Busting Steakhouse Myths

The common belief that steaks lose approximately 20% of their weight during cooking is only partially true. Experiments showed that a rare steak (123°F) lost only 12% of its raw weight, a medium steak (142°F) lost 17.6%, and a well-done steak (157°F) lost a substantial 25%. This indicates that the 20% figure is only accurate for the upper range of medium doneness, and ordering rarer yields more cooked meat by weight.

A 16.05 oz raw steak cooked rare yielded 14.1 oz (12% loss). A 15.9 oz raw steak cooked medium yielded 13.1 oz (17.6% loss). A 15.95 oz raw steak cooked well-done yielded 12.0 oz (25% loss).

The myth that a good steak only needs salt and pepper was confirmed for cast iron searing. When a steak was seasoned with a complex spice blend (including paprika, onion/garlic powder, cayenne, coriander, and turmeric), the spices burned during the high-heat searing process, masking the natural beef flavor. In contrast, salt and pepper allowed for a 'pure expression of beef' without burnt notes.

Blind tasting revealed that the complex spice blend resulted in a 'burnt spice' taste and 'muddy' flavor, while the salt and pepper steak was preferred for its 'pure expression of beef.'

The popular notion that meat closer to the bone is more flavorful or tender was disproven. Blind taste tests of ribeye pieces cut near and far from the bone showed a preference for the meat farther from the bone. The bone retains heat, causing the adjacent meat to cook to a rarer temperature, which means connective tissue doesn't break down as much, resulting in less tenderness.

Participants consistently preferred the meat cut farther from the bone, noting that the meat near the bone was 'less tender' and had 'less render on the fat.' The host explained that meat near the bone is 'going to be more rare' and 'you're going to get more of that connective tissue.'

The belief that every steak should be cooked medium-rare (around 135°F) was confirmed. Testing both a lean filet mignon and a fatty ribeye at medium-rare and medium doneness, the medium-rare preparation consistently yielded superior results for both cuts. While a fattier steak might theoretically benefit from more cooking to render fat, pushing it past medium-rare often results in an undesirable 'gray ring' and overcooked exterior.

For filet, the rarer cook was 'significantly better.' For ribeye, despite the potential for fat rendering, the medium-rare was preferred because cooking it more 'just getting more overcooked meat on the outside.'