Rinse it off. Pull all the little brown leaves off. Trim the bottom of the artichoke until there is about 1/2 inch left on the step. Trim all the sharp points off the leaves with kitchen scissors. Then trim a good portion off the top leaves (where the artichoke opens up later after it is cooked. Steam it in a big pot of simmering water covered for about 45 minutes. When it is soft, pull it out of the water and drain upside down to get all the extra water out. The outer leaves tend to be tougher, especially the ones towards the bottom. You might want to ditch these before you start. Dip the leaves in butter and scrape the soft inside off with your teeth. Once you are finished with the thicker leaves and are getting towards the really soft inner leaves, pull them all out (be careful - it is HOT inside). The what you have left is the fluffy part that covers the artichoke heart (it's kind of flowery looking and silky). Yank all that off and scrape out with a spoon. What you have left is the most delicious part of the artichoke. Quarter it, dip it in butter and enjoy! You can also microwave them in a much shorter time.