The Unhealthiest Way To Cook Steak, Explained

Whenever steak is included in your at-home meal rotation, careful and adequate preparation is required. Since eating steak every day is not a common occurrence, you're likely to prepare your ribeye or filet mignon with a cooking method that isn't overly involved, exceedingly rich, or downright unhealthy. This way you can focus your attention on the texture and flavor of the meat itself. To prepare the best steak cuts from your local meat market or grocery store, avoid deep-frying at all costs. 

According to Healthline, fried foods are known to be high in trans fats, which pose certain risks to our physical health. The American Heart Association claims trans fats not only raise our bad, or LDL cholesterol levels, but also increase our susceptibility to heart disease. So, when it comes to cooking up thick slabs of beef, you have even more reasons to avoid deep-frying as a preferred cooking method.

Interestingly enough, consuming red meat may already come with its own set of drawbacks. One 2023 study published in the European Heart Journal found that the consumption of red meat was linked to an increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Therefore, adding extra fat to the mix, by way of deep-fried cooking oil, doesn't necessarily seem to be doing your health any favors. Since deep-fried foods are often laden with trans fats, which already lower your good or HDL cholesterol, deep-frying steak seems like a recipe for disaster.

Depending on the cut of meat you choose, steak varies in fat content. While you may be naturally inclined to choose leaner cuts, such as round tip roast or top sirloin, deep-frying makes steak a high-fat food. While consuming deep-fried beef once in a while may not be so detrimental, using this cooking method time and time again can potentially lead to excess fat in the body.

This extra fat may cause blockages in the arteries, increasing the risk of stroke. Healthline claims deep-frying also increases the production of advanced glycation end products or AGEs which are harmful chemical compounds that form either through high-heat cooking like grilling or frying or in your bloodstream when proteins and fats collide with sugar. High levels of AGEs have been associated with an increased susceptibility to various diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and kidney failure.

With all that said, there are ways to make deep-fried steak a tad healthier. Avoid the use of unhealthy seed oils, like canola oil, and opt for a healthier alternative such as avocado oil. If you own an air fryer, skip the oil and use this convenient appliance to give your steak a deep-fried consistency without the excess fat. While there's nothing wrong with an occasional chicken fried steak every now and then, for everyday cooking, avoid deep-frying for optimal health.