Why Hatch Marks On Steaks Are Overrated

It's not easy to get dazzling crosshatch marks on your meat when you're grilling since it involves precise angles and careful timing. But if you've never managed to master the technique, the good news is that it's actually overrated anyway according to Jorge Guzmán, a James Beard Award finalist and chef at Chilango in Minneapolis and Sueño in Dayton. Food Republic spoke to him to find out more.

"You do not need crosshatch marks on your steak," Guzmán told us. The reason is that the branded marks created by the grill may look attractive, but they stop you from getting an even brown crust across the entire surface of the meat — and that crust adds so much in terms of both taste and texture. With grill marks, only a small portion of the exterior develops a rich seared flavor, and the parts in between the lines remain pale and unseared. 

Leaving meat on hot grates until it's developed charred lines can also lead to it becoming overcooked — or the lines themselves can start to taste overly charred and burned. According to Guzmán, "not flipping it enough" is one of the key mistakes to avoid when cooking steak. Rather than only flipping it once halfway through cooking, you should "turn your meat every 45 seconds or so for a more even cook," the chef advised, because "the more you turn it, the more caramelized it gets."

The beautifully golden crust you get when grilling steak is thanks to the Maillard reaction, which involves surface proteins as well as sugars. Besides frequent flipping, there are other things you can do to boost the browning. This starts with choosing one of the best cuts of steak to grill – you'll want one at least an inch thick to get a well-seared exterior while not overcooking in the center.

You need to make sure that the surface is dry to get a good crust, so pat the steak with paper towels before cooking it. Ideally, get the beef to room temperature and add salt in advance, too — rather than trying to grill fridge-cold meat, "you want to temper and season your steak a few hours before you grill it depending on size, so that you get a great cook and that it is seasoned well," said chef Jorge Guzmán.

Another way to get an evenly cooked exterior is to use a cast iron pan, griddle, or flat top when grilling — this is especially important when cooking Wagyu at home since its high fat content can lead to flare-ups if it's grilled directly on the grates. You could also try coating the steak in mayonnaise (the unexpected condiment that gives steak the perfect sear) as its high smoke point and combination of fat, oil, and protein help the meat to brown better.