It depends what kind of steak, i would pound it with a meat mallet,or a rolling pin,or a 2 liter bottle of water,you can also leave it sit in a bit of coke or pepsi,which makes the meat tender,for 1/2 hour,then you fry it.This is what i do and so far so good.Hope this helps.

For more tender cuts of steak (like sirloin or rib-eye) I just cook on top of the stove in a very hot pan and sear quickly...Maybe 3 minutes per side to medium-med rare....then let it rest on a plate for 5 minutes before serving. Steaks get tough if you over cook them. For less tender cuts of steak, marinade for 6-24 hours, then follow the same cooking instructions.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/best-steak-marinade-in-existence/detail.aspx

cindy, that is excellent advice! :)

First you need to make sure to get an excellent quality cut of steak -cut to order by a butcher if you have to... it's really the best way to have a great steak, even if it can get pricey. I season them with plenty of kosher salt and cracked pepper (+other seasonings sometimes-depends on the recipe). Also I use a cast iron pan and cook over medium-high heat for a few minutes on each side (how many minutes depends on how thick the steak is), then sometimes I finish in the oven. I like mine medium-rare to medium, this way they almost never turn out tough.

Oh, the reason they don't toughen up when you use the grill is probably because the heat is so high they cook really fast... It needs to be the same on the stove: heat your pan (usually with a very small amount of oil) and then throw the steak in there: it should sizzle hard immediately. And don't touch it until 1 side is ready, then turn it over to cook the other side.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtIiR7DBAqY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j71zxDcTIU

Entirely depends on the cut of steak. There are some cuts of "steak" that you just don't want to do this with. Typically, though, the advice above is all good. Season as suggested above, pre-heat the pan as indicated and then, with a 3/4" (19mm) thick cut, five minutes a side and remove and rest for five minutes, and don't touch it during either of those five minutes! (gives you medium rare, anything more than that is "burnt" in this man's house)

It sat overnight in beer. Shouldn't that have softened it up?

Understanding cuts of meat is often confusing so it's always a good idea to review the different cuts and where they come from on a cow before you go to the supermarket. If you don't have time to do a quick review online then be sure to check with the butcher in the store once you get there (trust me they love talking about it.) Other things to keep in mind are aging of the meat and marbleizing (or fat content) which is important for flavor (you actually want meat that has been around for a couple of weeks and that has some fat in it.) That said cooking methods vary as well, and the type of heat matters too.  Stove top, unfortunately is not the best of them. Grilling and oven/broiler are best. Adding butter during the cooking processes (more fats) adds extra deliciousness. Tougher cuts of meats can be successful, like London Broil but then it becomes important to tenderize first and cut across the grain for serving. So bottom line is that if you cannot afford a very good cut of 'sirloin steak'  when pan frying then you need to put some time in beforehand getting it tender and flavorful. The way the steak is cut during consumption will be important too. As far as the beer, it will help to break down enzymes in a tough piece of meat but you will still have to tenderize. I've never used beer but I think I would not like the way it would flavor the meat (I only used it once for corned beef and won't do it again.) But as always with tougher cuts of meat you have to cook low and slow. Pan frying works better for quicker cook times and more rare results.

If I have to cook mine in a pan I usually have a lid handy that fits over the steak. I cook at medium heat. I squirt a little water in the pan (about a teaspoon or two) and put the lid over the steak. let it stay covered until you hear that the water is gone. check the steak and turn if necessary. I like mine about medium rare. so in about 5 minutes I turn mine (mind you my steak is about 1-1 1/4 inches thick and room temp) then in about 4-5 minutes I take it out of the pan plate it and cover it with foil until it rests about 5 minutes at least. then it's ready to eat and should be perfect medium rare and not tough. the other thing you might want to take into account is the cut of steak your cooking I usually use ribeye's or tenderloins. but even then some meat is just tougher than others, even though it's the same cut. Good luck! Now I want a steak! LOL

"Beer" may flavour a steak (not a direction I would want to go in) but I can't think of anything in beer that would tenderise a steak; you need an acid as opposed an alcoline (and for God's sake it doesn't take terribly long!) I'm no big fan of doing a steak in a pan. Karen and SemiGourmet have given good advice. There are grilling steaks and there are braising steaks...you need to figure out which one you have and work from there. You can flash burn a TBone, or maybe even a sirloin, but not many other cuts!

Steaks suitable for grilling don't require that you tenderize them. Cuts like sirloin, porterhouse or rib eye are best on a BBQ grill on in the oven on broil. That type of steak won't cook as well on the stovetop. Something like london broil requires a completely different method of prep and you marinate and then cook quickly on a high temp.