This Is Geoffrey Zakarian's Secret To A Perfectly Cooked Steak

Geoffrey Zakarian, Food Network star and successful restaurateur, might know a thing or two about perfecting the art of steak. After all, the Iron Chef has been grilling steak since he was eight years old. We spoke with Chef Zakarian at his iconic restaurant, The Lambs Club in New York, over a few glasses of Beringer wine, Zakarian's newest partner.

Zakarian's preferred cut of steak is the ribeye or sirloin cut, especially when he's pairing it with a full-bodied red wine. Many people would reach for Kobe beef first, but there's too much fat and it's expensive. But once you have your prime cut of ribeye, there's still many ways you can ruin it.

"The grill isn't hot enough or clean enough; the steak is too cold — it should be room temperature," Zakarian told The Daily Meal. "If it's cold, the steak will be grey on the outside and red on the inside; you want it room temperature when it hits the grill so it cooks evenly."

And the number one steak skill to master, according to Zakarian? Seasoning your steak correctly.

"Basically steak should be entirely salt-crusted," he said. "Under-seasoning steak is a common rookie mistake. You absolutely need a crust on it. And make sure you cut the steak straight and not at an angle."

As a bonus, Chef Zakarian told us the secret to The Lambs Club's perfectly succulent lamb/veal/beef meatballs:

"It's the voluminous amount of heavy cream," he said. "Cream is fat, and fat is flavor. Plus we use almost zero breadcrumbs and egg."