Why You Should Be Wary Of Your Steak Tasting Fishy

When you drop a good amount of money on steak, it's normal to question if any imperfections make it safe to eat or not. While iridescent beef is normal, if a bit off-putting, Marissa Stevens, recipe developer  and founder of Pinch and Swirl, tells Food Republic that a fishy smell or taste is a serious red flag you can't ignore.

"A fishy smell usually means the meat has started to oxidize or go off," Stevens says. "It's especially common in vacuum-sealed steaks that have sat too long in their own juices." Good steaks shouldn't have much of a smell at all, and if they do, it should be barely detectable. Stevens tells us that if any beef smells metallic, sour, or like ammonia, you should steer clear, as these are all signs it may have gone bad. When you're choosing the perfect steak at the store, you may not always be able to give it a whiff, but once you bring it home, it's better to waste the money and throw it out than potentially make yourself sick.

"That said, some wet-aged steaks have a funky aroma when first opened but smell fine after a quick rinse and 15 minutes of air exposure," Stevens continues. Stevens tells us that if the aroma doesn't improve, it's still best to toss it as the smell should only be coming from the surface of the meat and wash off easily. Still, knowing how to store steaks is the best way to prevent this.

While wet-aged steaks can develop a gamey smell from sitting in their own juices for so long, that particularly fishy, metallic odor can only mean oxidation crept into your meat. Oxidation happens when beef becomes overexposed to air, turning myoglobin brown and producing that odd smell, but this process accelerates when you improperly store steaks.

"Leaving steak in its packaging too long, storing it at inconsistent fridge temps, or letting air into vacuum-sealed bags can all accelerate oxidation," Marissa Stevens says. Steak lasts in the fridge for only about five days, according to USDA guidelines, so Stevens says it's better to turn to the freezer if you don't plan on cooking it by then. To freeze steaks and avoid oxidation, pat them dry, let them freeze uncovered, then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and store them in a sealed zip-top bag for up to 12 months.

Stevens also says that a fishy smell may be caused by actual fish! Strong-smelling foods have a tendency to throw their odor around your fridge, possibly passing it on to other foods. If your steaks come in butcher's paper rather than tight-wrapped plastic, they're at a particularly high risk of absorbing other smells since their packaging is so porous and breathable. If you really want to keep your steaks from adopting a fishy odor, be sure to wrap them up tight and keep some baking soda stored in the fridge as a natural deodorizer.