill naked. The art of seasoning is important. Read about its artistry and other steak grilling tips from a chef here.
3. Searing your steak is very important. But don’t just take it from me. Check out these steak grilling videos from the experts.

After you’ve read these lessons and watched the videos, you should ace the true test — grilling a steak that passes with flying colors!

The number one rule of grilling a steak is don’t overcook it. It’s got to taste good or else what’s the point?

But the number two rule?

Make it pretty.

Presentation is a very, very close second to taste. If it doesn’t LOOK appetizing it simply won’t taste good.

And as far as steaks are concerned, grill marks are of utmost importance. So we’ve got to spend some time making sure they’re absolutely gorgeous.

Now, you could just go for the horizontal look (see above) and just give your steak a good diagonal placement across the grill, then flip and create the same effect on the other side.

That’s beautiful, but many chefs prefer this method as described in this “Top 10 Steak Grilling Tips” list compiled by a true chef:

“Use the hot grill to create ‘cross-hatch’ grill marks. Set your steak down at a 45-degree angle from your grill lines. About a quarter of the way through cooking, give it a quarter turn. Half-way through cooking, flip it once. Give it a final quarter turn for the last bit of cooking. When finished you should have a steak that looks like it belongs on a commercial. This might not be the most important thing in your day, but if you’re on a first date or trying to impress then try this!”

And I totally agree. If you’re gonna do it, do it right! Don’t haphazardly flip your steak twelve times. You’ll have crazy lines that have NO uniformity. And what’s the fun in that?

Have a blast perfecting your grill mark technique the next time you’re at the grill and check out that Top 10 list here for other great steak grilling tips!

Photo courtesy of KansasCitySteaks.com.

According to this article, the answer is YES!

And thank goodness, because a great steak is at the top of my list of enjoyable things.

Need a few pointers on how to make your steak come out juicier? Read on.

Need some good recipes for flank steaks and ribeyes? Check it out.

We all need a little good advice every now and then. So go on, conquer that steak!

Photo courtesy of KansasCitySteaks.com.