Steakhouse Secrets
New York City is home to some of the most famous steakhouses in the country. We traveled to Keens Steakhouse in Manhattan, one of the oldest steakhouses in New York, where we met up with Chef Bill Rodgers to learn what it takes to make a perfect steak.
Look for "Starry-Night" Marbling
When picking out a good cut of meat, look for a steak with a lot of little flecks of fat rather than a super lean cut, or one with many thick strips of fat. Chef Rodgers refers to this type of fat marbling as "Starry-Night" marbling. Steaks with this type of marbling are likely to be very tender and juicy.
Don't Salt Raw Meat
When you salt a piece of raw meat, the salt will absorb some of the moisture from the meat, which could result in a dry steak. Instead, blanch your steaks in the oven before searing, and apply salt after blanching.
Blanch Your Meat
Blanching your steak will help you to cook the meat evenly and avoid a bloody center with burnt edges. To do this, set your oven to 300 degrees and cook your steak in there until it reaches an internal temperature of 100 degrees. Then take it out and let it rest before seasoning and searing.
Let Steak Rest
High heat causes moisture to collect in the center of the meat. Failing to let the meat rest will result in blood on your plate when you cut into it and dry steak. After taking the steak from the oven, grill, or broiler, allow it to sit for a while so that the juices have time to redistribute throughout the meat.
Slightly Over-Season Meat
The inside of the steak cannot be seasoned, so in order to make sure a thick cut of steak has the desired flavor, over-seasoning is the solution.
Moisten with Vegetable Oil
A lot of people use butter to add extra flavor to their steak and keep it moist, however Chef Rodgers says that butter burns too quickly and that vegetable oil is a much better option.
Make Sure Surface is Hot Before Searing
If you blanch your meat like Chef Rodgers recommends, then the final step should be to simply sear the meat. You want your grill or pan to be really hot so that it sears quickly and avoids pulling moisture out. If the temperature is not hot enough, the meat will continue to cook slowly, you will lose more moisture, and could end up boiling your meat in the steak juices.
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