Shopping
The quest for the perfect steak starts in the store. If you are splurging for a special occasion, seek out dry-aged prime beef. It’s really hard to find, as only about 1 percent is sold outside restaurants, but the more plentiful marbling really will make it taste more like a steakhouse meal. Cook’s Fresh Market on the 16th Street Mall carries prime.
Fine ribbons of creamy fat will melt into the meat, while thicker clumps will turn into those “grindy” bits the kids always spit out.
Next, look for dry-aged beef. It’s more expensive, but the aging-in-air process in allows a richer flavor to develop.
Decide what cut you like best. For weeknight grilling, I prefer a New York strip, also sold as top loin, strip or Kansas City strip. It’s leaner than a ribeye but not tough, with a fine grain you can sink your teeth into. (For special dinners, I like a filet mignon for the same reasons: less fat, fine grain. But we’ll stick to strip here.)
Prep
On grilling day, take the steak out of the fridge an hour before you plan to cook. A cold steak will overcook on the outside and undercook in the middle. Rub it with a tablespoon or so of olive oil. About 15 minutes before grilling, sprinkle with sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper. (Some chefs say pepper interferes with the flavor, but I like the spice it gives.) Massage in 1 or 2 minced garlic cloves and squeeze half a lime over the whole thing.
Grilling
Preheat your gas grill on high with the lid closed for at least 15 minutes. Clean and oil the grate. Turn one burner to medium.
Place steaks on the grill and close it. (This keeps it hot. You can leave a charcoal grill, which burns hotter, uncovered.) Grill steaks on the hot side until well browned, 2-3 minutes. Flip steaks; grill until well browned on the other side, 2-3 minutes.
Once steaks are nice and crusty on both sides, slide them to the cooler part of the grill. Continue grilling 9 minutes more for medium.
