By Kristen Nowak Winn

Accent Editor

Think you know the secret to grilling a great steak?

(Hint: It’s not the sauce.)

Sure, a good sauce can complement the steak, but it all comes down to choosing the proper meat and learning how to cook it.

“One of the signature steaks that we do is the bone-in rib eye,” said Gary Quesada, the owner and chef of the Main Street Café in Medina. It’s this grill master’s favorite when he craves a juicy, tender piece of meat.

For this particular cut, which the restaurant butchers fresh downstairs, they’ll leave the rib bone long and dry-age it for 60 days, which gives the beef a nuttier flavor. It also helps reduce the toughness of the meat.

“Enzymes break down the connective tissue, which makes it more tender,” Quesada said.

Also important to Quesada is the meat’s origins. The Main Street Café purchases all of its meat from local farmers, such as Whitehead Meats in Litchfield Township.

“We know that it’s not being fed hormones and antibiotics and that sort of thing,” Quesada said.

Lesson 1: Don’t overcook

So what’s makes rib eye a prime choice?

“Rib eye has the most marbling,” Quesada said. “It helps keep the steak moist. A quality steak that has marbling is most likely to be tender. The more marbling, the more forgiving the meat is.”

That’s key for making sure a steak doesn’t overcook. But no matter which steak you choose, be sure to watch your timing on the grill.

“What I think is important is that you turn that steak several times,” Quesada said.

Start with one side of the steak on the grill for about 2½ minutes.

“Once that’s seared, turn and do the other side,” Quesada said. “Cooking it too long on one side just kills the steak. You just lose all your flavor.”

That’s important to remember, especially if you’re grilling sirloin or filet mignon, steaks that have less fat.

You’ll also want to make sure the meat reaches the desired temperature.

“It’s always good to have a meat thermometer,” Quesada said. He recommends taking the steak off the grill 5 degrees before optimal temperature, because the meat will continue to cook.

The USDA recommends cooking beef to 145 degrees for medium-rare, 160 degrees for medium and 170 degrees for well-done.

Lesson 2: Don’t over-season

While it may be tempting to pile on the seasonings to make your steak unique, Quesada cautions backyard cooks from going overboard.

“Err on the side of under-seasoning than over-seasoning. You don’t want to hide the flavor of the meat,” he said. “Simple is usually better. I would suggest fresh herbs with olive oil — thyme, rosemary, basil. Maybe a light vinegar, like red balsamic.”

“Simple” is Quesada’s seasoning philosophy at the restaurant, too.

“We use fresh ground pepper, garlic, kosher salt and olive oil,” he said.

Proper preparation is important in the seasoning stage, as well. Let the rub sit overnight, and make sure to apply it to the meat a couple of hours before you stick the steaks on the grill.

Looking for a couple of easy rub recipes to use for your summer barbecues?

Quesada passes along a couple of his favorites:

All-purpose meat rub

4 tablespoons white sugar

4 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon paprika

2 tablespoons mustard powder

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 pinch dried oregano

1 pinch dried thyme

2 tablespoons of minced garlic

Mix ingredients with cup of Lea & Perrins Worcester-shire. Coat meat in mixture, refrigerate 2 to 4 hours and grill as desired.

Rub for BBQ meats

1/3 cup Lawry’s Seasoned Salt

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons rubbed sage

Add ingredients to blender and mix. Sprinkle heavily on all sides of meat and rub in well with fingers.

Refrigerate overnight.

Winn may be reached at 330-721-4053 or kwinn@ohio.net.