Some bonus steak tips. It's the only thing I can really cook (YES, grilling is cooking). These are tips from a guy who can only cook steaks and Kraft mac and cheese, so you know, don't go overboard, but be entertained.

1. Be picky about where you buy your steaks. 'Meat Glue' is gross, and places like Wal-Mart *will* use it. Drive the extra two miles, find a decent place and buy a real steak. [i]It's hard enough to tell from outside the package, that you'd rather not leave it up to chance.[/i] I mean use your head. If it's cheaper per-pound than a hot pocket, you're probably eating an off-brand hot pocket. That's like the least sexy thing you could ever cook, other than I guess those frozen PB and J sanwiches with all the corners cut off. Seriously they're round. This is a real thing. Google it. 

2. Marinating is gross,rubs are for bosses. Steak has enough natural flavor that you really don't need to add anything to it. But if you're going to add something to it, go for the rub -- it can forgive some of your grilling sins (like overcooking, or not searing hot enough), and if you're picky about what you're using, it can add some great notes (I'm really fond of 'Applewood' rubs -- they give a sweet and smoky flavor that you don't normally get with propane). If you have a stingy wife, this is a great excuse to spend more money on steak (hey, I'm just trying to get the flavor perfect, you want it to taste good right?) or better yet, to buy a better grill (think of all the money we'll save on steak rubs!).

3. Good presentation is disturbingly easy. For that [url=http://www.sogoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/grilled-steak.jpg]classic diamond-shaped pattern[/url], lay your steaks out diagonally on the grill. Cook for a while, flip them left-right (or right-left -- it's precisely the same thing). Cook for a bit, then flip them top-to-bottom. Cook for a bit, then flip left-to-right again (three flips total, horizontal-vertical-horizontal). BOOM, diamonds. Check my math. I may have counted wrong. POINT IS -- make diamonds and your friends will think it tastes better. It's science. People are idiots and don't know what they like. Manipulate their weak emotions with pretty shapes. 

4. New York Strips are godlike. Just, you know, watch out for the glue. If you absolutely *must* impress somebody, spring for a t-bone -- there's some variety to the meat tenderness across the cut, so at some point [i]literally[/i] everybody who eats one is having their favorite kind of steak. It probably won't be your favorite (because you can dial in exactly what level of tenderness you want, and just cook one of those) -- but it's one of those 'you can't miss' meals. Nobody will hate it. Except vegitarians, but who gives a shit.

5. You didn't pay attention to bonus-tip-two, did you. You still want to marinate your steaks. 'I wanna try it!' you say. 'I want my steak to be spicy!' you say. FINE. If you're gonna do this, first of all, you **have** to eat it. All of it. You put the poor steak through this torture and you're going to be there with it, or you're a terrible person. Next, the most efficient way to actually *do* it, is to put the steak into a ziplock bag. Pour in only as much sauce as you really need, and zip it up. Toss back in the fridge until you're ready to cook (not more than 24 hours, preferably, because your meat has stuff growing on it, but if you cook it sooner than like I dunno 2 or 3, you're probably wasting your efforts marinating in the first place). Be prepared for your grill to hiss and spit and get like ridiculously dirty. You deserve it. You marinating punk. Shame on you.