Why Do People Put Beer On Steak? [What’s The Purpose?]

by

Although there are many ways to cook a delicious steak, one method often used is cooking with beer. Some people may not understand why this works so well, but the truth is that beer can add a lot of flavor to a steak. 

Beer can be poured on steak while cooking or used to marinade steak before cooking. Alcohol tenderizes the meat and breaks down the collagen in the muscle fibers, allowing moisture and flavor to penetrate the meat. Beer also improves the flavor of red meat. 

why do people put beer on steak

Every great steak recipe yields excellent results, and cooking a steak with beer is one of those recipes. There is something special about this cooking method, and exploring it is something every steak lover should do. 

Let’s discover why some people pour beer on steak, what the beer does to steak, and determine if beer adds any significant flavor to a steak. 

Why Pour Beer On Steak?

There are many ways to cook a good steak. However, most chefs will tell you that a good quality steak usually does not need much done to it for the natural flavors to elevate the flavor and taste experience of a steak. 

To accomplish this, some cooks will pour beer on steak, but why is this an effective method to make a steak a better eating experience?

Beer is a natural tenderizer, and the beer flavor compliments red meats. 

Pouring beer over a steak while it is cooking is an effective way to introduce good flavors to the steak to make it taste better, and the beer will make the steak more tender when it is ready to eat. 

The enzymes in beer break down the collagen between the muscle fibers of the steak, making it softer and easier to eat. 

This also allows the steak to draw in more moisture, making the meat juicier and allowing it to cook on the inside more quickly as the moisture within the steak heats up. 

Using beer during the cooking process adds this necessary moisture, tenderizes the meat and introduces delicious flavors. 

The beer’s flavors will infuse the meat as it cooks, and all the alcohol will evaporate. As a result, the flavors of the fermented drink will linger in the meat, giving it a rich, deep flavor and adding subtle tasting notes. 

Although you can use any beer to flavor a steak, not every combination works well. 

You need to find the right type of beer and use it correctly if you want to improve your steak’s taste by pouring beer over it.

For example, stout beers have a rich flavor that works well as a marinade. A Guinness is a well-known stout that is popular for use as marinades. Lagers and Porters are also great marinades for steaks. 

Avoid hoppy beers such as IPAs, Pilsners, and Wheat beers, as they can sometimes be too bitter when used in this way.

What Does Beer Do To Steak?

Beer has many valuable properties and is used in many different cooking methods and recipes. 

For example, beer is commonly used to marinate steak, as a base for cooking sauce, or even while braising or basting the steak during cooking. 

Elevates The Flavor

Using beer with steak is an excellent way to elevate the flavor and experience of the meat, as beer changes the meat itself, improving several of its natural qualities, and changing the way the meat tastes. 

Beer has natural enzymes that are a result of the fermentation process, and the drink is naturally carbonated. 

Tenderizes The Meat

The carbonation combined with the enzymes within the beer tenderizes meat very quickly but does not tenderize it to the point where it becomes too soft. 

Beer contains compounds that act as meat tenderizers by breaking down collagen and separating muscle fibers.

This makes the meat more tender while allowing moisture and flavors to penetrate the steak. 

Easier To Cook

This means that the beer not only makes the steak better to eat but also makes it easier to cook. 

In addition, if you add other flavors to the steak along with the beer, the fact that the meat is more receptive to flavors and moisture means that more flavor will penetrate the meat, making it taste much better after cooking. 

If you have some signature flavors you like to use for steak, then using beer will heighten those flavors and make them more pronounced and effective. 

Does Beer Add Flavor To Steak?

Beer has a potent flavor, particularly when reduced during cooking to allow the water to evaporate and concentrate the beer.

The flavors in beer work well with steak because they are all natural flavors that go great with red meat.

The truth is that not much flavor from the beer will transfer to the steak if you simply pour the beer over the steak. If you want to add flavor to the steak by using beer, the best way is to marinade the steak in beer for a few hours. 

The most effective way to use beer while cooking steak is by pouring it over it while cooking. 

The flavors that beer imparts to steak are not the flavors associated with alcohol but the deep, rich, earthy flavors that make beer special. These flavors are ideal for steak and elevate the natural flavors that steak already possesses. 

Beer is an excellent way to add good flavors to steak without adding anything that is too overpowering or detract from the meat’s flavor. 

Final Word

Using beer as an ingredient for cooking, is extremely popular. You can use plain alcohol, or use it as a base to create a delicious sauce for the meat.

However you choose to use it, beer will almost always elevate your steak’s flavor and eating experience, regardless of how you use it. 

The best way to use beer and steak is by pouring it over the steak or marinating the meat in beer before cooking. 

If you have not tried this combination yet, I recommend that you do; you might find that you prefer this method of cooking your steak from now on.

Related Articles

Sources

https://www.thespruceeats.com/classic-guinness-marinade-335291

https://www.whatscookinitalianstylecuisine.com/2015/03/guinness-beer-sauce-for-grilled-ribeye.html

Skip to content