You've Been Resting Your Steaks All Wrong

Pity the poor steak. How tiring its existence must be! First it is seared, then it is grilled or broiled, and finally, it takes a long and grueling trip through the human digestive system. Is it any wonder it must stop and take a well-deserved rest before beginning this last (and most arduous) stage of its journey?

At least, that is how we've always been taught to treat a steak before treating ourselves to one. But now, Australian celebrity chef Curtis Stone tells us we've been doing it wrong the whole time. How so? According to Stone, our steak still deserves to take a break, but in the middle of the cooking process, not at the end.  

Stone's secret to cooking the perfect steak begins with thawing the steak around 45 minutes prior to cooking time (although — shhh! don't tell him — but steaks cooked straight from the freezer come out pretty darn good, too), and then seasoning it with a dab of oil and some salt and pepper. The steak is then tossed in a sizzling skillet (cast iron, of course) and cooked for about 2 1/2 minutes on both sides. Halfway through, Stone says he likes to take a pair of tongs to stand the steak up on its side and render the fat for about 20 seconds before flipping it. 

Once the steak is almost done, it needs to rest on a rack, not directly on a plate, since otherwise, it will just stew in its own juices. After it's had a four- to five-minute nap, the steak will be awakened once more and tossed back into that hot pan for an additional 60 seconds per side. This rest, followed by a subsequent re-sear, will let the juices distribute evenly throughout, leaving it "perfectly succulent [and] juicy," according to Stone's October 2019 interview with the Australian version of the Daily Mail.

And that is how a real Australian chef cooks a steak — Outback, are you listening? Probably not, but who needs them, anyway? With steak-cooking tips like this one, you might as well skip the chain steakhouses and have the best steaks you'll ever eat right in your own kitchen.