The Knife Trick That Can Make Steak More Flavorful And Tender

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There are numerous ways to tenderize tough meat, including pounding your protein with a mallet or immersing your ribeye in a flavorful marinade. There's also a nifty knife trick called scoring, which can help you "score" a more flavorful steak. According to Russell Kook, chef and culinary director at The Bellevue Chicago, "It's helpful for certain cuts — think flank, skirt, or even hanger steak. Scoring breaks up tough muscle fibers just enough to make a difference, and it looks pretty sharp, too."

Scoring the steak makes seasonings stick, and you can even stuff bits of minced garlic or onion into the cuts. As for whether it allows marinades to better penetrate the meat, Kook told The Takeout, "It helps, but it's not a magic trick." He explained, "Marinades mostly live on the surface, but scoring gives you more surface area for the flavor to hang out in. It's a solid move when you want to add a little something extra."

The best way to score a steak is to create a series of shallow crosshatch cuts. The cuts shouldn't be too deep, just ⅛ to ¼ inch, and they should land about an inch apart from each other. Russell Kook described the proper technique, noting, "You want control more than force — just light, diagonal cuts across the grain. ... You're not carving it up, just creating texture."

As to what tool you'll need for the process, a chef's knife might be too large and heavy to permit such delicate cuts. Instead, Kook advises, "A sharp boning or paring knife works great." If you don't already have a paring knife, which can also be used to peel produce and de-vein shrimp, you need to remedy that situation ASAP since it's one of the most crucial knives you need in your kitchen. Check out a workhorse tool like the Rada Cutlery heavy duty paring knife, and score your steak for the ultimate texture and flavor.