Visited a local butcher shop in Denver and figured out why my steaks never looked right

I stopped by The Meat Block last weekend and watched their guy trim a ribeye. He left way more fat on the edge than I do at home. Turns out I've been over-trimming for years, taking off that good fat that keeps the meat juicy. Any of you butcher counter regulars notice how shops leave more fat on than home cooks?

2 comments

2 Comments

oscar_hunt6120d ago

Wait, you mean you've been trimming off that fat cap all this time? I'm genuinely shocked, I thought everybody knew that's where a lot of the flavor comes from. I always leave a good inch or so on the edge when I do ribeyes, it crisps up so nice in the pan.

rosew3720d ago

oh come on you're really not doing yourself any favors leaving all that fat on. that inch of fat cap just renders down into greasy chewy bits that don't even crisp up half the time, you end up with this big strip of unrendered fat on the side of your steak. i trim it down to maybe a quarter inch, max, and i'll score it a bit so it renders fast and crisp in the pan. the rest of that fat is just gonna sit there and make your plate a mess. plus all that dripping fat in the pan just burns and turns bitter, you're better off starting with a leaner cut and using a little butter at the end. trust me, i've cooked hundreds of steaks, less fat is more in the long run.