Moved from IMHO to CS.
My wife suprised us both by simply sprinkling some salt and pepper on a cheap steak as she seared it in a pan, and having it turn out really pretty tasty!
Other than that, we just use the generic McAdams (or is it McCormicks? I don’t care enough to remember) steak seasoning mix that you sprinkle on from a little spice canister.
-Kris
So this is something I’ve always wondered.
What counts as “prime beef”? How can I tell the difference? (I mean prior to actually cooking and eating the thing.) Do I just have to trust the price tags?
-Kris
Oops, I see others have already opined on the “only salt and pepper” issue.
Wife and I had never heard of the idea that a steak literally should only have salt and pepper on it. We just tried it on a whim, and ended up liking it.
Like I said, though, it was a cheap steak, so perhaps our taste judgment is not to be trusted, since, apparenlty, one is not supposed to enjoy the taste of a cheap steak.
-FrL-
Paul Prudhomme’s Blackened Steak Magic - pretty damn good seasoning, and fresh ground pepper. Don’t grill until steaks are room temp, and remember to let the meat rest a couple of minutes before cutting, so it reabsorbs its juices. Salt at the table so the meat stays juicy.
The best seasoning for steak is simply to make certain that your steak is as fresh as possible.
Period.
No freezer time, buy it/cook it the day it is butchered, if possible.
The best steakhouses, my butcher, and Alton Brown all ‘dry-age’ their steaks. I will concur on no freezer time, but a nearly-ice cold, dry meat locker is great.
So, you’re not into the whole “dry aged beef” concept?
Do my posts even appear on this board? 
Don’t feel bad, many times mine don’t either. 
No.
In fact, I’m not even responding to this one.
I had the best steak of my life, earlier this summer. I think it was a New York Strip, and the fellow cooking it dipped it in olive oil, then in some sort of seasoning (I don’t know exactly what it was; I think it was one of those pre-mixed steak seasonings). I won’t mention how long it was cooked, as that might offend the delicate sensibilities of the steak elite, but it was juicy, flavorful, and so tender I could have eaten it without teeth.
Funny, I get 1.5 furlongs = 8.32123287 × 10[sup]-13[/sup] fortnights ;).
I shake on garlic powder and garlic salt, and grind on some fresh black peppercorns, to both sides, then rub it in and let it sit until the grill gets hot. No steak sauce required.
on a good steak?? No no nononono. Rock salt and a smear of good olive oil on the steak only a second before it goes on the grill so the salt doesn’t draw any juices out. Pepper taints the meat’s flavour, and should of course go in the mashed potatoes along with some fresh grated nutmeg and half a butter mountain.
If it’s a steak tough and flavourless enough to need marinating, a. why bother? b. pressed garlic, lemon juice and sesame oil, if I must.
The best gol-darn steak I ever ate, let alone cooked, was made thusly:
Chop a clove of garlic in half and rub on both sides of the steak.
Leave garlic on plate with the steak. Let sit an hour at room temperature.
Sprinkle with salt & pepper on both sides, and drizzle with olive oil.
Grill steak.
While hot, squeeze fresh lemon juice on the top.
Devour lustily.
With a garlicky fresh spinach salad and red wine? It seemed a crime to be enjoying that feast alone.
Standard Everyday Steak Seasoning: Kosher salt, black pepper, granulated garlic, a sprinkle of dried oregano. (The oregano really makes it.)
Serving the Steak as part of a More-or-Less Italian-style Meal: Rub with good olive oil; kosher salt and black pepper.
Really Fuckin Tasty Method I Haven’t Used for a While: Mince garlic, mash with a few anchovies in olive oil and black pepper. Rub resultant goop onto steak. (This is particularly nice if you have a SPECIAL steak to grill, like a 3-inch-thick Porterhouse.)