Cooking the Perfect Steak - Modernist Cuisine

Cooking the Perfect Steak

MCJune 30, 2026
 

Understanding Cuts of Steak

Cuts are broadly divided into tender cuts, which are ideal for quick grilling or roasting, and tough cuts, which need braising or long, gentle cooking. Tender cuts are the priciest, but tough ones often deliver more flavor when cooked properly.

Muscles that do more work (shoulders, legs) are tough, rich in connective tissue and collagen—great for slow cooking or grinding. Muscles worked less (like the loin) are naturally tender. Belly muscles are fibrous and fatty, as they insulate the organs.

TENDER CUTS


Filet / Tenderloin
The most tender and most expensive cut. Lean and fine-textured, best cooked rare to medium-rare. Some find the flavor too mild.
Also known as filet mignon, Chateaubriand

New York Strip
Balanced in flavor and tenderness. We recommend trimming off the silverskin and excess fat.
Also known as strip steak, top loin

Rib Eye
The steak version of prime rib, rib eyes win for flavor. They can be gristly near the bone, but boneless versions remove this.
Also known as Delmonico steak, Spencer steak

T-Bone/Porterhouse
A T-bone combines a New York strip and a filet, separated by bone. It’s large and flavorful, with the bone helping retain juices.

 

TOUGH CUTS

Chuck Top Blade
Tough but flavorful and inexpensive. Chuck includes many muscles and lots of sinew. Best cooked sous vide for 36–48 hours.
Also known as boneless chuck steak, chuck eye

Hanger & Skirt
These long-grain steaks have strong flavor and a chewy texture. Cook quickly over high heat or sous vide, then slice thin against the grain.
Also known as butcher’s steak, bavette

Flat Iron
Cut from the shoulder, often split into two to remove sinew. Excellent flavor and very tender when cooked sous vide.
Also known as top blade steak, paleron

Flank
Lean, flavorful, and ideal for marinades. Best served rare to medium-rare and sliced thin. Easy to overcook.
Also known as London broil

Tongue
Though usually classed as offal, beef tongue is muscle. Cook it sous vide at 62 °C / 144 °F for 48 hours to break down collagen into gelatin. Properly done, it becomes incredibly tender—what we call “meat butter.”

Short Rib
Our favorite cut. Short ribs are richly flavored and best cooked sous vide for 24–72 hours. They can also be braised or used in stews. Try our recipe here.
Also known as flanken ribs, oven-busters

 
 

Understanding Meat Grades

The USDA grading system—prime, choice, select, standard, utility, cutter, canner—dates back to the early 20th century and was introduced in part due to public outrage after The Jungle revealed unsanitary meat practices. Though foundational, the system remains limited. 

UNITED STATES

Grades are based mainly on marbling and age. Marbling, or intramuscular fat, is often used as a proxy for tenderness and flavor, though it’s not always a reliable indicator.

  • Prime—Excellent marbling, tender and juicy. Usually found at high-end restaurants and specialty stores.
  • Choice—Widely available, with modest to moderate marbling.
  • Select—Leaner and less tender. The lowest grade sold retail.

Cuts graded below Select typically go into processed meats. 

OTHER COUNTRIES

Grading systems vary globally. Japan and Australia have developed more nuanced systems, often with better correlation to flavor and tenderness.

 
 

Premium Beef & Feeding Practices


WAGYU AND KOBE

Wagyu is beef from specific Japanese cattle breeds, renowned for extreme marbling, tenderness, and flavor. Often mistakenly called Kobe, true Wagyu comes from cattle raised across Japan and can cost over $100 per pound. Wagyu tenderloin is mild, but the rib eye and strip loin are exceptional. Because it’s so rich, Wagyu is best served medium-rare and in small portions.

Some US and Australian ranches offer “Kobe-style” beef from Wagyu-descended cattle. Though less marbled, it can still be excellent. 

ANGUS

Originating in Scotland, Angus cattle produce high-quality meat. In the US, “Certified Angus Beef” is often more of a marketing term: cattle only need 51% black hides and other minimal traits to qualify. Purebred Red Angus aren’t included, while some non-Angus cattle are. 

FEEDING & FINISHING

Beef prices also depend on how cattle are fed before slaughter. Grain-finished cattle are typically fed corn, soy, or barley. Corn is balanced in sugars and protein; soy adds fat and protein; alfalfa is high in protein and easy to transport.

Grass-fed beef is often marketed as higher quality, and when raised on excellent pasture, it can be—but poor-quality grass results in off-flavored meat. Labels rarely disclose the quality of the grass or finishing process, so it’s hard to judge from packaging alone.

Cooking Steak

The best way to cook steak is in two steps: gently heat the interior to your desired doneness, then sear the outside for flavor and appearance. Traditional methods try to do both at once, which demands perfect timing. We prefer cooking the interior with low heat—via sous vide, oven, or indirect grilling—and finishing with a high-heat sear for that delicious, browned crust.

When prepping, we recommend these two options: 

  • Cure, marinade, or spice rub: Add flavor and tenderize.
  • Freeze exterior: Freezing just the outside lets you sear without overcooking the center.

We have two favorite cooking methods:

1. Sous Vide in a Water Bath

A controlled water bath is the most precise method and our favorite. It’s ideal for turning flavorful tough cuts into tender steaks. After cooking, sear quickly—this will cause the Maillard reaction to produce a burst of complex, savory aromas and deep, roasted flavors on the exterior surface.

If you don’t have a water bath, you can also try it in a cooler filled with hot water—the cooler helps it hold temp for several hours. This is great for cooking steak on the go, like at a tailgate or camping trip.

2. Low-Temperature Oven

Use your oven’s lowest setting to gently cook the interior, especially if you pre-freeze the outside. Pair with a probe thermometer to monitor progress. If your oven doesn’t hold a low temperature well, try the cooler/water bath method instead.

For frozen steaks, you can sear one side, flip optionally, then oven-finish.

 
Low-Temp Oven Steak Recipe
 
 

Searing Methods

Our favorite searing methods are deep-frying in hot oil or using a blowtorch. Alternatively, sear in a very hot pan for 30 seconds per side or on the grill.

  • Blowtorch: A fast, effective sear. MAPP or propylene torches are best—they burn hotter and cleaner than propane.
  • Deep-fry: Oil transfers heat efficiently. A quick deep-fry browns the outside without overcooking the inside.
  • Pan sear: Use a hot, heavy pan (like cast iron) to develop a crust. Make sure it’s hot enough to brown quickly without overcooking.
  • Grill or broiler: Great for finishing. To get your grill hot enough, try superheating coals with a hair dryer.
 
 

The Myth of Resting and Searing

Many people believe that letting meat rest after cooking allows juices to redistribute. This isn’t actually true.

Resting actually allows the meat’s internal temperature to stabilize and dissolved proteins slightly thicken the juices so they don’t flow out as rapidly when the meat is cut. Resting lets the surface cool slightly, reducing the pressure that pushes juices out when the meat is sliced.

Another common myth is that searing locks in juices.

Juiciness depends primarily on how much water remains trapped in the meat after cooking.Most of the water in meat is stored inside the muscle fibers, between the actin and myosin filaments. As meat heats up, these proteins begin to shrink, eventually squeezing out the water they once held. The hotter the temperature, the more water is lost.

One of the most persistent myths in cooking is that searing meat “seals in the juices.” But research—and common kitchen evidence—shows the opposite. In truth, high heat causes collagen to contract, which squeezes out more moisture, not less.

Here’s the evidence:

  • The sizzle. That sound is escaping juices turning to steam as they hit the hot pan. If juices were sealed in, there’d be no sizzle.
  • Surface droplets. The red liquid you see on cooked meat is myoglobin-rich juice from inside. A sealed crust wouldn’t let that through.
  • The brown pan. A cooked steak leaves behind a puddle of brown juices. They came from the meat.
  • The steam. That cloud rising from the steak is water vapor escaping.
  • Juices on the plate. Even before cutting into the meat, juices begin to pool.

That said, searing is still worth doing, because it builds flavor through the Maillard reaction—those savory, aromatic deep brown crusts that make meat delicious. Just don’t do it for moisture retention.

Regardless, if you want juicier results, focus instead on sous vide or low-temperature roasting—these methods minimize the loss of moisture by avoiding high-heat shock.

Whether you’re cooking a luxurious Wagyu rib eye or a budget-friendly hanger steak, mastering steak is about understanding your cut, choosing the right method, and using science to your advantage. Focus on controlled cooking, a great sear, and smart prep to get consistently delicious results. With the techniques in this blog, you’ll be well on your way to cooking steak like a pro. 

FURTHER READING

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Understanding Meat

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