Grilling 101 With Strip House Chef Michael Vignola

— -- Michael Vignola, a corporate executive chef at Strip House restaurants in Las Vegas and New York City, knows how to grill the perfect steak.

Vignola, also a former “Chopped” champion, appeared on “Good Morning America” today to share his grilling tips for steaks this summer season. The chef also shared his favorite recipes for adding flavor to steak.

Read his tips and recipes below, in his own words, to perfect your summer grilling menu.

Vignola's Tips:

1. When buying a steak from a butcher, ask to see the meat first. Take a look and smell when he shows it to you. If something smells off, it probably is. Great steaks should be firm, red and give off no odor.

2. There are three crowd-pleasers that I recommend: the filet mignon (the leanest of all cuts, very tender with a soft delicate chew), the strip (an evenly marbled steak that takes great to charring) and the ribeye (my personal favorite and the connoisseur’s steak of choice).

3. Salt is our friend -- consider it to be a magnifying glass for flavor. Big beefy steaks can take a lot of seasoning because some salt will be lost in the cooking process.

4. Use a canola and/or olive oil blended oil to coat the steak before seasoning it. Either an 80/20 or 90/10 blended oil will get the job done. Be sure to lightly coat the steak. Save your expensive olive oils for salads where their subtle flavors will shine brightest.

5. A well-marbled steak needs only coarsely ground black pepper and kosher salt to bring flavor perfection. It really is a case of the sum being greater than the parts. Be sure to season a bit more than you might regularly season a sautéed item. Some of the steak’s seasoning will be lost in the grilling process. You want to be sure to have enough on the steak to get the job done and create a great crusty char.

6. It is all about heat. High heat sears the cooking surface of the meat, ensuring a juicier steak and allowing the charring to happen. A little flame is your friend; a lot of flame is a definite concern. Keep two sides of the grill hot and move the steak to the second hot spot if the first grilling area is aggressively flaming up. Dousing with water is a last resort; you want to keep the grill as hot as possible.

7. Don’t flip out. Flipping the steak too often can sabotage the charring of the meat and eliminate most of the seasoning on the steak. Don’t drag the steak over the grill when turning. Pick it up in one motion and place it back with the same motion.

8. Rest and Relax. Once you have achieved the desired temperature, remove the steak from the heat and allow it to rest for at least 5 minutes on a grate over a pan before cutting it. You want to make sure there is air all around the steak to stop the cooking process. The internal juices will redistribute throughout the steak and the steak will relax and become tender. Cutting too soon will allow the juices to spill out, turning a medium rare steak into a medium plus steak. I have done this and I was sad.

Vignola's Recommended Recipes:

Sweet & Tangy Sauce

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 medium red onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 (8-ounce) can tomato puree or sauce (no spices)

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 tablespoon molasses

1 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon tamarind paste

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon Dijon or brown mustard

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

Directions:Heat olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two. Reduce the heat to low and mix in the tomato paste and cumin. Add the tomato puree and all remaining ingredients. Stir until combined and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or other seasonings as you see fit. Transfer the sauce to a blender or use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. Add more water, a tablespoon or two at a time, if you prefer a thinner sauce.

Simple Rubs:

For the ribeye to stand up next to the full fat, I like to pair a chili rub consisting of:

2 teaspoons coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

1/2 teaspoon oregano

2 teaspoon ground dry chipotle

1 teaspoon Ancho Chile powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 piece dried orange zest

For a strip I like to get a little more adventurous by using a mix of peppercorns and some locally-roasted coffee beans:

2 teaspoons black peppercorns

1 teaspoon pink peppercorns

1.5 teaspoons Coriander seeds

3 pieces Juniper berries

2 teaspoons coarse ground coffee

With the delicate flavor of the filet mignon I like to limit the rub and change it up by finishing the filet with a crust. After you've got a great charred, well-rested filet, I like to top it with a roasted garlic and Worcestershire crust.

Roasted Garlic Cloves

Worcestershire Sauce

Rosemary

Thyme

Panko

Summer Savory (herb)