Steak

My idea of party perfection is a backyard fajita fest. I have the guys roast the peppers until blistery and browned, then I send them into the kitchen to seed and slice them. Next they grill up the steaks and cut them into nice, thin strips. Meanwhile I've already set out bowls of guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and chips. We all gather around my outdoor table, each of us making our dream fajita with just the right balance of steak and peppers, sour cream and guacamole.

This recipe is a take on bibimbap, a Korean dish often made up of rice topped with vegetables, sliced meat, a fried egg, and hot sauce. Serve with ice-cold beer.

Serve this quick flavor-packed steak with sliced avocado, orange, and red onion. Canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce are sold at supermarkets and Latin markets.

Though slightly unconventional, white wine works incredibly well with steak.

Healthy steak from the California Health & Longevity Institute near Los Angeles.

To get a 12-ounce flank steak, cut a 1 1/2-pound flank steak lengthwise.

If you are looking for something a little different to accompany a stir-fry, try panfried Chinese noodles as crisp vehicles for umami-loaded Asian sauces.

Peppercorn mélange is a mix of whole black, white, pink, and green peppercorns; it's often sold in a grinder in the spice section of the supermarket. The peppery blend and sweet glaze in this recipe make the most of an inexpensive cut of meat.

This version of the French classic from the lounge at Craftsteak is both exceptional (chef Shane McBride dry-ages his bone-in strip steak 15 to 20 days) and economical (half the meat, same great flavor).

According to legend, a great chef in Punta del Este, Uruguay, Antonio Carbonada, had an Argentine lady as a regular customer. One day she asked for her favorite sandwich made with goat (chivito in Spanish). There was no goat to be had, so the chef threw together what was on hand—steak, ham, cheese, lettuce, and mayonnaise—and the chivito was born. It is now found everywhere in Uruguay. As with most traditional comfort food, everybody makes their chivito just a little differently. Here's mine.

This incredible sandwich is so filling that you won't need a side dish.

Mushrooms spiked with the flavors of India add complexity and exoticism to beefy, well-marbled rib eye. They also go with virtually any other cut of steak.

Tender, inexpensive sirloin flap steak—another name for the "tails" of porterhouses and T-bones—is ideal for kebabs. It's well marbled (the fat adds flavor on the grill), and its long, narrow shape makes it easy to cut into cubes. Robust and beefy on its own, flap steak tastes even better after being marinated in a paste of olive oil, cumin, coriander, and fresh oregano.

One large steak serves six when it's topped with a light and tangy salsa-salad.

Grinding skirt steak at home—using either a meat grinder or a food processor—is the key to this intensely flavorful, juicy burger.

In this campfire version of an Italian classic, the steak is cooked on the coals, though bistecca fiorentina is traditionally cooked on a grill over the coals. Of course you can make it on a very hot grill or griddle pan if you choose, but it's fun to watch your steak cook directly on the coals. Choose the best steak you can afford. Buon appetito!