This $7 Tool Is the Secret Behind the ‘Beautiful Char’ on Perfect Steak, Says an Executive Chef

There are a lot of factors that go into grilling the perfect steak. It starts with finding the right cut of meat. Then, you have to decide how you’re seasoning it — are you going classic salt and pepper or using your “famous” steak rub? Once it’s ready to go, you need to figure out how to achieve your ideal cook, which will require a different cooking process depending on whether you’re using a charcoal grill, gas, a smoker, or simply a cast iron skillet resting on a bonfire at a campsite. In any case, there are so many ways to go, and if you’ve cooked a steak once or twice, you surely have your favorite tips and tricks. 

That’s certainly true for Justin Diglia, executive chef of beloved Chicago institution Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, who has a pretty excellent tool up his sleeve for steak wizardry — and it’s only $7.

FurRain Pastry Brush with Boar Bristles

$7 

Diglia’s secret weapon when it comes to making a perfect steak — which he does often because it’s his job — is a humble brush. “One essential grill tool I always have around the house is a grill brush,” he says. “Brushing a steak with melted butter prior to cooking helps not only add a rich flavor but also helps achieve a beautiful char.” He specifically recommends this one from FurRain, which features super tough boar bristles, a smooth beech wood handle, and a hole for easy hanging. You can grab the 1.5-inch brush for $7 or a pair of 1- and 1.5-inch brushes for $10.

So, if you were wondering how pros flavor and prepare their steak to achieve such an enticing, restaurant-quality cook every time, it all has to do with applying the right kind of fat evenly and at the correct time. Diglia points out that it’s not just about preparing the steak before cooking but also treating it after. “Once the steak is finished, I brush it again with some room temperature butter and allow it to rest,” he adds. “Or brush on a delicious maitre d’butter.” (Maitre d’butter is a compound butter with parsley and lemon, and it adds a ton of flavor.) Whatever kind of butter, oil, sauce, or spices you’re applying, make sure to achieve even coverage for maximum flavor, which is simple to do with this inexpensive tool. 

Grab one as we head into grilling season, and you can look forward to a summer full of spectacular, steakhouse-level cooking.

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