By Scottie Brown

The Selma Times-Journal

Summer is the season of grilling steaks in the backyard, and Jacob King from Mark’s Mart has a few suggestions on how to cook the perfect steak.

“If they’re in the backyard grilling, I would definitely suggest trying rib-eyes,” King said. “Rib-eyes are tender. They’re really juicy. It’s different than a filet cut. A filet cut is lean and a rib-eye has got more fat, so it’s a richer flavor.”

The fat of a steak is called marbling, and it runs through the steak, King said. While some people might be worried about buying a steak loaded with fat because it could be unhealthy, King says that’s where the true flavor of a steak is kept.

“When you put it on the heat of the grill, it’s going to melt and tenderize and add juiciness and flavor to your steak,” King said.

King said there were several choices when it came to seasoning a steak, and your choice between the two would depend on how much time there is to prep the steak.

“If you’re using a dry seasoning it’s best if you have some time. Like a couple of hours, so it can get into the meat,” King said. “But if you haven’t done that putting it in a liquid marinade for 30 to 40 minutes would be fine.”

There are different ways to cook a steak once it has been prepped. The easiest way is on the grill, King said.

“Basically, you want to sear both sides and get your grill marks,” King said. “You don’t want to flip before you’ve got your grill marks. You want to watch for flare-ups and make sure you’re not burning. When it’s not sticking anymore that means it’s released from the grill and it’s ready to flip.”

The time for cooking a steak depends on personal preference and, ultimately, the temperature of the grill. However, King suggested grillers use the ‘Finger Test,’ to check and see how done their steak has gotten.

The ‘Finger Test’ instructs grillers to touch each of their fingers to their thumb and compare the tenderness of the heel of their palm with the tenderness of their steaks.