When cooking steak should the fat inside be cooked?

When cooking steak should the fat inside be cooked? - Unrecognizable female under laser weight loss machine on medical table

I think that I've undercooked my steak... There are little lumps of fat inside the steak. Should these be melted into the steak? Or is it OK if it's still white?

I use cast iron pan on a regular electric stove.



Best Answer

If there really is fat inside the steak, it is terribly undercooked. But this is unlikely to happen.

Animal fat is a saturated fat which melts somewhere around 35°C. If your steak hasn't reached 35°C internal temperature, it will be very visibly raw on the inside, with no apparent difference from the cold steak from the fridge. It will still be oozing blood-like liquid even after resting for over 10 minutes, and the liquid will be thicker than the juices of cooked steak. It will be deep red and slimy, and cold to the touch. Even the rarest steak you can buy is taken above 40°C.

But not everything white inside meat is fat. Connective tissue/fascia are white too. They are not really lump-shaped, but I don't know how precise your description is. Try cutting through one of the lumps. If it is tough and rubberlike, it is connective tissue (and if there is lots of it, your meat is not meant for roasting, but for a slow cooking method). If the knife goes easier through the lump than through the meat, it is fat, and your cooking method is seriously wrong.

In any case, the best way to know when steak is done is to use a meat thermometer. Stop when it shows around 61°C, the remaining heat transfer after removing from the heat will give you a medium steak.




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Should you remove fat from steak before cooking?

By reducing the fat to an even strip all the way down you will help the steak cook more evenly. Trimming down this excess fat will reduce the risk of flare-ups the amount and of drippings that collect in your grill.

Do you cook steak with fat on?

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Preheat a heavy, oven-safe skillet over high heat until it is smoking hot. Sear steaks in the hot pan for 2-3 minutes per side. If the steak has a side of fat, turn the steak onto its side and render the fat by searing it for 2-3 minutes as well.

How do you cook fat on a steak?

Add the oil to the pan. You'll know it's hot enough when it begins to shimmer and move fluidly around the pan. Carefully set the steak in the pan, releasing it away from you so the oil doesn't splatter in your direction. It should sizzle.



The Biggest Mistakes Everyone Makes When Cooking Steak




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