What Happens If You Griddle Too Many Steaks At The Same Time?

Cooking a bunch of steaks is a great way to impress guests or feed a crowd. But if you griddle or pan-fry them all in one go, you can end up with a disappointing result in terms of texture and taste. The reason overcrowding the pan is one of many mistakes when cooking steak is all about the temperature, which is the key to beautifully seared and perfectly cooked meat.

You want the griddle or pan ripping hot when cooking steak, so it sizzles when the beef makes contact. This allows a tasty crust to develop on the outside as the proteins and sugars on the surface of the meat caramelize. But if you put too many steaks on at once, that high temperature begins to drop. This means that rather than the delicious browning you're after, the meat will start to steam or simmer in its juices instead. Another tip for avoiding that undesirable boiled meat flavor is to make sure that the surface of your steak is dry before you cook. If it's wet, pat it dry, and season it with plenty of salt for a good crust.

Steaks need plenty of room – at least an inch between them, but preferably a few inches. Consider cooking them in batches instead of squeezing several onto one griddle surface, or using more than one griddle pan if it's a smaller version.

When cooking steak, you need a heavy griddle or sturdy cast iron pan because of the high temperatures involved. Depending on the size of the griddle and the steaks, try cooking one or two at a time. Once they're cooked, let them rest — a crucial step for perfect steak according to Anthony Bourdain — and cook the next batch during the resting time.

Frequent flipping instead of just flipping once is a top tip when cooking steak, as it helps it cook more evenly. It also helps the meat to cook faster since it's heated from both sides, which is handy if you're doing multiple steaks in batches. Cooking fewer steaks in one go means it's more manageable to flip them more often. Using a larger flat griddle can make it easier to flip the steaks, but a smaller griddle pan with a handle can be transferred to the oven – which you may prefer if you like to finish steaks this way.

While you can add oil directly to a skillet, when using a griddle, it's best to lightly oil the steak before cooking it to prevent it from sticking. As for which side of the steak to sear first, go for the fattier side so that the flavorful fat has chance to render. And use Gordon Ramsay's tip to avoid burning yourself when cooking steak by laying it away from you rather than towards you.