Four Ways to Cook Steak

DEEP-FRYING: Pat dry 1 1⁄2"-thick strip steaks with paper towels. Fill a large, deep pot with vegetable oil, and heat over medium heat to 375°. (A toothpick dropped in oil will quickly turn dark brown when oil is ready.) Carefully lower steaks, 1 or 2 at a time, into oil. For medium rare, cook until brown, 5-7 minutes. Remove, drain, and season with salt and pepper.

PAN-GRILLING: Pat dry 1 1⁄2"-thick sirloin steaks with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Lightly grease a cast-iron grill pan or skillet with vegetable oil, then heat over medium-high heat until very hot. Add steaks. For medium rare, sear 2 minutes per side, then reduce heat to medium and cook 3 minutes per side. Allow steaks to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

OUTDOOR GRILLING: Pat dry 1 1⁄2"-thick T-bone steaks with paper towels. Rub with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat gas grill over medium-high heat, or prepare and light coals for a charcoal grill. When grill is very hot, add steaks. For medium rare, cook 10-12 minutes, turning once. Allow steaks to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

BROILING: This is one technique we don't suggest for home cooks.Broiling may seem like the next best thing to cooking over a flame, but most broilers in the typical home kitchen cannot generate the intense heat needed to sear a steak (restaurant grills and salamanders can reach 800°). Gas stoves usually get hotter than electric ones, but they tend to diffuse the heat, and fat, if not properly drained, can catch on fire.