Steaks are a staple fare on American tables – except, of course, when you’re a vegan or vegetarian. Regardless of how you like it cooked – rare, medium, or well-done – you must have your fair share of steak.
But like all food in the contemporary world, steak also has its trends that make it more stylish with each passing year. Here are a few steak trends that you may have encountered.
Sous-vide
Modern culinary techniques once reserved for gourmet kitchens led by avant-garde chefs are now being adopted in other establishments. The reason: If it contributes to improved flavor, texture and tenderness of the meat, then adopt it!
Sous-vide involves keeping food sealed in airtight plastic bags, which are then placed in either a steam environment or water bath. The method of cooking requires longer cooking hours of up to 1 to 6 hours, even 48 hours in certain cases. The precise temperature is also maintained – 55 to 60°C for meat.
The method results in proper cooking of the meat inside and out. The steak also retains its moisture, which means it has a more tender quality.
You can find sous-vide steaks offered in many Brazilian churrascos and American steakhouses. Perhaps you can ask Peter Luger whether its restaurants use the method, too.
Natural Grilling Methods
But there are also steak lovers who want their meat grilled the natural way – over a wood fire. Smoked steak has a unique flavor profile, partly from the wood used to smoke it and partly from the cooking process itself. In Las Vegas restaurants, for example, steakhouses are offering grilled steaks.
Grass-fed Beef and Sustainable Ingredients
Let’s face it – grass-feed beef has a more complex flavor profile coupled with a more tender texture in comparison with other types of steak. While grass-fed beef cannot yet rival the excellent qualities of Wagyu and Kobe beef, you can enjoy the steak experience at a more affordable cost.
The use of sustainable ingredients is also becoming more than a passing trend. Restaurant owners and chefs are increasingly becoming aware of the benefits of sustainable ingredients, such as more flavorful organic-based dishes.
You will also find girl-power steakhouses, which cater to the female clientele. Here, your feminine side will be catered to with sapphire-studded steak knives and colorful dishes.
Whatever your current preference in steaks, you will find that nothing beats the original! You will likely come back again and again to the restaurant that makes steak dishes just the way you like them!