The Clever Bowl Hack To Keep Crust In Tact While Resting Steak

One of the marks of a perfectly cooked steak is a great, crispy crust. Just as important, however, is the resting period you give it after it comes off the heat. Resting allows the meat to relax and evenly redistributes the juices to give you a beautifully tender and juicy steak. If you're not careful, though, resting can wreak havoc on your crust. Fortunately, there is a simple hack to prevent this from happening that involves a small bowl.

It's not uncommon for us to rest our freshly cooked steaks directly on a plate or cutting board. The downside of this method though is that the juices from the beef will leak out onto the surface and become reabsorbed into the meat. This ruins the beautiful crust you worked so hard to build. 

To avoid this outcome, take a small bowl, one that's no wider than your steak is long, and rest the meat on the rim. The escaping juices will pool in the bowl instead of around the steak. Not only will this keep the crispy exterior intact, but the bowl provides a basin in which to catch the juices, which you can use to make a fantastic sauce. But none of this will matter unless you get yourself a good crust first. 

Before you even think about resting your steak on top of a bowl, you need to get that crust right. One of the greatest ways to ensure a crispy exterior is to make sure that you've bought meat that's the right size. Thicker steaks are easier to get a crust on while also keeping the interior tender and medium-rare. The optimal thickness for cuts like ribeyes and porterhouses is between 1.5 to 2 inches. It's also important to have a hot surface on which to cook your beef. 

You could do this on the grill, but a cast iron skillet is the better option. The flat tip of the skillet provides more surface area for the steak to develop its crust. Heat is important because it shocks the meat into developing a browned exterior without overcooking it on the inside. Other ways to ensure the ideal crispiness on the outside are to pat your beef dry, use plenty of salt, a dry rub, or just lightly flour your steak. Just remember to keep that bowl on hand so you don't unintentionally ruin that crust you worked so hard to build.