All summer we’ve sizzled steaks on the grill, and by now we should be experts at it. But when was the last time you had a really great steak?

We compliment the grill masters on their skill at cooking a rib-eye or a roast, but sometimes we taste only the strong marinade or peppery spices. It’s good, but it could taste even better.

Cooking the perfect steak is a hot topic with food publications, including Cooking Light and Fine Cooking. Morton’s Steakhouse shares its secrets for the first time in Morton’s Steak Bible.

At a recent event at the Bath County Farmers Market, cooking instructor Phil Dunn, Azur chef Jeremy Ashby and beef producer Mike Downs shared their tips on cooking beef. Beef tenderloin was the star at the event.

“The main reason for choosing beef tenderloin is timing. It cooks so quickly,” Dunn said. “It goes from rare to well-done very fast.”

“If I had two or three hours to prepare a beef dish, I would choose a different cut, which would have more flavor, and more fat, of course, such as short ribs or a chuck roast. The tenderloin, once it has been trimmed, has no fat and needs something to enhance the flavor, such as the other ingredients in the recipe.

“Considering how much must be thrown away in the trimming process, beef tenderloin is a very expensive cut to use,” Dunn said. “But the amount needed for a portion is comparatively small (4 to 5 ounces plus the other ingredients).

“The center is uniform and is great for cutting individual filets; the tip end is usually cut into bite-size pieces for dishes such as beef bourguignon and beef stroganoff. The butt end can be cooked as one piece and served in thin slices. Once the trimmings have been removed, everything that is left is usable.”

If your budget doesn’t allow for tenderloin, there are other cuts that offer great taste. Simply choose the best meat you can afford, and cook it the proper way, and you’ll have a delightful feast.

For low-fat cuts, lean on this chart

Twenty-nine cuts of beef qualify as “lean” according to USDA guidelines. Here are the cuts of meat, and their calorie and fat content, based on 3-ounce servings with visible fat trimmed.

Eye round roast and steak: 144 calories, 4 g. fat.

Sirloin tip side steak: 143 calories, 4.1 g. fat.

Top round roast and steak: 157 calories, 4.6 g. fat.

Top sirloin steak: 156 calories, 4.9 g. fat.

Brisket, flat half: 167 calories, 5.1 g. fat.

Ground beef (95 percent lean): 139 calories,5.1 g. fat.

Round tip roast and steak: 148 calories, 5.3 g. fat.

Round steak: 154 calories, 5.3 g. fat.

Shank cross cuts: 171 calories, 5.4 g. fat.

Chuck shoulder pot roast: 147 calories, 5.7 g. fat.

Sirloin tip center roast and steak: 150 calories,5.8 g. fat.

Chuck shoulder steak: 161 calories, 6 g. fat.

Bottom round (Western griller) steak: 155 calories, 6 g. fat.

Top loin (strip) steak: 161 calories, 6 g. fat.

Shoulder petite tender and medallions: 150 calories, 6.1 g. fat.

Flank steak: 158 calories, 6.3 g. fat.

Shoulder center (ranch) steak: 155 calories, 6.5 g. fat.

Tri-tip roast and steak: 158 calories, 7.1 g. fat.

Tenderloin roast and steak: 170 calories, 7.1g. fat.

T-bone steak: 172 calories, 8.2 g. fat.

Sources: Cattlemen’s Beef Board and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

This recipe is from cooking instructor Phil Dunn, who teaches classes at Architectural Kitchens & Baths, 345 Lafayette Avenue, Lexington, Ky.

Beef scallops with herbed mustard sauce

1½ pounds beef tenderloin, trimmed of all fat and connective tissue

Salt and black pepper to taste

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup minced fresh chives

¼ cup minced fresh parsley

1 cup beef stock

1½ tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Worcestershire sauce, to taste

3 tablespoons cognac or brandy

With a very sharp knife, slice beef about ½-inch thick. Pound with a meat cleaver until very thin. Season to taste with salt and pepper. In a saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons unsalted butter over medium heat. Add as many scallops of beef as will fit comfortably in the pan. Saute, turning once, until browned on each side, about 2 minutes total. Remove to a heated platter and cook the remaining beef.

Add 2 tablespoons butter to the pan; add chives and parsley, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in beef stock blended with cornstarch, mustard, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Cook until bubbly. Pour cognac into the pan and ignite it. When the flames subside, pour the sauce over the beef scallops, and serve immediately.

Steakhouse secrets

If you want to know how to cook a perfect steak, go to the experts. Morton’s Steak Bible by Klaus Fritsch with Mary Goodbody shares secrets from the legendary steakhouse.

Tips for a perfect steak

-Meat should be at room temperature before you cook it. Leave it out 30 to 60 minutes.

-Once the chill is off the meat, season it lightly but evenly with seasoned salt. (Morton’s has its own brand, but Fritsch recommends Lawry’s.)

-When a steak is on the grill or under the broiler, turn it only once. Use tongs so the meat is never punctured.

-Test doneness by feel. Hold your hand out, palm up, and follow these guidelines.

For extra-rare and rare meat: Poke the pad at the base of the thumb. If the meat feels like this, it’s ready. The softer the meat, the rarer.

For medium-rare meat: Press the area of your palm between the thumb pad and the center of the palm. If the meat feels like this, it’s ready.

For medium meat: Press the middle of your palm. If the meat feels like this, it’s ready.

For well-done meat: Press the base of the pinkie. If the meat feels like this, it’s ready.

The grade

Beef is sold under eight grades, defined primarily by flavor and tenderness. Most of us see only the top three: prime, choice and select.

-Prime is the best and most fatty. Most prime beef ends up in the kitchens of top-end steakhouses.

-Choice has less fat than prime but is high-quality and juicy. Select is similar to choice but leaner. Most retail butchers sell choice and select.

-Beware of fancy names that sound like grades – butcher’s prime, market choice – but aren’t.

The look

Beef should be firm, fine textured, and a bright cherry red. The exception is dry-aged beef, which is darker. Pass up any cut with soft-looking red bones, yellow rather than creamy-white fat, or two-toned or deep-red flesh. Most beef should show its marbling without looking too fatty, should smell fresh, and should never be sticky or dripping wet.

Storing beef

Store steaks and other packaged cuts in the coldest part of the refrigerator (usually the bottom) for as long as four days – two days for ground beef. Well-wrapped frozen beef will last three to six months.

Cooking it right

Tender cuts – sirloin, tenderloin and rib-eye – are best grilled or roasted, and cooked rare. The tougher cuts, including chuck, round and brisket, are best when braised or stewed, to break down the collagen and absorb the flavor of the cooking liquid.

Internal temperatures should read:

Rare: 120 to 130 degrees.

Medium-rare: 130 to 135 degrees.

Medium: 140 to 150 degrees.

Medium well: 155 to 165 degrees.

Well done: 170 to 185 degrees.

For tougher cuts, it’s not necessarily the temperature that indicates when it is done but rather when the meat is tender to the fork.

Source: “The Meat Club (Girls Only) Cookbook” by Vanessa Dina, Kristina Fuller and Gemma DePalma

This recipe, from “Meat Club (Girls Only) Cookbook,” can be used for other flavorful steaks, including sirloins, T-bones or porterhouses.

FLAT-IRON STEAK WITH WARM ONION RELISH

Warm onion relish:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 bunch large spring onions, white parts only, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons red wine

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

For the steaks:

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 11/2-inch thick flat-iron steaks (6 to 8 ounces each)

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

To make the onion relish, put oil, onions and garlic in a large skillet or saute pan, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 6 minutes. Add more oil if the garlic and onions begin to stick to the pan.

Add vinegar, wine and brown sugar, and bring to a simmer. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced. Makes about 1/2 cup.

To make the steaks, heat the oil in a large, deep skillet until hot. Generously season the meat with salt and pepper, place in the skillet, and cook over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes on each side for medium-rare.

Let the steaks rest, covered loosely with foil, for about 5 minutes, before serving with warm onion relish. Makes 4 servings.

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The best steak you’ve ever tasted might not be from the grill, according to the September issue of Fine Cooking. Meat expert Bruce Aidells said some of his favorite steak dinners include little more than a good cut of beef, salt and pepper, and a hot cast-iron skillet.

NEW YORK STRIP STEAK

2 1- 1/4- to 1-1/2-inch thick New York strip steaks ( 3/4 to 1 pound each)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Take the steaks out of the refrigerator, season both sides with salt and pepper, and let sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes. Turn on your exhaust fan. Have a warm platter ready.

Over high heat, heat until quite hot a cast-iron skillet that’s large enough to hold the steaks. Test skillet by touching the edge of one steak to the pan surface; it will sizzle briskly when ready. Immediately drop in the steaks and sear one side for 3 minutes. Sneak a peek to see whether each steak is nicely browned. If not, continue to sear that side for a minute or so. Flip the steak, and sear the other side for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium high, cook an additional 3 minutes, flip, and cook until an instant-read thermometer reads 120 degrees for rare, 125 degrees for medium-rare or 130 degrees for medium, which will take an additional 1 to 3 minutes.

Transfer the steaks to a warm platter, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.

Cut each steak in half, and portion onto warm plates. Top each steak with flavored butter, and serve immediately.

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