Yes, You Can Hasselback Cut Your Steak

You've heard of Hasselback potatoes and even Hasselback sausages, but have you ever come across Hasselback steak? The neat slicing technique employed to make this dish is a brilliant way to add extra flavor, moisture, and aroma to a rib eye, sirloin, or New York strip. And all you need is a sharp knife and the stuffing of your choice to create a steak dinner with a difference.

Start by slicing vertical lines along the length of your steak without cutting straight through it (think of the way a garlic bread has a series of slices that are still connected at the base). If your steak is particularly tender, try flanking it with chopsticks or skewers to act as guards that will prevent your knife from slicing through the meat completely. This action will create several evenly-spaced slots across the protein, ready to be loaded with a filling.

Season your steak before filling the slots with a spoonful of your stuffing of choice. For example, you could mix butter, garlic, herbs, and egg yolks together to create a rich garlicky stuffing, or combine cream cheese with sauteed mushrooms to lend your steak a deeper umami flavor. A cheesy mixture combining peppercorns and onions is ideal for mimicking the flavors of a classic peppercorn sauce that's often served with steak, but anything goes. The key is to make sure you push the stuffing into each slot so every area of your steak can absorb all that extra goodness.

To cook your steak, place it in a hot oiled skillet so it can develop a caramelized crust. As the meat cooks, the slices will fan out, creating an appetizing splayed appearance. Once the bottom is seared, put the entire pan in the oven so the steak can finish cooking (unlike a regular steak, you won't be able to flip it over or your filling will ooze out). However, if you don't have an oven-safe pan, simply transfer your steak onto a sheet pan or dish. It can take anything from 6 to 8 minutes for the steak to cook depending on whether you like it rare, medium, or well done. Bear in mind it will cook relatively quickly because the slits will increase the surface area of the protein, opening it up to the heat of the oven and accelerating cooking times.

On the other hand, the stuffing in your steak will ensure the meat doesn't dry out –- any butter will naturally baste the protein and trickle into all the slots as it melts. The cheese will also begin to bubble and develop some color and character. Serve your Hasselback steak as is or with a simple side salad and a hunk of bread if you want a heartier meal. Better yet, serve it with Hasselback rutabaga or taters that have crispy edges and a comfortingly soft center.