I Asked 3 Chefs if You Should Poke Holes in Steak Before Marinating, and They All Said the Same Thing

Let’s settle the debate. The word “steak” can mean a lot of things, from tender and expensivefilet mignonto tougher, more affordable cuts likeflank steak. If you’re sticking to more affordable steak choices at home (like me), you might be looking for ways to guarantee it comes out tender and flavorful. Cuts likeskirt steak, flank steak, and flat iron steak are naturally tough because they lack marbling, but can offer great flavor if prepared right. One easy way to help tenderize and add flavor to these steaks is marinating. You’ve probably seen cooks use a technique called needling, which involves poking holes all over a steak before marinating. I wondered if this method actually helps tenderize the steak, so I turned to three chefs and steak experts to find out if it’s worth the fuss. The Steak Experts Dagan Lynn:Executive chef atBeef. It’s What’s For Dinner. Kent Rollins:Chuck wagon cook and host of Outdoor Channel’sCast Iron Cowboy Jess Pryles: Judge on the Food Network series “Pitmasters” and author ofPrime Cuts: The Complete Guide to Choosing, Understanding, and Cooking Meat Why You Should Skip Poking Holes in Your Steak All three chefs agreed that poking holes in steak simply isn’t worth it. “I generally don’t recommend poking holes in a steak before marinating,” says Lynn. He notes that, while it seems like it might tenderize the meat and allow the marinade to penetrate deeper, the difference is negligible. Pryles agrees: “Most of the flavor compounds in a marinade stay near the surface.” This means a bit of extra flavor might seep into the holes, but no further. It’s simply not worth the trouble, and can actually have negative effects. “Piercing the steak can allow juices to escape during cooking, which may impact the final texture,” says Lynn. And the last thing you

Let’s settle the debate.