When you are craving a nice tender and juicy steak, Texas Roadhouse might come to mind! The Texas Roadhouse is one of the most popular steakhouses in the United States for many reasons.
The steakhouse provides affordable, high-quality, and tender steak. The restaurant also sells USDA choice meat, so you know it’s high-quality.
Texas Roadhouse follows a few methods to get such tender and delicious steak; find out what they are below and how to do it yourself at home.
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Types Of Steaks On The Menu At Texas Roadhouse.
Texas Roadhouse has a wide variety of steaks available on the menu. Some of these steaks are ribeye, sirloin steak, flank steaks, and steak kabobs. The 6-ounce USDA Choice Sirloin is a best-seller and the ribeye is the most tender steak on the menu.
Texas Roadhouse uses an interesting method to get such tender quality meat. For starters, all the steaks at Texas Roadhouse are hand-cut and come in fresh. Below, we outline the ways that Texas Roadhouse gets its steak so tender.
They Use Dry Aging and High Heat Searing
Texas Roadhouse tenderizes the steak using dry aging. The steaks are cut fresh daily, then salted and refrigerated uncovered. They are then cooked on a flattop grill set at 500°F.
Cooks season the steaks and slap them on the flat top for exactly 1 minute per side—no matter the size or cut—to create a nice crust. Then, the steaks move to a regular grill to finish cooking and get those signature diamond grill marks.
How to Do This At Home?
Cooking and preparing to serve hundreds of people a night differs greatly from home cooking. You can use the techniques that Texas Roadhouses uses or you can also try the techniques below.
1. By Using Dry Steak Rub.
Using a dry rub is one of the best ways to tenderize steak, as it can help break down muscle fibers.
Step 1.
Forty minutes before cooking time, wash and pat the raw steak dry with a paper towel. Then, season the meat with a Dalmatian rub (salt and ground black pepper).
Step 2.
Let the steak rest for 40 minutes, and rinse the steak afterward. When the appearance of the steak is a deeper red color, it is ready to cook.
The salt and pepper penetrate the meat and help draw water from it through osmosis. This tenderizes the meat and makes it less chewy and more flavorful.
The steakhouse also sells its seasoning, Texas Roadhouse Steak Seasoning. The seasoning can be used in the same way as the Dalmatian rub, making the meat tender. Steak seasoning can also be used on chicken and fish.
If you do not have the seasoning, follow a copycat Texas Roadhouse steak rub recipe below (this would be for 2-3 serves)
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Salt
2 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Garlic Salt
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Tumeric
1/2 tsp Cornstarch
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Chili Powder
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix in all ingredients. Store the rub in an airtight container bag.
- Apply the rub on each side of the uncooked steaks and let them rest for 40 minutes or overnight.
2. By Dry-Aging The Steak.
Another way you can tenderize its steak is by dry-aging the meat. Dry-aged meat has a more beefy flavor and funky aroma and a smoother texture. Well-aged meat is more tender than fresh cut.
Dry aging generally involves placing the cuts of meat on a rack and leaving them to sit in the fridge for 2-6 weeks. Dry aging steaks can be beneficial because it aids moisture loss, flavor change, and tenderization.
The best cuts of meat for aging are New York strip steaks and ribeye. Dry aging makes the meat more tender because the collagen inside is broken down.
The longer the meat is aged, the more tender it gets. This is because it loses more water to evaporation. Wet aging of the meat can also be done to prevent freezer burn.
3. By Using The Sous Vide Technique
You can also use the sous vide cooking method. We find that sous vide ribeye usually works out best. This allows you to cook steaks to your preferred doneness. It involves cooking the steak in a temperature-controlled water bath.
Sous vide is a French word that means “under pressure” and it can be used on cuts of steak. Wouldn’t it be cool if Texas Roadhouse used this technique as well?
The sous vide technique is a two-part cooking process. The first step is cooking the meat in the sous vide bath to the desired temperature.
The second step involves searing the steaks to develop their color and flavor. The steaks should be seared for 4-5 minutes on each side until it has a golden brown color.
The doneness of the meat is determined by its internal temperature during cooking. This can be checked with a meat thermometer.
If you’re going for well-done steaks, the temperature should be around 156 degrees. The temperature should be around 120 degrees for rare steaks, or 129 degrees if you prefer medium-rare steaks.
The Texas Roadhouse is popular for a lot of reasons. The steakhouse provides very juicy and tender steaks at affordable prices.
Texas Roadhouse achieves this tenderness by wet aging the meat. However, you should also try brining the meat and cooking it with the sous vide technique.
Smoke On!
Charlie
Author: Charlie Reeves
Hi, I’m Charlie, I have been meat-smoking and grilling for the past 15 years. I have an array of different smokers, thermometers, and have a love for finding the right wood and charcoal combo My favourite recipes are my EXTRA CRISPY smoked pork belly, juicy pulled pork, smoked brisket, duck poppers, and ANY SEAFOOD I grill).
I loves sharing his tips with beginners, helping them navigate the world of smoking. I find it’s not just about cooking; it’s a quest for that perfect smoky flavor.
You will usually find me playing with the kids, perfecting my brisket bark, or sipping beers with boys around the fire. Can’t wait to share all my delicious smoking and grilling recipes with you!
You can read more about me on our About Us page.
Hungry For More?
Thanks!! I am going to try tenderizing my steak like this and see how it goes
This worked great!!!
I worked at Texas Roadhouse for a Jew years—they also pound the steaks if they’re thick and jaccard the steaks everytime. They sit in the marinade and after tenderized is thrown on the grill
yum!! these steaks out so good!