Why should entrecôte meat apparently be cut into slices before served?
Recently, I went crazy and bought an entrecôte -- a very premium cut of beef to me. Over $11 USD for one. It was heavenly. I nearly cried when it was all gone from the plate.
The instructions said to put it out from the fridge for 30 minutes before frying it, which I did. While in the grill pan, it caused so much fat to melt into it that it quickly started "boiling" in its own fat rather than frying, so I had to repeatedly take the meat out from the pan and put it on a plate while pouring away all the liquid fat from the pan into a container. I repeated this many, many times before it finally looked done. The instructions said nothing about this, but maybe they consider it "obvious". If I had just left it in the pan, it would've been "caramelized" rather than fried/grilled. A lump of coal!
Anyway, once done, the instructions said to let it rest on the plate for two minutes before slicing it up into slices and then serving.
My question is: while I understand the need to wait for it to cool down, and possibly "set" (not sure if that's the right term) outside of the frying pan before serving, why do they tell you to slice the whole thing into slices? I actually didn't follow that last advice, but instead just kept cutting pieces from it as I ate. (As I've always eaten meat of any kind, including in any restaurant I've ever been to.)
This time (yes, I couldn't help myself from buying another one!), I'm going to try to cut it into slices as instructed, before eating, after waiting the two minutes. Unless you all can tell me a good reason not to, that is. Does it make the meat taste better? If so, why?
Best Answer
To directly answer your question - you slice it for presentation.
Entrecôte should be cooked at as high a temperature as you can achieve. This will tend towards charring the outside before the inside is cooked. As you should serve it towards medium rather than rare because of the fat content, you want to avoid over-cooking by doing it too slowly.
You are correct in allowing it to rise to room temperature before cooking. Some people would also salt it 30 - 45 minutes before cooking [others would object to that - your call, experiment]. If it was vac-packed, definitely allow it to come to room temperature between towels to help dry it out.
Once it hits your pan or grill, it should really only need a couple of minutes each side; this should be fast enough that it doesn't swamp your pan before each side is done.
After that, you either leave it to rest for at least 10 minutes, or place in a slow oven, depending on thickness. This is to allow the temperature to equalise & finish cooking the inside.
Because it is heavily charred on the outside, for presentation you slice to present the tender inside as it's served.
Image is waygu, but best I could find royalty-free. - https://www.dreamstime.com/modern-style-barbecue-dry-aged-wagyu-entrecote-beef-steak-lettuce-tomatoes-offered-as-close-up-design-plate-image194816166
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Why do chefs cut steak before serving?
The meat wasn't tired, but its juices needed to redistribute, and to disturb the meat's crust and cut it early was to allow the moisture to run out of the meat and onto the platter.Should you slice meat before or after cooking?
Before You Cut\u2026 The reason behind resting is that steak needs a few minutes after cooking to let its juices run back through it. If you slice it immediately, you'll lose all those juices on your plate, leaving the steak dryer and chewier than it would be if you let it rest for a few minutes.What is an entrecôte cut?
Essentially, it can be said that entrec\xf4te usually refers to the back section and thus the piece as a whole roast, while rib eye is the name for the steak that is cut from it.How do you prepare an entrecôte?
Cook the meat on both sides for about one to two minutes. Searing the meat seals the juices in. Add salt and pepper and put the steak in the preheated oven for between six and 12 minutes depending on its thickness. Remove the steak from the oven and leave it to stand for three to five minutes before serving.Why we should all learn to cook | Connor Bloch | TEDxPineCrestSchool
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Answer 2
One point is presentation as has already been covered by another answer.
Another is to cut the muscle fibers shorter if possible. Muscle fibers are generally tough, and so if you cut them into shorter parts the meat will feel more tender to chew. A premium piece of steak will already have the fibers short, ie. along the shortest dimension like so |||||||||||||| (sideview) or maybe slightly slanted like so ////////// (sideview), but you can still cut them even shorter by cutting at an angle like so \ \ \ \ (sideview). Search for "how to cut meat against the grain" for more information or look here for an example using flank steak where it is pretty much essential to cut against the grain: https://www.thekitchn.com/heres-exactly-how-to-slice-meat-against-the-grain-and-why-you-should-be-doing-it-meat-basics-215798
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Karolina Grabowska, Karolina Grabowska, Karolina Grabowska, Milan