How Does Texas Roadhouse Tenderize Their Steaks? (3 Simple Tricks)

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Texas Roadhouse might come to mind when craving a tender and juicy steak! For many reasons, Texas Roadhouse is one of the most popular steakhouses in the United States.

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 uses several methods to achieve such tender and delicious steak; find out what they are below and how to do it at home.

Types Of Steaks On The Menu At Texas Roadhouse.

Texas Roadhouse offers a wide variety of steaks, including ribeye, sirloin, flank, 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 obtain such tender quality meat. All the steaks at Texas Roadhouse are hand-cut and come in fresh. Below, we outline how 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 differ significantly from home cooking. You can use the techniques that Texas Roadhouses uses or you can also try the methods below.

1. By Using Dry Steak Rub. 🧂🌶️

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, making it less chewy and more flavorful.

The steakhouse also sells its seasoning, Texas Roadhouse Steak Seasoning. The seasoning can be used 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 Turmeric
 1/2 tsp Cornstarch
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Chili Powder

• In a medium-sized bowl, mix 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 to tenderize a steak is by dry-aging it. Dry-aged meat has a more beefy flavor, funky aroma, and smoother texture. Well-aged meat is more tender than fresh-cut meat.

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 in moisture loss, flavor change, and tenderization.

New York strip steaks and ribeye are the best cuts of meat for aging. Dry aging makes the meat more tender because the collagen 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 involves two steps. The first step involves cooking the meat in a 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 on each side for 4-5 minutes until golden brown.

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°F. For rare steaks, the temperature should be around 120°F, or 129°F if you prefer medium-rare steaks.

Wrapping it Up

The Texas Roadhouse is popular for many 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 beef and cooking it using the sous vide technique. 

Smoke On!

Charlie

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