A butcher has shared an “unexpected” finishing touch that will give steak the “meatiest” flavour: lightly sprinkling grated Parmesan cheese during the resting period. The ingredient is likely to be already in your fridge.
Butcher's tip for a richer steak
The expert from Campbells Meat recommended using only a light dusting, not the amount you would throw over a bowl of pasta. “Just a very light dusting, almost like you’re seasoning it a second time. It melts into the steak and brings out a deeper, more savoury beef flavour,” they said.
“I didn’t believe a steak could taste even beefier by adding one unlikely ingredient. Done properly, it instantly feels like a more premium or aged cut.”
Why Parmesan works
Aged beef and aged Parmesan both contain high levels of glutamates, the compounds responsible for deep savoury flavour. When brought together, they reinforce each other, and the steak ends up tasting more intensely beefy rather than cheesy.
The butcher added: “It works best on ribeye and sirloin rather than leaner cuts as the marbling helps carry the flavour, something a fillet doesn’t have.”
Other meat tips
For other meats such as chicken, experts recommend using a simple brine of salt and water to make it more flavourful and tender. The salty solution allows the chicken to absorb moisture and salt before cooking, helping to make chicken breasts more tender, which tend to be overcooked.
