(CBS) If your yard is covered in snow, firing up the grill might not seem so appealing. But there's no reason to give up a tasty grilled steak if you can bring the cooking indoors.

Cookbook author and cookbook teacher Tori Ritchie recommends three inexpensive cuts of meat that are delicious grilled indoors, using a countertop grill, a stovetop grill pan or a broiler.

She showed the way Wednesday in The Early Show's "Five Minute Cooking School," at the Manhattan flagship store of specialty home furnishings retailer Williams-Sonoma. Ritchie offered recipes and tips to co-anchor Hannah Storm.

RECIPES

Japanese-Style Flatiron Steak

Flatiron steaks, newly popular on restaurant menus, have a nice, beefy flavor, perfect to stand up to strong-tasting ingredients like the potent Japanese wasabi used in this recipe. Look for wasabi powder in an Asian grocery store or the international foods section of a well-stocked market. Pair the steak with wasabi butter or use the flavorful condiment to toss with Asian noodles as an accompaniment.

For the wasabi butter:
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 Tbs. wasabi powder
2 Tbs. snipped fresh chives

For the sake-soy marinade:
1/4 cup sake or dry sherry
3 Tbs. regular or reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 Tbs. rice vinegar
1 Tbs. molasses
1 Tbs. Asian sesame oil
2 Tbs. peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 flatiron or sirloin steak, 1 3/4 to 2 lb. and 3/4 inch thick
red pepper flakes for garnish (optional)

To make the wasabi butter, in a small dish, mix together the butter, wasabi powder and chives until well blended. Let the butter stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving, or refrigerate it for up to 6 hours. If refrigerated, remove from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before using.

To make the sake-soy marinade, in a shallow, nonreactive dish just large enough to hold the steak, combine the sake, soy sauce, vinegar, molasses, sesame oil, ginger and red pepper flakes and mix well. Add the steak and turn to coat both sides. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours, turning occasionally. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling.

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct grilling over high heat. Oil the grill rack. Remove the steak from the marinade, reserving the marinade.

Grill the steak, turning once or twice and brushing with the marinade for up to 5 minutes before the meat is done, until nicely charred and cooked to your liking, 7 to 10 minutes total for medium-rare.

Transfer the steak to a carving board and let rest for at least 3 minutes. Cut into portions or slice for serving and sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Serve the wasabi butter on the side. Serves 4.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma, "Essentials of Grilling," by Denis Kelly, Melanie Barnard, Barbara Grunes & Michael McLaughlin (Oxmoor House, 2003).

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