MYTH: A fat cap can melt and get into the meat.
BUSTED. Not on this planet. Fat is oil, meat is mostly water, and oil and water don’t mix. The surface fat just melts and drips off. Besides, fat molecules are huge and far too big to get past the tiny cracks and pores in the surface of meat.
I dug a hole in a steak and filled it with olive oil. Five hours later it is still all in the hole.
Zero penetration.
But it is important to keep in mind there are two kinds of fat, marbling or intramuscular fat, the tiny threads of fat weaving through and within the muscle bundles, and surface fat or intermuscular fat, the thick layers of fat that lie on top of the meat and between muscle bundles. When meat cooks, the marbling gets soft , and when we eat it, it mixes with the protein to give us great flavor.
If you must leave on some fat, leave only a thin layer, 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick depending on how long and how hot it will cook. Then most of it will melt off and there will be a tasty thin layer of fat with your spices that people will usually eat and love.
My new book, The Meathead Method, is out May 13. The great Alton Brown said it is “The only book on outdoor cookery you’ll ever need.”
You can pre-order on Amazon at tinyurl.com/meatheadmethod.
If you buy a copy, take a selfie with the book when it arrives, post it on your favorite social media channels, send a link to [email protected] I’ll send you a link where you can download our new eBook on Heavenly Hamburgers.
BUSTED. Not on this planet. Fat is oil, meat is mostly water, and oil and water don’t mix. The surface fat just melts and drips off. Besides, fat molecules are huge and far too big to get past the tiny cracks and pores in the surface of meat.
I dug a hole in a steak and filled it with olive oil. Five hours later it is still all in the hole.
Zero penetration.
But it is important to keep in mind there are two kinds of fat, marbling or intramuscular fat, the tiny threads of fat weaving through and within the muscle bundles, and surface fat or intermuscular fat, the thick layers of fat that lie on top of the meat and between muscle bundles. When meat cooks, the marbling gets soft , and when we eat it, it mixes with the protein to give us great flavor.
If you must leave on some fat, leave only a thin layer, 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick depending on how long and how hot it will cook. Then most of it will melt off and there will be a tasty thin layer of fat with your spices that people will usually eat and love.
My new book, The Meathead Method, is out May 13. The great Alton Brown said it is “The only book on outdoor cookery you’ll ever need.”
You can pre-order on Amazon at tinyurl.com/meatheadmethod.
If you buy a copy, take a selfie with the book when it arrives, post it on your favorite social media channels, send a link to [email protected] I’ll send you a link where you can download our new eBook on Heavenly Hamburgers.
Thanks!
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