Is there anything better than a juicy, perfectly cooked steak?
Yet many people say that cooking steak at home is simply too difficult. Either that, or it never tastes the way it does when prepared at a great steakhouse. Anthony Bourdain was recently on Marc Maron’s “WTF” podcast, and he said that most people have no idea how to correctly grill a steak.
So, what are we doing wrong? Here are four of the most common mistakes that home cooks make with steak.
1. Cutting It Right Away
Never cut your meat right away! It needs to rest and finish cooking, and the juices need to become sealed inside. If you cut into it right away, all the juiciness will spill all over the plate instead of into your mouth.
2. Poking And Prodding It Incessantly
Bourdain says he hates to see cooks sticking knives and forks into their steak incessantly. There’s a better way to tell if your steak is done. One, invest in a good meat thermometer! Two, rely on your hand. This handy graph from Beyer Beware shows you how a steak should feel when it’s rare, well-done, etc. You will never need to hack into another piece of steak again! (And Bourdain can stop crying into his pillow every night.)
3. Cooking Cold Meat Straight From The Fridge
It’s better to bring your meat to room temperature before you start cooking it. Bobby Flay advises to sit your meat on the counter for 20 minutes before you start to grill.
4. Overcooking It
People also make another common mistake when grilling: They overcook it! We tend to worry about undercooked meat (and for good reason) but you can always put the steak back in the pan if it needs a few more minutes. But, there’s nothing you can do to save a steak that’s been overcooked!
