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When Buying Steaks, Look For Even Thicknesses

Tag：Steak Thickness Cooking 2023-12-05 15:38

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Cooking a perfect steak takes mastery and expertise. From understanding the ideal temperature for cooking to perfecting the timing, precision is key to achieving the best results. When it comes to steak, much of the know-how comes into play before you even step into the kitchen. Experts know that when buying multiple steaks, regardless of the cut, selecting steaks with the same thickness is essential so they cook at the same rate. This is one of the mistakes that nearly everyone makes when cooking steak.

You'll be thankful for consistency because pan-searing a steak is relatively hands-on. This cooking method, which prioritizes achieving a crisp sear on the outside of the steak and an evenly cooked center, requires juggling several different culinary balls at once. You must monitor and constantly flip the steak as it cooks over high heat for 6 to 12 minutes, depending on how well done you want it. Then, before it's finished cooking, add butter and herbs to the pan and continue searing the steak. Keeping the thickness of the cuts the same will ensure they all cook for the same amount of time, so you don't have to focus on when to remove individual steaks from the heat, making your job easier.

Steaks with the same thickness should have consistent quality

When Buying Steaks, Look For Even Thicknesses

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Even if you're confident in the kitchen and with the technique of cooking a steak, it's easy to get overwhelmed with all the options and cuts available. Once you decide which cut you want, the next precarious challenge is selecting the steaks themselves. Generally, a steak should be at least one inch thick to get a sufficient outer sear, although flank and skirt steaks are often thinner. If you think you struck gold on a single juicy 1.5-inch steak, but the rest of your selections are thinner, you may not be as fortunate as you thought.

That's because the thin steaks will sear much faster than the thick ones due to the high heat, and you'll end up with inconsistent results that ultimately compromise the experience. You wouldn't want to serve one guest a steak that's perfectly medium rare and another one that's overdone and leathery. When browsing the packages of steaks at the store, give each piece a once-over to compare thickness, and select the one with the most evenly sized cuts. Or, instead of opting for a package of steaks at the store, ask your butcher to cut them for you and request steaks that are all the same thickness.

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