Steak Perfection Guide
Discover Seven Simple Ways to Prepare the Best Steak You've Ever Cooked
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Steak is one of the most expensive meals you can cook at home — and one in four restaurant diners say they leave disappointed with what they paid for, according to Cargill. A new guide from NYT Cooking, written by recipe developer Ali Slagle, lays out seven simple tweaks that can close that gap between a $100 steakhouse plate and what you make in your own kitchen.
The guide has spread quickly across dozens of news outlets since its June 22 publication. It comes at a time when ground beef prices have jumped 45% since 2019 — from $3.84 to $5.59 per pound — pushing home cooks to demand more from every cut they buy, according to Beef Central.
Skip the Marinade and Start With a Dry Surface
The most surprising tip in Slagle's guide is to skip the marinade entirely. She argues that wet marinades "don't work their way to the meat's interior" and cause dangerous splattering in a hot pan, according to NYT Cooking. Instead, she says to pat the meat completely dry before cooking. A dry surface is the foundation of a good crust.
The science backs this up. Moisture on the surface of meat blocks a chemical process called the Maillard reaction — the browning that creates flavor. No dry surface means no crust. No crust means a weaker, less flavorful steak. This single step may be the easiest and most impactful change a home cook can make, according to Fresno Bee.
Salt Heavy, Pepper Coarse, and Add Compound Butter
After drying the meat, Slagle says to cover every side with salt and coarse black pepper. Coarse pepper matters — fine pepper burns faster in a hot pan. Salt draws out moisture and then reabsorbs it, which seasons the meat deeper than a quick sprinkle can, according to The Straits Times.
Once the steak is cooked, Slagle recommends finishing it with compound butter — a simple mix of butter and flavorings. She calls it a "low-impact, high-impact sauce." Options include garlic and herbs, blue cheese, citrus zest, or even green curry paste. The butter melts over the hot steak and becomes an instant sauce with no extra cooking required, according to Island Packet.
A Meat Thermometer Is the Only Way to Nail Doneness
Incorrect doneness is the number-one complaint among the 25% of steak diners who report dissatisfaction, according to Cargill. Slagle's fix is simple: use a meat thermometer every time. Guessing by touch or color is unreliable, especially with thick cuts like ribeye or strip steak.
Target temperatures give home cooks a clear finish line. Medium-rare lands around 130–135°F. Cooking even 10 degrees past that can turn an expensive cut chewy and dry. Experts at The State note that a basic instant-read thermometer costs under $15 and eliminates the single biggest mistake home cooks make with steak.
Why Home Cooks Are Beating Restaurants at Their Own Game
The steakhouse market is valued at $98.4 billion globally in 2026 and is projected to reach $168.7 billion by 2034, according to BND. But that growth is under pressure. One bad restaurant steak can cost a business a repeat customer entirely, Cargill's marketing director Glendon Taylor noted, saying "understanding the guest mindset is critical."
Meanwhile, 98% of U.S. households still buy meat despite rising prices, according to the FMI Power of Meat 2025 report cited by Idaho Statesman. That loyalty is now being redirected to the home kitchen. Slagle's seven tweaks — dry the meat, season aggressively, use compound butter, and check the temperature — give everyday cooks a repeatable system that costs nothing extra to follow.
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