Cooking steak at home can be daunting. Even experienced cooks struggle with getting steak to come out perfectly flat and evenly cooked. As a professional chef and longtime steakhouse owner, I’ve cooked thousands of flawless steaks over the years. I’m going to share all my insider techniques like how do I stop my steak from curling every time.
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What Causes Steak to Curl and Deform During Cooking
Before we dive into solutions, it’s important to fully understand what makes steak curl and deform in the first place while cooking. There are two main culprits:
Moisture Loss and Muscle Fiber Contraction
As the steak heats up during cooking, it begins to rapidly lose moisture from the outer edges and surfaces. This moisture loss causes the muscle fibers and proteins closer to the cooked exterior to tighten and contract. The edges and sides of the steak start to curl inward and deform as the fibers shrink.
Additionally, steak contains a grain structure made up of bundles of muscle fibers running in various directions throughout the meat. When heated during cooking, some of these individual fiber bundles may contract and shrink at different rates, causing the steak to buckle and distort as it cooks.
Direct vs Indirect Heat Effects
How and where heat is applied to the steak also greatly impacts the tendency to curl:
- Direct pan-frying over high heat causes much more intense and rapid moisture loss on the bottom and sides in direct contact with the hot metal. This amplifies the contraction and tightening of the fibers, increasing curling.
- Indirect heat, such as grilling a steak suspended over a cooler side of the grill, leads to slower, more even moisture loss throughout the steak. Less severe shrinkage and contraction of the fibers occurs, resulting in less curling.
Fully understanding the science behind why steak curls and deforms equips you to better troubleshoot and prevent it during cooking. Next I’ll provide tips and best practices for pan-frying and grilling steak to keep it flat.
Methods to Stop Steak from Curling Up During Pan-Frying
Pan-frying steak over high heat is quick and convenient, but can quickly cause major curling issues if you aren’t careful. Here are my best tips and techniques on how do I stop my steak from curling:
Trim Excess Fat and Tenderize Prior to Cooking
Carefully trim off any large chunks or thick layers of fat around the peripheral edges of the steak before cooking. Fat shrinks and renders a lot when heated, so removing these thick sections prevents that dramatic contraction from curling the edges.
Use a meat mallet or fork to thoroughly tenderize the entire surface of the steak before cooking. This helps equalize the muscle fibers and connective tissues so they don’t shrink unevenly when heated.
Score the Outer Fat Cap if Thick
If your steak has an exceptionally thick outer fat cap on one side, take a very sharp knife and slice light scores lengthwise every inch or so through just the fat cap down to the meat.
This allows the fat layer to render and shrink more evenly during cooking instead of undergoing one massive contraction on just one side, which would severely curl the steak.
Preheat Pan Well Above Target Temperature
Make sure to preheat your pan over high heat for several minutes before adding oil and the steak. Use a laser thermometer to confirm pan temperature is at least 425-450°F.
This initial extremely high heat will rapidly sear the outer fibers of the steak, setting them in place within the first minute before significant moisture loss and contraction happen internally.
Use a Heavy, Thick Pan to Distribute Heat Evenly
Choose a heavy, thick-bottomed stainless steel pan instead of a lightweight, thin one. Copper or aluminum core pans also work well.
The thicker pan bottom will distribute heat more evenly across the entire cooking surface instead of creating intense hot spots that can amplify curling on parts of the steak.
Tips for Preventing Steak from Curling on the Grill
Grilling steak over a live open flame brings its own challenges for keeping the meat flat. Here are my top grilling tips on how do I stop my steak from curling:
Trim and Tenderize As Needed Before Grilling
As with pan-frying, trim off any peripheral fat chunks and thoroughly tenderize the steak beforehand. This minimizes uneven cooking and contraction.
Arrange Hot Coals in an Even Single Layer
For charcoal grills, carefully arrange hot coals in an evenly distributed single layer across the bottom instead of mounding in the center.
Even heat distribution prevents intense hot spots under the steak that cause greater curling due to moisture loss.
Thoroughly Preheat Grill and Grates
Allow at least 10-15 minutes for the grill grate itself to come fully up to high temperature before placing steak on it. Use an infrared thermometer to confirm grate temp over 500°F.
The extremely hot grate will instantly sear the steak, setting the muscle fibers quickly before serious curling can start.
Grill Perpendicular to Grates If Possible
Place the steak perpendicular to the grates rather than parallel if the steak length allows.
This makes the heat impact all sides of the steak more evenly rather than mainly hitting the thinner edges and amplifying curling.
Shield Thinner Ends with Foil
On an irregular shaped steak, wrap the thinner ends completely in foil to protect them from direct heat.
This prevents them from overcooking too quickly and shrinking excessively compared to the rest of the steak.
Weigh It Down As Needed During Grilling
Use a heavy bacon press, brick, or even a grill-safe pan to gently but firmly weigh down the steak as it cooks.
This provides light pressure against the top surface to counter any tendency to curl upwards from the bottom during grilling. Monitor frequently and remove weight if steak is cooking unevenly.
Things to Avoid that Worsen Steak Curling
When trying to prevent your steak from curling in the pan or on the grill, here are 3 things to absolutely avoid:
Repeatedly Stabbing or Poking the Steak
Avoid stabbing or excessively poking the steak with tongs or a fork while cooking. This further pierces and damages the muscle fibers causing them to tighten more.
Cooking on Low or Medium Heat
Don’t cook the steak over low or even medium heat. The longer cooking time before setting allows for greater moisture loss and contraction.
Flipping the Steak Too Frequently
Flip the steak no more than once every 2-3 minutes. Frequent flipping interrupts searing and doesn’t allow enough uninterrupted time for the steak to set before curling occurs.
Why These Practices Worsen Curling
Here’s a more in-depth look at why these practices above are highly problematic:
- Poking steaks causes mechanical damage to the muscle fibers and grain. This makes them shrink and tighten more than evenly heated intact fibers.
- Low heat increases the total cooking time significantly. This allows much more time for moisture loss and uneven contraction before the steak can properly sear and set.
- Frequent flipping prevents the necessary uninterrupted searing for at least 2-3 minutes that “sets” the muscle fibers in place early before serious curling can begin.
What to Do If Your Steak Curls Anyway
I know it can be incredibly frustrating when your steak doesn’t cooperate and stubbornly curls up anyway despite your best efforts. Here are some effective ways to salvage a curled steak:
Gently Pound Flat After Cooking
Use a meat mallet or small skillet to gently tap and pound the steak flat again after cooking. Be very careful not to overdo it and pound the meat to mush.
Compress Between Heavy Pans
Place the curled steak between two heavy pans, baking sheets, or plates. Weigh down with cans, bricks etc to press it flat again.
Slice Thinly Against the Grain
Cut the steak crosswise into very thin slices against the grain after cooking. This yields flat slices for serving despite the curling.
Dice for Other Uses
Dice or slice the steak into smaller 1-inch pieces to use in fajitas, kabobs, stir fries, etc. The smaller cut pieces won’t curl up noticeably.
Conclusion
Make sure that curling does not ruin the steak cut or make iit unusable with care. With some wit, there are still ways to have a juicy steak even if some curling developed. I hope these exhaustive tips are going to enable you to serve excellent and quite flat, perfectly seared steak without any trouble. Access the quilling lumber storage if I desire further curling assistance!