How to make Steaks at home better than a steak house

Summary by Krater

An explainer on steak science covering how to choose a cut, how and when to salt, and how to apply heat for the best texture and Maillard browning.

From the video

Answers: How do I choose, salt, and cook a steak?

• USDA beef grades
• intramuscular fat marbling
• steak cuts comparison
• salt diffusion and osmosis
• dry brining steak
• Maillard reaction temperature stages
• pan searing techniques
• carryover cooking and resting

Ingredients

• steak
• salt
• butter
• oil

What it concludes

• Intramuscular fat (marbling) melts when cooked between 130 and 140 F, lubricating muscle fibers for a juicier and more flavorful steak.
• Ribeye has the most marbling and beefy flavor, New York strip offers a balance of beefy flavor and tenderness, and filet mignon is the most tender but least beefy.
• Salting a steak 1 to 2 hours in advance allows salt to internally season the meat via diffusion and retain moisture via osmosis.
• Cooking a steak to a lower internal temperature (such as 120 F rare) results in less moisture loss, but higher temperatures are needed to render fat and break down collagen for better texture and flavor.
• Triggering the Maillard reaction requires a dry steak surface and a pan temperature of at least 300 F (150 C) after surface moisture evaporates.
• Resting a steak allows muscle fibers to relax and hold more moisture while proteins and fats cool and thicken.