The Foil Trick For Aesthetically Pleasing Bone-In Steaks

When it comes to impressive home-cooked meals, a fancy steak dinner inspired by classic restaurant menu favorites is way at the top of the list. It's more achievable than an at-home sushi meal for many people (especially those of us who aren't skilled sushi chefs), and definitely fancier (though not necessarily more delicious) than a build-your-own burger night. And, importantly, the traditional side dishes for steak are more than plentiful and delicious enough for vegetarians. Macaroni and cheese, baked potatoes, steamed asparagus, and more are all classic steakhouse sides that are both delicious when made at home and suitable for those who don't eat meat. 

However, when it comes to cooking the steak, people who choose a bone-in cut often end up with a charred, burnt bone. It's technically fine, but less than pleasing when it comes to aesthetics. That's where Tyler Florence's favorite hack comes in, and it involves an item you likely have in your kitchen right now: foil.

In 2022, famed restaurateur and television chef Tyler Florence shared some steak cooking tips with Food & Wine. Cooking great steak at home doesn't begin and end with the cut you choose (though Florence suggested springing for dry-aged beef), and he recommended paying attention to the bone in the steak if yours has one. After all, when it comes to a fancy dinner, eating with the eyes happens before tasting with the palate.

This is especially important for a cut like a tomahawk steak, where a large bone is included in plating as one of the main presentation selling points. By the time the steak is done cooking (under the oven's broiler if you're doing it Florence's way), the bone is often burnt past the point of recognition. To avoid this eyesore, Florence recommended wrapping the bone in foil. Once the bone is wrapped, you can safely finish the steak (started on the stove in an oiled pan) in a 400-degree Fahrenheit oven, without fear of the bone burning.

When the meat has rested and you're ready to dine, just unwrap the bone from its foil blanket before serving. The foil wrapping technique seems simple, but the result is so attractive. Florence told Food & Wine that you should pay extra attention to the way the meat is served. He recommends cutting the meat off the bone and separating the steak into its three parts: eye, cap, and tail. By putting the ribeye meat along the convex curve of the bone, the cap inside the curve, and the tail towards the outside of the plate near the cap, you're near restaurant status already.

Florence finishes his steak with salt, chives, and olive oil. Though Food & Wine reports that Florence often tops his steak with freshly shaved truffles, you're totally set to just serve the meat as is. In fact, with such a gorgeous presentation, you'll probably be applauded.