Unlock The Secret To Juicier Steak By Taking Your Time

You may have wondered why steaks taste different at restaurants. The short answer is that professional chefs know invaluable tips and tricks when it comes to cooking the protein and can make even affordable steak cuts shine through great technique and careful preparation. According to executive chef Russell Kook of The Bellevue in Chicago, one of the biggest steak blunders that home cooks make is failing to rest their steaks for long enough after they come off the heat.

"People don't rest their steaks long enough — period," chef Kook told Foodie. "A good rule of thumb is to let it rest for about half the cooking time." Does that seem like a really long period to leave your meat sitting out? Congratulations: you are one of chef Kook's statistics. Grilling a 1.5-inch bone-in steak to even just medium rare can take as long as 15 minutes, meaning that you should let your steak rest for a solid seven or eight minutes before even going near it with a knife. 

What, exactly, is the benefit of delaying your meal? "[Resting] locks in the juices and keeps the internal temperature even. It takes patience, but it's worth it," chef Kook insists. That's because, after steak comes off the grill or stovetop, resting allows the muscle fibers in the meat to relax, meaning that those delicious juices can distribute themselves more evenly throughout the cut. Slice into that steak too soon and all the precious juice may flow out and make a mess on your carving board.

Just like your body after a hard workout, your steak requires patience and rest to achieve best results after cooking. There is one situation when you can perhaps skate by without a full rest interval, chef Kook says: "If you're just diving in and eating it whole, you can get away with a shorter rest." On the other hand, "if you're slicing it to showcase temperature or presentation, resting is a must for a clean, juicy cut." In other words, cooking for yourself on a weeknight means that you can maybe skip some resting time. Inviting friends and family over for a cookout with great music and plenty of cold drinks? Consider the resting time part of the preparation process, and definitely don't rush.

Once your steak is rested, make sure that you cut it effectively to preserve the tenderness you've worked so hard to cultivate. Cutting against the grain is essential. You also want the sharpest knife possible for clean, pretty cuts. You don't need Ina Garten's favorite Wüstof knives; a regular blade will do just fine as long as it's seen a whetstone or some other sharpener in the recent past. Cooking great steak, once again, isn't about money. You don't need to shell out for the priciest cuts. Treat your meat carefully, with attention to cooking time and temp, good resting technique, and strategic slicing, and you'll have a meal you are proud to serve.