How do I cook my steak well-done without it curling or puckering?

Question

Whenever I cook regular steak (as in steak that's not the kind you use for chicken fried steak), it tends to curl up or pucker. I hope I was specific enough.

gwhiz1052 I'm making me hungry too.

I'm not into bloody meat. Thanks.

Answer 1

sit a plate on it

Answer 2

I'm going to assume the steak has an edge of fat or membrane on it. if you remove or slash this, it can help. Just like you cut the rind on a ham steak to prevent curling.

Curling is also cause by drying out of the meat as you make it well down. Try searing your steak on both sides first then, either turning down the heat and doing it more slowly or even finishing it off in a 350 degree oven.

Meat will continue to cook off the flame for several minutes. This will take some practice, since it varies with thickness, but you might try cooking the steak just a little short of well done, pulling it off and letting it finish cooking itself off the stove on a warm plate for about 5-10 mins.

It's almost impossible ot stop curling of a thinly cut well done steak. It just dries out too much along the edges.

Answer 3

Try cutting the fat outwards from the steak at regular intevals of about 1" or so. That way when the fat contracts in cooking, it won't pull the steak out of shape. You could also try using a fish-slice to press the steak down and keep it flat as you're cooking it in a frying pan or griddle. Also, the thicker the steak, the less it will curl up.

Answer 4

Cook it medium well, then remove it from the heat. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes depending on the size of the steak. The heat will continue to cook the inside of the steak until it is done. this is known as "carry-over cooking"
ps: cooking a steak well-done is a sad waste of flavor and nutrition,I think.

Answer 5

Make small cuts in any of the fat or sinew running through the steak. The main reason a steak will curl is the fat and sinew contract with the heat. Cutting some of the connective tissue will help eliminate this.

Answer 6

The reason a steak curls up like that when you try to cook it well-done is because:

That's God's way of telling you that steak should not be eaten well-done. If you like the taste of steak, you will really like the taste if you learn to eat it cooked rare or medium rare.

Answer 7

Sear it first, brown on both sides and then cook very slow.
Also a thicker cut of steak will help.
Try some uncut horseradish or some steak pepper on it.
I'll come over and cook for you?
I love cooking steaks of all kinds on the stove, broiler or BBQ!

Answer 8

Steaks don't like to be made well done. You remove all of the fat and flavor.

To keep it from puckering either use your George Forman Grill, or cook it in your normal pan with a heavy pan on top of it.

Answer 9

you need to marinate the steak first, at least a few hours. steaks curl up mailnly because of drying out. cook with lower heat as well.

Answer 10

With a sharp knife, make little cuts around the edges, at the places where it starts to curl up.


I♥♫→mia☼☺†

Answer 11

slice about an inch from the inside out where ever there is fat around the steak, it will lay flatter that way.