The right cut and a smartly built fire can blaze the way to tender, juicy beef with just a hint of smoke Ask any chef what he or she likes to eat on night off, and I predict that you'll hear the same response: a steak. Surprised? You shouldn't be. After working with food all week long, restaurant chefs like myself crave an easy, delicious dinner that we don't have to deconstruct to enjoy. In the summertime especially, there's nothing quite as satisfying as a beautiful steak grilled over a hardwood fire. The ritual of building the fire, the aroma of smoke, and the mouth watering flavour of grilled beef all contribute to the uncomplicated pleasure of this summer tradition. If you've ever grilled a steak over a live fire, you know what I'm talking about. And if you haven't, read on. I'll give you a few simple guidelines from choosing the right cut to setting up the fire that will give you the perfect results you're looking for.

Rich marbling means succulent steaks.

If you begin with good-quality beef and the right cut, your grilled steaks will shine without any elaborate flavourings or tenderizers. The Canadian grading system gives you a good way to assess quality: beef that's labelled "prime" is superior; "AAA" is runner-up. "AA" is third I don't recommend it for a steak. The grading designations are largely determined by the amount of visible fat that's streaked throughout the muscle tissue, called marbling. Beef that's richly marbled gets a higher grade; it's more tender, juicy, and flavourful because the intramuscular fat melts and bastes the flesh during cooking. Also, since fat insulates, marbling provides some insurance against overcooking. Look for small, evenly distributed specks of fat rather than larger and sparser ones.

Forget the Pyramid

After years of professional and backyard grilling, I'm still fascinated by the details that go into building a successful fire, and I still have to pay attention. For flexibility, build a fire that offers a range of temperatures at all times (see Building the fire). You need to be able to move the food around if there are flare-ups, and you need to account for thicker and thinner parts of the steaks. You can create the same effect on your backyard grill by lighting the fire on one side of the grill and letting it "walk" across the coals. When the coals on the side that were lit first are dying, those on the opposite side which started burning last will be hottest. This gives you a longer window for grilling and more control over the heat. For gas grilling, set one burner to high and the other to medium, and add some wood chips for smoky flavour.

Building the Fire

1. Set one or two hardwood logs (if using them), in the grill, and then pour the charcoal on top. Set up a chimney starter and light the newspaper stuffed in its bottom.
2. When the coals in the chimney are covered with ash, pour them all out on one side of the grill.
3. Leave the coals undisturbed as the fire "walks" across the grill, giving you areas of greater and lesser heat.
4. The coals at centre glowing red, turning gray, but no longer flaming are hot and ready. The ash-covered coals in back have cooled to medium hot and are ready.