Preparing Steaks Before Grilling

1. Place one steak on a wood chopping block, slab or other hard surface and pound about five times on each side with the bumpy side of the meat tenderizer. Repeat for all steaks. This breaks up fatty fibers in the meat, leading to more tender steaks.

2. Rub Montreal seasoning into the meat to form a light crusting on each side of the steaks. The dry-rub helps steak maintain moisture during grilling and also contributes to tenderness. Any salt and black pepper-based dry-rub will work, but Montreal seasoning, which contains coarse salt, black and red pepper, dried garlic, sunflower oil, paprika and other flavors gives meat a bold and tangy flavor.

3. Place steaks on a clean plate or platter, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight prior to grilling. The longer the seasoning remains on the meat, the more flavor it imparts.

Starting Coals and Grilling

1. Remove the cooking grate and pour enough charcoal in the grill to completely cover the cooking grate with a layer of coals. Huddle the coal in a mound and bury the electric starter iron in the mound's center before plugging in the device.

2. Open all grill vents wide for maximum air flow and keep the starter in the coals for at least eight minutes until charcoal begins to smoke and crackle.

3. Unplug and remove the starter and use the starter iron to spread lit coals evenly across the coal grate. Sprinkle dry hardwood chip blend over coals.

4. Coat the cooking grate with vegetable oil spray and place it back on the grill. Close the lid and allow the grill to preheat for another 10 minutes to allow coals to thoroughly catch. Coals are ready when they're mostly gray in color.

5. Place the seasoned steaks on the cooking grate directly above the lit coals and grill to taste, about six minutes per side for medium-rare.