There’s nothing wrong with keeping dinner simple — honestly, some of the best steak dinners are the least complicated. But when you start with high-quality beef, there are definitely a few things we’d never do.

Call these our unofficial steak rules.

1. We’d Never Microwave It to Thaw

We know it’s tempting when you forgot to pull dinner out of the freezer. But microwaving steak to thaw it almost always starts cooking parts of the meat unevenly, which can ruin both the texture and flavor.

What We Do Instead

Move it to the fridge 24 hours before cooking
Or place the sealed steak in cold water for quicker thawing

A little patience goes a long way with good beef.

2. We’d Never Cook It Straight From the Fridge

One of the easiest ways to end up with unevenly cooked steak is to throw an ice-cold steak directly onto a hot pan or grill.

Our Tip

Let your steak sit at room temperature for about 30–45 minutes before cooking.

This helps it cook more evenly and gives you a much better crust on the outside without overcooking the center.

3. We’d Never Skip Resting It

This might be the most overlooked step.

Cutting into steak immediately after cooking lets all the juices run out onto the plate instead of staying in the meat where they belong.

What We Do

Rest steaks for:

5–10 minutes for smaller cuts
10–15 minutes for larger steaks

It makes a huge difference in tenderness and flavor.

4. We’d Never Overcomplicate the Seasoning

A great steak doesn’t need a dozen marinades or overpowering sauces.

When the beef quality is good, simple is usually best.

Our Go-To

Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Butter

That’s it most nights.

The goal is to enhance the flavor of the beef — not cover it up.

5. We’d Never Treat Every Steak Cut the Same

Not every steak is meant to be cooked identically.

A ribeye with lots of marbling cooks differently than a lean sirloin or filet.

For Example

Ribeyes handle higher heat beautifully
Leaner steaks benefit from careful cooking and resting
Thicker cuts need different timing than thin steaks

Understanding the cut makes all the difference.

Good Steak Doesn’t Need to Be Complicated

Honestly, the biggest secret to a great steak usually isn’t fancy techniques — it’s starting with quality beef in the first place.

At Herd 77, we believe simple meals should still taste incredible. That’s why we focus on raising beef with quality and care from start to finish.

Because when the beef is good, you really don’t need to do much to it at all.

5 Things We’d Never Do With Good Steak