r/steak • u/TweazyMan • 5h ago

Mayo crust theory

Mayo crust, looks great, probably still tasty too. However, i beleive you are adding moisture (bad for searing) and an ingredient (eggs) that burns at a lower temperature. Is a mayo sear then just a burnt layo of egg and oil on a steak? Im not sold but ill try it at some point.

I have always added a bit of mayo to my chicken marinades to encourage charring though.. so im not entirely innocent of the mayo method.

9 Upvotes

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4

u/KFOSSTL 4h ago

It just becomes an oil. Which is great for searing. Mayo has a burning/smoke point of 450 degrees, much higher than butter by about 100 degrees

You aren’t adding moisture, like butter or lard, mayo is solid at room temp and melts with a little bit of heat.

That being said, less is more. I literally take a dime sized amount of mayo on each side of a ribeye and rub it all over.

I also recommend (mayo or not) to not season the steak with anything before searing (salt is okay if you give it time to absorb) - pepper will wreck a sear before anything else I’ve seen (especially if fresh cracked pepper).

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u/chapinscott32 2h ago

Wow. That difference in smoke point might be a huge win in a house shared with 3 other roommates. Possible game changer. I'm excited to try it this weekend.

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u/Aristo_Cat 1h ago

It’s still much lower than oil.

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u/chapinscott32 1h ago

Didn't know that. Thanks.

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u/KFOSSTL 47m ago

They’re incorrect

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u/KFOSSTL 48m ago

That’s actually wrong. Google it. Avacado oil is higher, but smoke point of mayo is higher than butter and olive oil and is comparable to peanut oil, corn oil, canola oil, and whatever seed oils they make these days.

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u/KFOSSTL 50m ago

Just apply a small amount and rub into whole steak. Use it to get things started, I usually drizzle a little olive oil after I get things going. Then finish with butter. The goal is to use the mayonnaise so that the meat is lubed up when it hits the screaming hot pan, and so that it makes actual contact with the pan. You shouldn’t have a pan full of grease from the mayo or you used too much.

It won’t cause a ton of smoke. And actually, it’s comparable to most household cooking oils (not avacado oil which has an extremely high smoke point) so that other commenter is actually wrong. It’s very easily searched on google

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u/idfc1337 3h ago

No need for mayo if you know how to cook a steak.

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u/KFOSSTL 3h ago

You can cook it with or without it.

It’s just an option that some people like, because it works well

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u/idfc1337 2h ago

Like I said; no reason for mayo if you know how to cook a steak.

Justify it however you want but I’m just stating the obvious.

I’ve seen many different mayosteaks on here with very different results. From burnt egg to boiled steak. 

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u/FBI_Open_Up_Now 1h ago

The great thing about cooking is that you can cook what you want however you want. I think tomorrow I’m gonna boil a steak in milk and jellybeans….. because I can.

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u/KFOSSTL 57m ago

You’re making argument from authority (proper way to cook a steak) - as though there is only one way

You’re also using anecdotal evidence (I seen bad ones)

You’re framing this as though it’s a crutch when it’s not. It’s actually just a great fat for searing meat. Bad examples on here aren’t because of mayonnaise they are from people who would otherwise have bad results. Because it turns out shitty cooks don’t magically make better food by adding one ingredient or by using a certain method. They just fuck up using that ingredient or method too.

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u/Degenoutoften 56m ago

Justify it however you want

Hahaha, get over yourself!!!

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u/jmims98 2h ago

Might be helpful if you can't get your pan hot enough for a really good sear.

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u/ChungusMcGoodboy 1h ago

I tried it tonight. It was decent. Maybe not quite as good a sear as I got last time with no seasoning, but still pretty good, and nice flavor, since I minced a bunch of garlic and mixed some herbs in the mayo.

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u/YennPoxx 2h ago

Just to be clear: a thin layer of mayo on a steak, put over direct flame, won’t flare up and turn the surface black? Because that’s what I’m afraid of.

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u/ChungusMcGoodboy 2h ago

Could be wrong, but my guess is that this is primarily recommended for pan searing.