Steak

Arrachera (skirt steak) is one of the most popular grilled meats in the Yucatán— served sizzling hot off the steel-drum grills of street vendors and at restaurants like La Parrilla in Cancuún.

For a complete diner-style meal, serve this indulgent main with sautéed green beans and buttermilk biscuits.

Tender and flavorful, sirloin needs little adornment. The olive sauce imparts just the right hint of spice and saltiness—and it's ready in about ten minutes.

Tricked out with shoestring fries, this is a time-honored rendition of steak frites—meat and potatoes à la française. A rich sauce on the side enhances the already flavorful well-marbled meat.

An almost mystical combination beloved in France, mushrooms and fortified wines like Madeira elevate everything they touch. The results are exceptionally fine when you put their magic to work on great-tasting (and inexpensive) blade steaks.

Don't be intimidated. This is actually just a Southeast Asian twist on beef-noodle soup: steak, fragrant broth, and eminently slurpable noodles.

Grinding dried porcini mushrooms in a spice mill creates a deeply flavorful coating for the steaks.

"Smothering" means braising a tough cut of meat to tenderize it. Slow simmering also concentrates the flavor of the gravy.

This is a clever combination of steak au poivre and Stroganoff.

You don't need an endless supply of ingredients to create a flavor-packed stir-fry. Here, flank steak and fresh Napa cabbage come together without fuss, thanks to a Chinese sauce that requires little work.

Skirt steak, which is full of flavor and holds marinades well, is the essential beef cut for fajitas.

The act of deglazing—using a liquid to "release" pan drippings—is the tried-and-true trick to getting a quick, flavorful sauce. The soy in this recipe melds wonderfully with the wine and adds a certain depth.

Chocolate mousse would be a great simple ending to this meal for two.

Requiring labor-intensive veal stock and a tableside flambé, this tony restaurant dish is usually impractical for the home cook. But we've found a shortcut you'll love: Using just a bit of puréed black-bean soup creates a wonderfully velvety—and completely convincing—sauce.

Briggs takes iron-rich lean beef to another level by topping this steak with cantaloupe, one of the best sources of vitamin A, a nutrient that keeps your skin and eyes at their healthiest.

Skirt steak is delicious served plain, but since you can get such fantastic South American flavor out of these basic pantry items, why not embellish it?

Any plum-type tomato would work here. WHAT TO DRINK: A smooth red with good acidity, like the Marcarini 2004 "Ciabot Camerano" Barbera d'Alba, Italy ($18).

The steaks need to marinate overnight.

Roasting turns a so-so tomato into something pretty tasty, but it makes a high-season beauty that much more amazing. Here, the tomatoes can be roasted ahead of time so you can avoid having your oven on during the afternoon heat.