# Pan-frying a chuck steak **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 17, 2017, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pan-frying-a-chuck-steak/796571 "2017-09-17T20:41:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2017, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pan-frying-a-chuck-steak/796571/1 "2017-09-17T20:41:33Z")
I’ve always heard and read that a chuck steak needs to be cooked slowly and “wet” – otherwise it would be too tough. Today I tried something different, partially by accident. Friday I started marinating a large (~1 lb) chuck steak, in my own special combo of worcestershire sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, balsamic, and some other stuff. I was going to cook it Friday night. But other things got in the way and it sat marinating in the fridge all day Friday, and all day Saturday. So instead of pot-roasting it, or something like that, I decided to try and pan-fry it, and it turned out delicious. Not the most tender steak I’d ever had, but very chewable, and one of the most flavorful steaks I’d ever had. I think marinating it for so long really helped tenderize it. I didn’t even have to cook it past medium rare, like I like it, for it to be tender enough to eat. Anyone else cook meats in ways they’re not supposed to be cooked? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2017, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pan-frying-a-chuck-steak/796571/2 "2017-09-17T20:56:14Z")
Oh, I cooked it about 6 minutes on each side, medium heat, along with some onions, cooking in a bit of the leftover marinade. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2017, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pan-frying-a-chuck-steak/796571/3 "2017-09-17T21:21:39Z")
I used to charcoal-grill big slabs o’ chuck. Very tasty, and not tough. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2017, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pan-frying-a-chuck-steak/796571/4 "2017-09-17T21:50:31Z")
I’ve threaded small-ish chunks of chuck on skewers, for kabobs, with green peppers, onions, etc. (usually marinated in a packet of something or other). De-licious! Tender, too, a bit chewy. The well done bits had that distinctive ‘pot roast’ taste. But the medium-rare bits were very good. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2017, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pan-frying-a-chuck-steak/796571/5 "2017-09-17T22:22:35Z")
Certainly the low pH of the balsamic vinegar marinade helps with tenderness. Worcestershire and soy sauce have a low pH as well. I sous vide chuck roast at 129 deg F for 18 hours. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pan-frying-a-chuck-steak/796571/6 "2017-09-18T00:51:16Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I’ve always heard and read that a chuck steak needs to be cooked slowly and “wet” – otherwise it would be too tough. Today I tried something different, partially by accident. > Friday I started marinating a large (~1 lb) chuck steak, in my own special combo of worcestershire sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, balsamic, and some other stuff. I was going to cook it Friday night. But other things got in the way and it sat marinating in the fridge all day Friday, and all day Saturday. So instead of pot-roasting it, or something like that, I decided to try and pan-fry it, and it turned out delicious. Not the most tender steak I’d ever had, but very chewable, and one of the most flavorful steaks I’d ever had. I think marinating it for so long really helped tenderize it. I didn’t even have to cook it past medium rare, like I like it, for it to be tender enough to eat. > > Anyone else cook meats in ways they’re not supposed to be cooked? Grilling chuck steak is pretty darned common. It does yield a tougher and chewier steak than your typical steak cuts, but it makes up for it in beefiness, and sliced really thinly, it’s not too chewy. But it’s still not my favorite for grilling, and I don’t find marinades help much at all: they only penetrate maybe the top 1/4 inch of meat anyway. [America’s Test Kitchen](https://www.kcet.org/food/weekend-recipe-grilled-chuck-steaks) has a pretty good method for making the best of the cut not utilizing any special tools like sous vide (which would be perfect for an application like this). They suggest specifically getting eye of chuck and cutting the steaks yourself. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pan-frying-a-chuck-steak/796571/7 "2017-09-18T01:00:48Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Grilling chuck steak is pretty darned common. I see you said “pan frying,” but same difference in terms of cooking technique. I generally prefer pan frying my steaks vs grilling them, unless I’m using some nice flavorful wood or something on the grill. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pan-frying-a-chuck-steak/796571/8 "2017-09-18T01:13:43Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Grilling chuck steak is pretty darned common. It does yield a tougher and chewier steak than your typical steak cuts, but it makes up for it in beefiness, and sliced really thinly, it’s not too chewy. But it’s still not my favorite for grilling, and I don’t find marinades help much at all: they only penetrate maybe the top 1/4 inch of meat anyway. > > [America’s Test Kitchen](https://www.kcet.org/food/weekend-recipe-grilled-chuck-steaks) has a pretty good method for making the best of the cut not utilizing any special tools like sous vide (which would be perfect for an application like this). They suggest specifically getting eye of chuck and cutting the steaks yourself. Since I left it in the marinade for almost two days, might it not have tenderized the whole steak? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pan-frying-a-chuck-steak/796571/9 "2017-09-18T01:20:04Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Since I left it in the marinade for almost two days, might it not have tenderized the whole steak? From what I can tell, that does not seem to be the case. [See here](http://amazingribs.com/recipes/rubs_pastes_marinades_and_brines/zen_of_marinades.html). The salt will penetrate the whole cut at that length, though. ETA: Also, [Cooks Illustrated](https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/5562-marinating-myths) has a bit about it, too. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pan-frying-a-chuck-steak/796571/10 "2017-09-18T01:24:28Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Grilling chuck steak is pretty darned common. It does yield a tougher and chewier steak than your typical steak cuts, but it makes up for it in beefiness, and sliced really thinly, it’s not too chewy. But it’s still not my favorite for grilling, and I don’t find marinades help much at all: they only penetrate maybe the top 1/4 inch of meat anyway. So do you treat it like a “London Broil,” grill fast over high heat and slice thin for serving? Without marination? I used to take tough steak and give it a shot of vinaigrette for a few hours before grilling it. It worked as a tenderizer and a flavorizer both. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pan-frying-a-chuck-steak/796571/11 "2017-09-18T01:35:10Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > So do you treat it like a “London Broil,” grill fast over high heat and slice thin for serving? Without marination? Salt the heck out of it and add whatever other flavors you like. ETA: Oh, yeah, and cook as in that Cooks Illustrated method. > [@](#): > > I used to take tough steak and give it a shot of vinaigrette for a few hours before grilling it. It worked as a tenderizer and a flavorizer both. I do that for thin, tough cuts of steak. Don’t get me wrong. I marinate the shit out of a lot of things. But it’s generally for flavor in thicker cuts. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pan-frying-a-chuck-steak/796571/12 "2017-09-18T11:59:29Z")
Did you pierce the chuck before marinating? Stab it with a fork a few dozen times, and it helps the marinade penetrate so the acid part can break down the fibers. It’s never going to be as tender as a real steak, but it’s something different. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pan-frying-a-chuck-steak/796571/13 "2017-09-18T12:21:04Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Did you pierce the chuck before marinating? Stab it with a fork a few dozen times, and it helps the marinade penetrate so the acid part can break down the fibers. It’s never going to be as tender as a real steak, but it’s something different. > > Regards, > Shodan No, but I’ll try that next time. I found it tender enough to eat, though it was still a bit chewy. I’ll add that one of the reasons I love chuck so much is that it’s fatty. I know it’s gross to some folks, but the fattiest parts of meat are my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pan-frying-a-chuck-steak/796571/14 "2017-09-18T12:23:01Z")
You just gave me an idea for tonight, which I haven’t done in awhile. I have some Cote-du-rhone which wasn’t _quite_ what I thought it was going to be, and I might buy some steak and boil it in the rest of the wine, which makes it quite tender and tasty. (I make sure to sear it beforehand to make sure it is fully cooked even though that’s the wrong order.) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pan-frying-a-chuck-steak/796571/15 "2017-09-18T14:47:48Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Did you pierce the chuck before marinating? Stab it with a fork a few dozen times, and it helps the marinade penetrate so the acid part can break down the fibers. It’s never going to be as tender as a real steak, but it’s something different. > > Regards, > Shodan There seems to be a lot of disagreement as to whether stabbing helps the marinade penetrate much or not, but I will say that it certainly does help in terms of mechanical tenderization (see: cube steak, for instance.)