9 Ways You’re Cooking Your Steak Wrong [VIDEO]

Gearing up for Labor Day weekend and Brews & BBQ, we thought you should know what mistakes not to make when cooking your steak.

Business Insider spoke with Billy Oliva, executive chef at one of Wall Street's best steakhouses, Delmonico's. And they've been making great food since 1837.

Ben6, Thinkstock[/caption]9 Ways You're Cooking Your Steak Wrong

1. You don't want to leave it in the fridge right up until you grill it. You want it to be at room temperature, so it cooks more evenly.

2. Don't put it on until the grill heats up. If you put a steak on a grill that isn't hot yet, all the juices seep out, and you end up with a dry, grey piece of meat.

3. Don't be afraid of over-seasoning it. You shouldn't over-season a burger, because it dries it out, but you can go to town on a steak. Just make sure you season both sides of it, and then season it again after you take it off the grill.

4. Don't leave it directly over the flame the entire time. Char both sides of it, but then move it to the corner of the grill so you don't burn the outside before the inside cooks.

5. Don't press down on it with a fork or a spatula. Your primary job when you're cooking a steak is to keep as much of the fat in as possible, because that's where all the flavor comes from. And pressing down with something does the opposite.

6. Don't serve a steak fresh off the grill. Take it off and let it rest first, so the juices soak back into the center. Depending on how big the steak is, you should wait about five to ten minutes before you cut into it.

7. Don't flip the steak more than once. Put it in a hot pan, leave it alone until it starts to caramelize, and flip it only once. "You don't need to keep flipping it every two minutes because then you're removing the steak from the hot surface. You're kind of defeating the purpose of searing the outside and locking in all the juices."

8. Don't poke the steak with a fork to see whether it's done. You're testing steak, not cupcakes. "Once you poke a hole in it, all the blood and all the flavor and juices in the steak are going to leach out."

Here's a great trick I was taught to know when your steak is done.

9. Don't forget to reseason the steak before serving. A lot of the seasonings get lost in the cooking process, so Oliva and his staff give the steaks at Delmonico's a sprinkle of sea salt before they leave the kitchen.