5 Myths About Cooking a Great Steak
Steak 101
You’ve probably heard all of them. Maybe from your dad. Maybe from a cooking show. Maybe from that one friend who insists they know the “right way” to cook a steak.
The problem? A lot of the advice that gets passed around about cooking steak is flat-out wrong. And if you’re following it, you might be working harder and getting worse results.
I’m a science guy. I enjoy learning why certain cooking techniques work the way they do. So let’s break down five of the most common steak myths and talk about what’s actually happening on that grill.
If you need a reminder on the different grades of beef, that article is here.
Myth 1: Searing “Seals In” the Juices
This one has been floating around forever. The idea is that if you hit your steak with high heat first, you create some kind of moisture barrier that locks all the juices inside.
Sounds great. It’s also not true.
What searing actually does is create a flavorful crust through something called the Maillard reaction. That’s the chemical process where proteins and sugars on the surface of the meat break down and recombine under high heat, creating those deep, complex flavors and that beautiful brown color we all love.
Why do we care about this? Because searing is absolutely worth doing. It just doesn’t do what most people think it does. The crust isn’t a seal. Juices are still going to escape no matter what. But that crust? It’s where a huge amount of your steak’s flavor lives.
And this applies no matter when you sear. Whether you’re hitting the steak with high heat first and then finishing it low and slow, or going the reverse sear route where you smoke it low and then sear it at the end, the goal is the same: build that crust. The order doesn’t change the science. You’re still chasing the Maillard reaction either way.
Sear your steak because it tastes incredible, not because you think you’re trapping moisture.
Myth 2: Only Flip Your Steak Once
This is one of those rules that sounds like it comes from a place of authority. “Real grillers only flip once.” You hear it at cookouts. You see it in recipe blogs. And honestly, it just isn’t backed up by how heat transfer actually works.
Flipping your steak multiple times, even every 30 seconds or so, actually produces a more evenly cooked interior and a better crust. When you flip frequently, both sides of the steak get consistent exposure to heat, which means the center cooks more evenly and you reduce the risk of that gray, overcooked band just under the surface.
This isn’t as hard as it appears. Grab your tongs, flip it often, and pay attention. You’ll notice the difference. Jess Pryles, a pitmaster out in Austin, Texas, has what she calls a “just keep flipping” method for steaks. She literally just keeps flipping the whole cook. And the results? Great crust, even cook, every time. If it’s good enough for a pitmaster in the steak capital of the world, it’s probably worth trying.
The “flip once” rule probably stuck around because it sounds disciplined. But cooking a great steak isn’t about looking tough at the grill. It’s about understanding what the heat is doing to the meat.
Myth 3: Let Your Steak Come to Room Temperature Before Cooking
Here’s one I see constantly. “Take your steak out of the fridge 20 to 30 minutes before you cook it.”
The thinking is that a room-temperature steak will cook more evenly. But here’s the thing: leaving a steak on the counter for 20 minutes barely changes its internal temperature. We’re talking maybe a degree or two. That’s not enough to make any real difference in how it cooks. It would literally take hours for a steak to come up to actual room temperature.
In fact, cooking your steak when it’s still cold from the fridge can actually work in your favor. A colder interior means the outside has more time to develop that sear and crust before the center starts to overcook. You get a better contrast between the caramelized exterior and the perfectly pink middle.
I’ve actually seen professional chefs take this a step further and throw a steak in the freezer for about five minutes before cooking. Not to freeze it, just to make sure that interior is nice and cool so there’s zero chance of overcooking the center while they build the sear on the outside. If the pros are going colder, not warmer, that should tell you something.
So don’t go crazy with the counter time. Season your steak, get your cooking surface screaming hot, and go straight from the fridge to the fire.
Myth 4: That Red Liquid Is Blood
This one makes people squeamish for no reason. You cut into a medium-rare steak, red liquid pools on the plate, and someone at the table says, “Ugh, that’s blood.”
It’s not blood. Not even close.
That red liquid is a protein called myoglobin. It’s found in muscle tissue, and it’s what gives red meat its color. When you cook a steak, the myoglobin changes color based on how much heat it’s been exposed to, which is why a rare steak is red in the middle and a well-done steak is gray throughout.
Almost all of the actual blood is removed during processing long before the steak gets to your kitchen.
Why do we care about this? Because myoglobin is a good thing. It’s part of what makes a properly cooked steak juicy and flavorful. If you see that red liquid, it means you haven’t overcooked the meat. That’s a win.
Myth 5: You Can Judge Doneness by Pressing on the Steak
The “touch test” is one of those party tricks that sounds impressive but doesn’t hold up in practice. You know the one: press the base of your thumb, then press the steak, and compare the firmness to figure out if it’s rare, medium, or well-done.
The problem is that every steak is different. Thickness, cut, fat content, temperature before cooking, the type of heat source. All of these variables change how a steak feels at any given point during cooking. Comparing it to the pad of your hand is, at best, a rough guess.
If you actually want to nail the doneness every time, use a digital meat thermometer. That’s it. That’s the whole answer.
For reference: 130°F for medium-rare, 140°F for medium, 150°F for medium-well. Pull it a few degrees before your target, because it will continue to rise while it rests.
A decent instant-read thermometer costs about $25 - $50 and takes all the guesswork out of the equation. Once you start using one, you’ll wonder why you ever tried to read your steak like a palm reader.
The Takeaway
Most steak myths sound good because they’ve been repeated so many times that nobody questions them anymore. But if you understand what’s actually happening when heat meets meat, you don’t need to rely on old rules that don’t hold up.
Sear for flavor, not for “sealing.” Flip as often as you want. Skip the counter warmup. Appreciate the myoglobin. And for the love of a good steak, buy a thermometer.
If you try any of these out this weekend, I’d love to hear how it goes. Drop me a line or leave a comment.
-Ed