You see recipe videos on social media or get recipe suggestions from friends. You have a fully stocked kitchen and hankering for a good steak, or maybe you’ve always been curious about how to prepare steaks.
Before putting seasoning or grilling it, you should know a few steak cooking errors. If any detail gets missed while preparing your steak, it leads to a poor dining experience.
Read on and learn how to avoid these mistakes.
1. Not Understanding the Grade, Cut, and Type of Steaks
Different cuts have varying thicknesses and grades, requiring more time to cook depending on the desired amount of doneness. To avoid this error, be familiar with the types of steak cuts and select the one that matches your desired texture.
Additionally, check the stove’s temperature to ensure that the heat isn’t too high or low for the type of steak being cooked.
2. Overcooking and Undercooking Steaks
Overcooking can cause dry and unappetizing steak, while undercooking can leave meat raw and unsafe to consume. Pay close attention to the cooking time and temperature to ensure the steak is cooked correctly.
Always use a thermometer to test the steak’s internal temperature, and slowly and evenly cook to the desired tenderness or doneness (rare, medium, well done, etc.).
3. Poorly Prepped Steaks
This can range from using too much oil, not allowing the steak to thaw, or not correctly seasoning it. To avoid this error, use a minimal amount of oil to prevent burned steak or undercooked steak.
Another common error is not allowing the steak to thaw properly. Ensuring the steak thaws evenly will enable it to sit at room temperature for an hour or so before cooking.
4. Not Letting Steaks Rest After Cooking
When steaks are cooked, the juices and fats inside the steak will start to seep out if not given time to rest. When served immediately, the steak will be dry and chewy, not juicy and flavorful.
To avoid this, steaks should be allowed to rest for a few minutes after cooking.
5. Cross-Contamination of Steaks
This occurs when raw steak, or its juices, comes into contact with ready-to-eat food. It can result from improper food handling, such as storing raw meats and other ingredients on the same countertop or using the same cutting board for raw and cooked foods.
To prevent cross-contamination, it is essential to maintain a safe food-handling environment.
6. Seasoning Errors
Seasoning with either not enough salt or too much can cause the steak to be tasteless or overly salty. To prevent this error, it is important to season it liberally before cooking. This can be done by evenly seasoning with salt and gently pressing the salt into both sides of the steak.
Lastly, avoid seasoning with additional herbs and spices until after the steak has cooked. If done too soon, this seasoning collection will burn and won’t provide the right taste to the steak.
Prevent These Common Steak Cooking Errors
Common steak cooking errors are all too often made. Implementing essential tips can quickly help prepare a delicious and juicy steak. Make sure to thaw your steak before cooking, use high heat, let your steak rest after cooking, and season generously.
With these steak cooking methods, you’ll be sure to create a steak that is juicy and full of flavor. Now get out to the kitchen and start cooking!
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