The Easy Trick To Prevent Your Steak From Taking On A Curved Bowl Shape

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If you've ever tried cooking certain cuts of steak over high heat, you'll find that sometimes the edges will curl up, and you'll end up with a slab of meat that's shaped like a cup or a bowl. Not only is it unsightly, but the steak itself will then be unevenly cooked, which is frustrating. We spoke to an expert to find out if there are ways to ensure that your steak won't curl up, and thankfully, we discovered that it is possible to keep your steak flat during the cooking process. 

Michael Goralski, executive chef at Steadfire Chophouse at the Four Seasons Resort, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, explains why steak can take on a shape of its own. Goralski says, "The meat can curl as the meat is being exposed to dry extreme heat. This can lead to the tightening of the meat, hence the curling." So in order to prevent this from happening, Goralski says that you simply need to use some form of weight to press the meat down. In my experience, you can use a dedicated product like the Bellemain Heavy-Duty Cast Iron Press, or something DIY such as a foil-wrapped brick, or even another heavy pan that fits inside the perfectly sized cast iron skillet for your steak. 

Michael Goralski also says there's one type of steak that's less likely to curl, and for a very specific reason. "Tender pieces of meat like tenderloin will curl less, as they are softer. When cooked, they don't 'tighten' up as much." So if the final appearance of your dish is important, tenderloin might be the best cut of steak to serve rare, or any temperature you like. The caveat is that beef tenderloin isn't exactly a cheap cut, specifically because it's so tender. 

In most cases, your most practical bet is to use a weight to press down on the meat while it's cooking, so that the maximum area of the cut touches the hot surface. Thankfully, it's not a hard trick to pull off. If you buy a dedicated steak weight, you can also use it to get extra crispy skin on certain types of fish like salmon, cook perfectly flat bacon, grill crusty sandwiches, and char vegetables. At least, curled steak edges are an easy fix — you've probably got something heavy and flat in your kitchen that'll already do the trick.