FOOD NEWS
The Steak Thickness Rule Professional Chefs Swear By At The Butcher
By Haldan Kirsch
When picking out a steak, ideally, you want one that's 1.5 inches thick so you can get a good sear on the outside of your meat without overcooking the interior. In addition, chef Chris Frothingham says that there's another, even more important, rule regarding thickness you need to keep in mind when shopping for steak at the butcher's or the grocery store.
It's important to make sure your steak's thickness is the same all the way through because even if most of the cut hits that 1.5-inch mark, it won't cook correctly if there's a half-inch difference between the edges and the center. Those edges are going to cook faster than the rest, giving the meat a different flavor and texture.
Skip the cheaper cuts of meat and go right for the premium ones to avoid uneven steaks. Large bands of fat can also cause your steak to cook unevenly since fat shrinks faster than meat and can cause the steak to curl or buckle, but if you score the fat band before cooking, the entire steak can be equally pressed into the cooking surface.