Step 1

Trim off edge fat and silver skin in thin layers. Trimming off edge fat and silver skin will help your steak cook evenly and get rid of hard-to-chew bits. Gently slide the blade of a short, sharp knife under the unwanted pieces and slide the blade down to remove the fat in thin layers. Trim fat carefully and in thin layers. Trimming too quickly could end up taking chunks of meat off, too.Steak is marbled with fat, which helps keep it moist and tender. Trim away large chunks of fat around the edges, but don’t worry about trying to pick out small veins of fat in the center of the steak. Those will render down as you grill the steak.

Step 2

Tenderize the meat to make it easier to eat. Round steak is a notoriously tough cut of meat, and tenderizing it can help cook it evenly and make it easier to chew. Use a meat tenderizer to pound your steaks until they look ragged but still together. The meat should be roughly 0.5 in (1.27 cm) thick once you’re done.Tenderizing isn’t strictly necessary, but it will help make a round steak more palatable once cooked.

Step 3

Season the steak. There are a number of ways you can season a round steak to help enhance the flavor. The most basic way is to sprinkle a liberal pinch of kosher salt on each side of the steak. Other seasoning options include:Mixing an even ratio of dried oregano and onion powder along with a pinch of salt and a clove of finely chopped garlic. The amount you need will depend on the amount of steak you have, and how much of the seasoning flavor you want to maintain. Experiment with different blends to find the right option for you.Combining a quarter cup (59 ml) of olive oil, a pinch of salt, a sprig of fresh rosemary, a sprig of fresh thyme, and 2 halved garlic cloves together in a plastic bag as a marinade.

Step 4

Rest your steak in the fridge for at least 1 hour. After you have seasoned your steak, place it in a zipper lock bag and compress out as much air as possible. If you’d prefer, you could also vacuum-seal it or cover it with cling-wrap. Then, place your steak in the refrigerator and allow it to rest for at least 1 hour.Depending upon your seasoning or marinade, you can leave your steak to rest up to overnight to get the best flavor. This works especially well with flavorful dry-rubs.