Steakhouse Secrets You Should Be Using At Home

So how do you like your steak? Do you like it medium-rare, medium, or well-done? There are a few things you should do and not do when you want to cook a steak to perfection just like how chefs do it, no matter your preferred level of doneness. Read these steakhouse secrets you should be using at home by Mashed. You’ll learn about the secret tips and tricks used by professionals; to have the juiciest, most tender, and most flavorful meat! Pair it with the most buttery mashed potatoes and a glass of wine, and you have the perfect meal to end the day. Watch the video below for the full details.

Here are the 10 secrets you should know:

1. Butter up your butcher

A good relationship with your local butcher can make a big difference between a prime cut and a dud. Your local butchers stock the type of meat that isn’t available in the grocery store. They can also give recommendations on different cuts, tips, preps, and cooking time. Most butchers know the origins of their meat, you just need to ask.

2. Know your cuts

It’s good to have a basic understanding of the cuts available at your local butcher shop. The more popular cut options according to the Gentleman’s Journal are sirloin, ribeye, and rump. These all have great fat distribution and come from more tender muscles.

3. Don’t cook cold meat

Let the meat come to room temperature before putting it on the pan or grill. Professionals agree that it’s important to leave the meat out of the fridge before cooking. Firstly, placing the cold steak on a grill will cause the muscle tissue to contract and make the heat distribution more tricky. According to Rob Levitt of Chicago’s The Butcher & Lander, the outside will be charred and the inside will be mostly gray meat with a little nugget of red in the middle when you cook the meat cold.

4. Seasoning your steak

Salting is a crucial part of the seasoning process. “Salt releases moisture in the muscle [of the meat] and releases the natural flavors of steak” as said by Tender Greens Chef Pete Balistreri to This, Not That.

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5. Use the right cooking oil

Many chefs advise staying away from olive oil. According to Home Cook World, the best oils for searing steak are avocado oil, soybean oil, and canola oil because they have high smoke points. You can use clarified butter for the steak.

6. Use a very hot pan

Use cast iron skillets because they hold heat and ensure even heat distribution. British Chef Kevin B. Thomson recommends that for best results “the skillet should be very hot but not smoking.”

7. Flip your steak rarely

The Executive Chef at Gordon Ramsay Steak at the Horseshoe Baltimore, Samantha Love, said to Thrillist that you need to wait for the Maillard reaction to take place before flipping the steak.

8. Butter and aromatics

Butter increases beef’s flavor and texture and gives it an appealing glossy finish. Michelin star Alain Ducasse recommends only adding the butter to the skillet after the steak is already brown.

9. The perfect timing

Culinary gurus from Hestan Cue have a chart that outlines the exact searing times and temperatures for different cuts of meat and wellness levels. Or you can use a meat thermometer. For a medium-rare steak, it should be around 130 degrees F but you should remove it from heat when it’s 5 degrees F lower than the desired temperature.

10. Cut against the grain

If you want to cut the meat before serving, you should cut against the grain, or perpendicular to the direction of the muscle fibers. Warm the plate before serving as it maintains an even temperature of the food.

Steakhouse Secrets You Should Be Using At Home