It's hard to resist a perfect steak. Photograph courtesy of Wolfgang's Steakhouse
To cook a perfect steak, start by talking to a guy who’s been grilling and serving them for 35 years. Amiro Cruz worked his way from kitchen assistant to top chef at some of New York's finest steakhouses. Now he’s the executive chef, aka meat master, behind Wolfgang’s Steakhouse, which has locations in Beverly Hills, Manhattan, Miami, Hawaii and Tokyo.
Wolfgang's signature order is the mighty Porterhouse with tenderness and char in all the right places. Those behemoth slabs -- up to 48-oz each -- are dry-aged on-site for roughly 28 days and fired in a 1,600-degree broiler that keeps the meat sizzling until it's on your plate.
That's great if you're running a serious steakhouse. But I asked Cruz how the rest of us can beef up our grilling skills.
In the dry aging room at Wolfgang's steakhouse. If you can't dry-age it yourself, find a fine butcher who sells it. Photo courtesy of Wolfgang's Steakhouse
In the dry aging room at Wolfgang's steakhouse. If you can't dry-age it yourself, find a fine butcher who sells it. Photo courtesy of Wolfgang's Steakhouse
Shopping
"The right cut is your most important decision," Cruz says. "If you're going for perfect, it's got to be a perfect piece of meat." Porterhouse is delicious if a pro is cooking on industrial equipment. But for home cooks, ribeye is a bit more affordable, forgiving and has the right combination of flavor and softness to satisfy all your carnivorous cravings. Strip loin or New York cuts are also good.
Look for "USDA Prime," a designation given to the very best cuts. "Prime means the beef is specially raised and fed a combination of corn and grass, which creates little dots of marbling -- or fat -- in the tendons," Cruz says.

Ribeye has just the right combination of tenderness and flavor MIGUEL MENDEZ/AFP/Getty Images
Wolfgang’s uses USDA Prime Black Angus beef. Fine steakhouses typically have an aging room, where meat is stored around 35 degrees for up to a month to allow time for the beef’s moisture to evaporate and meat enzymes to begin breaking down, adding to the taste. Home cooks can buy dry-aged beef from better butchers.
Handling
The meat should hit the grill around room temperature to allow the juices to flow and for cooking to be done faster. "This whole process won't take long so you should prepare the rest of your meal -- like the sides -- as the grill is heating up," Cruz says.
Seasoning
"Kosher salt. That's it," Cruz says. People think you need to add sauces and flavor but remember that "finer cuts of beef are special," he says. "You want the beef to taste like beef. You want to enjoy the juice of it, and that's all."
Grilling
"Make sure your grill is cranked all the way up on one side," so you can sear it for a few minutes before giving the meat a cooler place to land after flipping. Once the heat is up, use tongs to oil the grill with paper towel. Sear directly on the hotter side of the grill, flipping the steak a few times for 5 to 6 minutes of cooking. Grill marks should appear. 
For true steakhouse sear, heat up a cast-iron skillet on the grill. "That allows more flavor and adds a really nice char to the beef but you have to control that because the meat can go to black easily," Cruz says.
The art of rare. Photograph courtesy of Wolfgang's Steakhouse
The art of rare. Photograph courtesy of Wolfgang's Steakhouse
Finishing
Grill know-it-alls pride themselves on their sixth sense for steak doneness. "It should feel like the fleshy part between your thumb and forefinger," they'll tell you. Or is it the fat part of your palm? I never remember, which is why I agree with Cruz that a good thermometer makes all the difference.
130 degrees F is rare.
135 degrees is about medium rare.
140 degrees is medium.
"I would go for somewhere between 130 and 135 degrees because even medium wastes too much flavor," Cruz says.
Thermapen retails for $99. Photo courtesy of Thermapen
Thermapen retails for $99. Photo courtesy of Thermapen
I've been using ThermaPen for a couple years (after hearing that Chef Thomas Keller favors it) and I've been a devotee ever since. It's $99 but worth every penny for serious griller, bakers and gourmands.
For a super-indulgent finish, Cruz recommends adding a dash of room-temperature butter at the very end to create a bit more juice.
Resting
"Never grill and cut without giving a little rest time," Cruz says. After you take the meat off, let it sit away from the heat source for four or five minutes. "Better to undercook than overcook," Cruz says. "The meat can always go back on the grill just for a touch so the juices redistribute."
Slicing
No doubt you've heard this before: Slice against the grain. If you cut across the long striations, the beef will be soft at each bite. "You've come this far," Cruz says. "You don't want to mess things up at the end by cutting it wrong." That's meaty advice.