Kelly's tips for making great steak

I'm no chef, but I cook red meat on cast iron several times a week. Here are a few tips I've learned for making a great steak.

1) Practice makes perfect. The more you practice your steak cooking, the better it will be. If you've bought a half steer, practice your cooking on the sirloins and round steak, and save the ribeyes, strips, and filet mignon until you've built your skill.

2) Start with good beef. We work hard to finish our steers well, because you can't cook a low quality steak into a five star masterpiece. 

3) Don't overcook it. I cook my steak and lamb to 120 degrees, and check with a meat thermometer every time. You may find your preference is different, but you can certainly ruin any meat by overcooking it. 

4) Set your steak out 20-30 minutes ahead of time so it can come to room temperature slowly before cooking.

5) Blot your steak dry before cooking.

6) Let your cast iron heat up before putting your steak on. I use butter for my heat gauge on the cast iron. When you put butter in the pan, it should be hot enough to melt quickly, but not so hot that it steams. 

7) Use plenty of butter. Real butter is a health food - use plenty of it, and keep the top and bottom of the steak buttered throughout the cooking process. 

8) You don't need any fancy seasoning. I just use salt, pepper, and butter most of the time.