The first step is to choose the right piece of meat for grilling.

A great steak starts with a quality piece of meat. The problem for many beginners when they go to the supermarket or local butcher is choosing the good meat from the bad. There are a variety of steaks to choose from and it can be very confusing. If you have a butcher shop nearby, you should definitely get your meat there as opposed to the supermarket. Supermarket beef has been sitting on a shelf for God knows how long whereas the beef from a butcher shop is cut fresh.

Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing a great piece of meat for grilling:

GRADE

There are generally three different grades of beef in the United States: Prime Grade, Choice Grade and Select Grade. Prime is at the top of the grading scale and only makes up for a very small percentage of beef produced in this country. Prime Grade beef is usually reserved for restaurants. Choice and Select are usually the grades of steaks that are available to today's consumer at supermarkets or butcher shops. So when going to your local butcher or supermarket , be sure to choose the best quality you can find. If it is not labeled on the package, be sure to ask for help.

MARBLING

Marbling is a very important factor in grilling a good steak. Marbling is the visible lines of fat that you see on the meats surface. Marbling is what gives your beef its great flavor. Now of course the more fat you have on your meat, the less healthy it will be. But I think many of us would rather enjoy a flavorful meal once in a while than the healthier alternative. The marbling should be thin lines of fat and should be evenly distributed throughout. Stay away from thick marbling as this will give you a tougher piece of meat. If you visit a butcher shop, they will definitely be able to help you choose beef with good marbling.

CUT OF STEAK

The last factor I would like to talk about is the cut. There are a variety of different cuts available today and it can be quite confusing. The best cuts for grilling in my opinion are the Rib-Eye, T-bone, Porterhouse, New York Strip & Sirloin. There is of course the Tenderloin cuts which give you your filet mignon and Chateaubriand. These cuts are very tender but contain very little fat and are not very flavorful. I recommend avoiding these cuts for grilling. The Rib-Eye probably contains the most fat out of the bunch, but is definitely one of the more flavorful cuts. My recommendation would be to test out a rib-eye, T-bone, Porterhouse and New York Strip to see which one you like the best, as we all have different preferences.

That's it for Part 1 of How to Grill the Perfect Steak. Look below for a link to part 2...