Steak etiquette: Cut it all up at once, or one piece at a time?

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zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
110,512
29,098
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One piece at a time or it cools down too fast.
Having a larger mass means the center stays warm longer.
Cutting it up means your creating more surface area for heat to escape as well as the juices, so when i see people pre cut the entire thing, i sort of sigh especially if its a really good piece of steak.

But unless its going in a salad or wrap like Ponyo states, you should always eat it a piece at a time.

juices don't really drain out if you let it rest ~10 minutes or so--as you are actually supposed to do--before slicing. Generally, fine steaks maybe should be sliced before serving, as there are improper ways to slice a steak and some fool could be ruining it for themselves if they don't know what they are doing.
 

JEDIYoda

Lifer
Jul 13, 2005
33,981
3,318
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juices don't really drain out if you let it rest ~10 minutes or so--as you are actually supposed to do--before slicing. Generally, fine steaks maybe should be sliced before serving, as there are improper ways to slice a steak and some fool could be ruining it for themselves if they don't know what they are doing.
I always cringe when I watch dinner guest cut their steak with the grain!! arggg Then they have the nerve to say the steak is tough.....

Chefs always talk about how you need to let steak rest for flavor, but you also need to let the steak rest for purposes of cutting the meat. When your steak is first removed from the heat, the juices are all congregated near the surface, and the meat is both uneven and overly tender. As the beef rests, the juices redistribute, and the internal texture of the steak improves dramatically. If you try and cut your steak immediately after cooking it, it's like trying to slice an overripe plum: a mushy disaster. But if you let the meat rest for 5–10 minutes, it will be the perfect consistency for slicing.

https://img.wonderhowto.com/img/original/16/96/63573616550073/0/635736165500731696.jpg
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
62,679
11,023
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If you didn't use that steak knife to stab the idiots in the neck for trying to tell you how to eat...you fail as a man.
 

MtnMan

Diamond Member
Jul 27, 2004
8,722
7,827
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If I am BBQ`ing sateak i always cook my steak medium rare! But when I cook into it if the middle is cold it goes right back on the grill!1 Cold meat is a no no!!
I'm always hoping for left over steak. Cut in small pieces and make a steak sandwich. Butter the bread, pile on the cold steak, a little salt and enjoy.
 

JEDIYoda

Lifer
Jul 13, 2005
33,981
3,318
126
I'm always hoping for left over steak. Cut in small pieces and make a steak sandwich. Butter the bread, pile on the cold steak, a little salt and enjoy.
That is what you do with cold left over steak!!
 

BUTCH1

Lifer
Jul 15, 2000
20,433
1,769
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As long as you don't let the sliced steak sit for like an hour after you cut, it's fine. People here act like it makes huge difference if you slice it first than eat vs cutting as you eat. Difference is minimal. There are way bigger things to worry about like seasoning and cooking it properly. I've seen the pictures of people's cooking here. Most can't cook worth a damn. They should put more focus on cooking rather than trivial stuff like slicing it all before eating.


Really the difference is minimal. Even the fancy steakhouses will slice large cuts like Tomahawk steak into pieces before serving it to you. You would think they committed some kind of sin the way you guys talk.
If I got a pre-sliced tomahawk or any other steak served to me it's going right back.
 

FaaR

Golden Member
Dec 28, 2007
1,056
412
136
Omg I could feel the flavors of the steak cooking on that coal grill! Amazing. *droooool* Looks absolutely super scrumptious! As I figure it, that pile of steaks the cook cut up, that'd be about right for me. You guys order whatever else you want. :D

Funny: Youtube kept popping up vegetarian diet banners at the bottom of the screen during this video. lol
 

Lanyap

Elite Member
Dec 23, 2000
8,100
2,154
136
I was born and raised in the South (US). Here is how I was taught to eat steak or any other solid meat like chicken breast or pork chop that was meant to be eaten hot or warm.

Hold fork in left hand and knife in right hand.
Cut one or two pieces of meat.
Put knife down.
Switch fork from left to right hand.
Put piece of meat in mouth and chew slowly to enjoy flavor, texture, temperature and your company.

Because.
One: Keeps rest of meat warm. Most people like their solid meats like this warm.
Two: Forces you to eat slower which allows your digestive system to handle it better and helps prevent stomach and intestinal gas (farts).
Three: Gives you more time to say y’all (e.g. how y’all been doin?
Fourth: People in the South are slow. ;)
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,388
5,256
136
I'm having some steak here at home and happened to think of this:

Some time ago I was out at a restaurant once with a rather well-off vendor at work, and figured I'd order a steak. The food was brought to the table, and I started cutting up the steak like I always do.

The reaction from my coworkers there indicated that I'd made some terrible faux pas, and I was told that the "proper" way to eat steak is to cut off a piece, eat it, and repeat.
I was cutting the whole thing into pieces from the start so as not to be bothered with the knife for the duration of the meal, which was evidently a very unorthodox way of doing it. o_O

Has anyone else ever heard of that?

For me, it's an emotional issue. I can't explain it. Cutting the entire steak first just feels wrong. I don't know if it's control issues or feeling infantile or what but I dooooooooon't like it lol. Let ME dig into it! Let ME do it step-by-step! hahahaha
 

Jeff7

Lifer
Jan 4, 2001
41,599
19
81
Necro-bovine-con
For me, it's an emotional issue. I can't explain it. Cutting the entire steak first just feels wrong. I don't know if it's control issues or feeling infantile or what but I dooooooooon't like it lol. Let ME dig into it! Let ME do it step-by-step! hahahaha
Who dares disturb my ancient posts?!??

Rrrrruuuurrrggggghhhh.....