Chef Mario Batali explains how to make a steak fit for The King! Credit: Contributed photo

Mario grills... Steaks!

Ah, steak. There's nothing quite like it. Few things in life require so little effort and give back so much. I find it requires more work to cook a steak badly than to grill it to perfection. And a grill laden with steaks is the surest way to attract looks of envy from any fellow tailgaters who happen to pass by your space.

Here are a few tips to help ensure that when you cook this most perfect of foods, it will come out even more perfect.

• Let the meat come to room temperature before cooking. This will yield a juicier steak and will allow for a truer cooking time. A half-hour should do it, except if you are in the blazing late August heat at Bristol, probably 15 minutes will be enough.

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• Let the meat rest for ten minutes after it's finished cooking before slicing it. I know you've been salivating the whole time your steak was on the grill and can't wait to start carving it up, but please be patient. Letting the meat rest allows the juices to reincorporate into the fiber of the meat, producing that beautiful red center that everyone so desires.

• Season both sides of your steak with salt just before cooking. There was a rumor going around for several decades that salting meat before you cooked it drew the juices out and made the steak dry. This is incorrect. Salting the steak ensures it will come off the grill as perfectly as Rusty Wallace used to take turn 3 at Pocono. And while you're at it, grind a healthy amount of fresh pepper on both sides of the meat as well.

• Trim excess fat from the steak before grilling, leaving only about a 1/4" thick of fat around the edge. Grilling fat shrinks faster than the meat and it can cause your steaks to curl. Also excess fat will cause unwanted flare ups.

• Always cook your steaks over high heat. (Except for really thick steaks, which require a two-level fire -- see note below.) A high heat will sear the meat and get you that great grilled flavor. High heat also produces a juicier steak, though it doesn't actually "seal in the juices" as is sometimes thought.

Here are my favorite cuts of meat to cook on the grill:

• New York Strip -- lean and flavorful, but easy to overcook, so keep an eye on them.
• Rib Eyes -- They usually cut these too thin in the supermarket, so try to get them cut for you about 1½ inches is best.
• Flank Steak -- This cut holds up to a marinade really well. You can do an Asian or Southwestern spiced marinade up to 24 hours. Slice it thinly against the grain.
• Porterhouse -- The king of steaks. Just some salt and pepper is all this needs. Though sometimes I like to serve it with half a lemon the way they do in Florence.
• Skirt Steak -- If you can find these, they make a great treat on the grill. I like let them sit overnight in olive oil with lots of garlic and maybe some fresh basil and a few sprigs of rosemary.
• Hangar steak -- another cut that you can enhance with a rub or a marinade.

Grilling Times by Thickness

These times are total cooking times -- turn your steak halfway through. These times are approximate and will vary depending on the heat of your grill, the altitude, whether your kids are distracting you while you are trying to cook.

Grilling Times Rare Med.Rare Medium 1" 8-10 10-12 12-14 1½" 10-12 12-14 14-16

Note: For steaks 2 inches or thicker, make a two-level fire -- cook the steak over the high heat for 8 minutes, turning once. Then move it to the medium side and cook it about 6 more minutes, turning once, for rare; about 8 minutes for medium-rare; about 10 minnutes more for medium.

Here are a couple of great steak recipes from my NASCAR book.

Chili-Rubbed Rib Eyes Fit for The King

It was the night before the race at the Dover Racetrack. I was cooking dinner for some of the drivers when none other but The King himself, Richard Petty, sidled over for some fixin's. He politely inquired if, instead of the penne a'matriciana, he might be able to get himself a steak. Unfortunately that evening there wasn't one around. But if he shows up again, I'll be ready -- with this!

- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 18-ounce rib eye steaks, cut 1 1/2 inch thick
- Salt

Serves 4

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• While the coals are heating, combine the olive oil, chili powder, cumin, and ground pepper in a small bowl and rub it on both sides of the steaks.

• When the coals are ready, salt the steaks and grill them for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once for rare, 12 to 14 minutes for medium-rare.

• Let the steaks rest for 10 minutes, then slice them into medium-thick 3/4 inch slices, hide the ketchup, and serve.

Pocono Hangar Steak Fajitas

In honor of the Pocono Raceway, affectionately known as the Coat Hanger, I present this hangar steak fajita recipe.

- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 hangar steaks, about 1 pound each
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 limes, 1 cut in half, 2 cut into wedges
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 8 soft corn or flour tortillas

Serves 4

• One hour before cooking, mix together the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin, and coriander. Cover the steaks with the marinade and let them sit for an hour at room temperature.

• Grill the hangar steaks over a medium-hot fire for 8 to 9 minutes until medium-rare.

• Transfer the steaks to a cutting board and let them rest for 7 minutes, then cut them into thin slices.

• While the steaks are resting, place a skillet, preferably cast iron, on the grill. When the skillet is very hot, add the onion slices, bell pepper slices and let them sizzle for 1 minute. Add the meat, cilantro, chili, and salt and mix together. Squeeze one of the limes over the mixture and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve immediately with warm tortillas, hot sauce, and fresh lime wedges.

Mario Batali is a renowned chef, restauranteur, television personality, and author of several cookbooks, including Mario Tailgates NASCAR Style, which is now available from Sporting News. Click here to buy the book.