Introduction
If you’ve ever wondered why restaurant steaks taste so good, you’re not alone. Many people have tried to replicate the flavor and texture of a restaurant steak at home, only to be disappointed. But the truth is, there are a few secrets that professional chefs use to make restaurant steaks taste so delicious. In this article, we’ll reveal seven of these secrets and show you how to use them to make restaurant-quality steaks at home. From the type of steak to the cooking method, these tips will help you create a steak that’s as good as any you’d find in a restaurant.
7 Chefs’ Secrets That Make Restaurant Steak Taste So Good
When you go out to eat steak at a restaurant, you expect it to be cooked to perfection. But what is it that makes restaurant steak taste so good? Here are seven secrets that chefs use to make restaurant steak taste amazing.
1. Start with Quality Meat
The most important factor in making a great steak is starting with quality meat. Chefs will often source their steak from local farms or specialty butchers to ensure they are getting the best quality steak possible.
2. Use the Right Cut
The cut of steak you use can make a big difference in the flavor and texture of the steak. Chefs will often choose cuts like ribeye, strip, or filet mignon for their steak dishes.
3. Season the Steak
Chefs know that seasoning the steak is key to making it taste great. They will often use a combination of salt, pepper, garlic, and herbs to bring out the flavor of the steak.
4. Let the Steak Rest
After the steak is cooked, chefs will let it rest for a few minutes before serving. This allows the steak to reabsorb its juices, making it more tender and flavorful.
5. Use the Right Cooking Method
Chefs know that the cooking method can make a big difference in the flavor of the steak. They will often use a combination of grilling, pan-searing, and broiling to get the perfect steak.
6. Use the Right Sauce
The right sauce can take a steak from good to great. Chefs will often use a combination of butter, herbs, and spices to create a flavorful sauce that complements the steak.
7. Plate the Steak Properly
The way a steak is plated can make a big difference in how it looks and tastes. Chefs will often use a combination of vegetables, sauces, and garnishes to make the steak look and taste amazing.
These are just a few of the secrets that chefs use to make restaurant steak taste so good. With the right ingredients and techniques, you can make restaurant-quality steak at home.
Moist, juicy, flavorful—restaurant steaks are some of the most coveted dishes. Whether you enjoy a tender filet mignon or prefer a well-marbled ribeye prepared medium-rare, there’s a steak out there for every meat lover. However, even though restaurant-made steaks are delicious, they always seem near-impossible to recreate at home. What are their secrets?!
Well, for one if you think buying a steak from that case in your local supermarket will get you there, you’re on the wrong track. “Your choice of beef ultimately has more to do with how your steak will taste than the cooking technique,” says Malaki Craft, executive chef at Rick Erwin’s Clemson.
Craft explains that beef is graded by the USDA, with Prime being the top 10% in the nation, followed by Choice, Select, Standard, and so on. “If you want a restaurant-quality steak, I recommend avoiding Select or Standard grade,” he says. Read more about steak grades here.
Choosing the right steak is just the first step to making a restaurant-worthy steak in the comfort of your own kitchen. We enlisted a handful of chefs to help give you tips on how to get the job done. From making sure to use high heat to remembering to cutting like a pro, here are seven chefs’ secrets that make restaurant steak taste so much better than the ones you cook at home.
Matthias Merges, chef and proprietor of Mordecai Chicago, says that you can also get your steaks right from the butcher for the best quality. “I recommend for home chefs to find a good butcher in their neighborhood and ask for strip steaks, ribeye, or whatever cut they are interested in,” he says. He also shares that wet-packed meat should be avoided. “This means the meat will be aged inside a vacuum bag with water to maintain as much weight as possible—this is not something people want to purchase.” Instead, go for a piece of meat with firm, white fat and a “dryish” texture.
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Tony Sudak, chef and butcher at Walden Local, recommends adding a bit of butter (or “monté au beurre”) to the steak towards the end of cooking. “This comes from my French culinary school background,” Sudak says. “Monté au beurre means ‘mount with butter.’ This process adds richness and a bit of flavor to the finished product.”
To make an even more delicious steak, Sudak says you can add some crushed garlic cloves, fresh thyme, and fresh rosemary when you add the butter to the pan. “‘Voila!’ You’ve just made it to line cook in a high-end steakhouse,” he says.
If you want to cook like a pro, you also must cut meat like a pro. “When slicing your steak, cut across the grain, or perpendicular to the direction of the fibers, to maximize tenderness,” says Chef Lamar Moore, Food Network celebrity chef and winner of the hit TV series Vegas Chef Prize Fight. Moore also says you should avoid piercing the beef with a fork while carving to prevent juices from draining. “Try using tongs to hold it instead while slicing to preserve the juicy goodness!” he adds.
Plan on putting an ice-cold steak on the pan or grill? You may want to rethink this. “Start with a smoking hot pan with olive oil and make sure your steak is at room temperature,” says Bravo’s Below Deck Mediterranean and celebrity chef Dave White. “Don’t take it straight out the fridge and cook it—this is a MUST!”
Chef Pete Geoghegan, director of culinary at Cargill Protein North America and Sterling Silver Premium Meats chef, says to also use high heat when cooking steak. “You need the grill or skillet to be hot enough to develop that char or browning on the surface of the steaks,” Geoghegan says. “You don’t want it so hot that it burns but hot enough to create the flavor on the outside.”
Don’t forget to let your steak rest after cooking. “Resting is also a very important part of properly cooking steaks,” says Craft. “Steaks should be cooked within 5 degrees of the desired internal temperature, then removed from heat and allowed 5 to 8 minutes to rest and reabsorb the juices.”
Craft warns that cutting a steak before it has had time to rest will cause the juices to run, and the steak to become dry and less flavorful.
Sudak explains that you should season your steak ahead of cooking it, “especially if it’s a thicker steak closer to 1 1/2- to 2-inches thick,” he says.
“A cut that thick, you want the salt to penetrate the meat’s interior,” he adds. Because of this, it’s best to season your steak liberally with salt (and other spices, if you’d like) at least 45 minutes to an hour before cooking. “This will also help purge excess liquid from the steak and aid in the development of the crust,” he adds.