The Yummy Way To Save Your Overcooked Steak
Steak is a nerve-racking dish to prepare. You'll first need to know which cuts to buy and which to avoid, and then follow that with detailed temperature control, deft seasoning, the proper cooking vessel, and — perhaps most critically — knowing when to conclude cooking.
Mistakes happen though, and if your goal was a medium-rare and the meat comes out well-done, that's not a sign to throw all of the effort in the trash. Unfortunately, you won't be able to reverse the process; once all that fat and liquid departs the meat, that delectable juiciness is gone. However, turn to crafty techniques to enjoy the beef in a different format, and you'll save the dish.
An especially yummy — and easy — fix is crafting a steak sauce. Reach for a pan, and add fat to compensate (butter is a trusted choice) along with savory, flavorful additions that can range from Worcestersire sauce to a classic gravy or simply barbecue sauce. Gently heat, then serve the sauce over the warmed meat, as toughness only exacerbates once temperatures drop. Sure, it's not the same as beautiful red slices of steak, but it'll still taste delicious.
Repurpose overcooked steak by adding liquid and fat
Note that escaped moisture is the downfall of overcooked meat. As a result, you can recalibrate the dish through different means. The texture won't be identical since the liquid will coat the steak from the outside instead of burst from the interior. However, such a quality can be used to your advantage to create a new dish.
For example, if you've overcooked a larger cut, then craft a Philly cheese steak or steak and cheese sandwich. By shaving the meat slices extra thin, cooking them in liquid, and adding cheese, the meat will be rehashed into a more tender form and will have bread and cheese to divert attention from its overcooked qualities. In a similar vein, mix thin steak slices into a stir fry; especially during the sauce creation phase, the liquid, flavor, and other components will cover up less-than-ideal textures. And, don't sleep on grinding your steak into a tasty filling for dumplings, pies, empanadas, or even a pasta sauce. The combination of a carb centerpiece and complementing sauce will certainly make your overcooked steak a forgotten misfortune.