Salt

• Salt brings out the natural flavor of a grilled rib-eye. Pat the steaks dry and bring them to room temperature. Sprinkle both sides of the rib-eye steak with coarse sea salt about 20 minutes before grilling. Salting the steaks too soon will cause the process of osmosis to pull moisture from the steak and make the surface wet, inhibiting the searing of the meat on the grill. Salt added during or after cooking won't penetrate the meat.

Pepper

• The spiciness of freshly ground pepper helps temper the natural richness of rib-eye steaks, so use it liberally. Pepper steaks after salting them but before grilling. Try coarsely cracking black pepper using a mortar and pestle. Rub the cracked pepper over the surfaces of the rib-eye. Grind mixed peppercorns in a pepper mill over the steaks.

Garlic and Onion

• The pungency of garlic and onion balance the earthy flavor from the open flame or charcoal on rib-eye steaks. After adding salt and pepper to the steaks, rub on fresh minced garlic and onion directly before grilling. Adding the garlic and onion too soon wets the surface of the steaks and will cause the steaks to steam instead of brown and caramelize on the grill. As an alternative, sprinkle equal amounts of onion and garlic powder just before grilling. Don't confuse garlic powder and onion powder with garlic salt or onion salt, or the steaks will end up too salty.

Herbs

• Fresh and dried herbs help grilled rib-eye steaks complement side dishes and add interest to the steaks. For example, oregano and basil on a rib-eye work well when served with Mediterranean-style green beans and noodles with marinara sauce. Try parsley and sage for a subtle earthy flavor that complements buttered potatoes and roasted vegetables. Add dried herbs before grilling, or chop fresh herbs to use as a topping to cooked steaks.

Other Seasonings

• Chili powder and rubs add both spice and sweetness to grilled rib-eyes. Check for salt in any seasoning blends before adding them to the steaks, and avoid using extra salt if the blends contain any. Mix ancho chili powder in equal amounts with cocoa powder and ground coffee for a complexly bitter and spicy rub to add on rib-eye steaks with a little olive oil before grilling. Spicy paprika or mild mustard powder add interest to a rib-eye seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic or onion powder.