The references provided seem to focus more on flipping steaks rather than explicitly rotating them, but the general principle is about even cooking. Here's what can be gleaned from the provided information and how it applies to rotation:
Flipping vs. Rotating
While the video segment highlights the "flip often" versus "flip once" debate, the underlying goal when cooking any steak is to achieve even cooking and desired internal temperature. Rotation can be a part of achieving this, especially on grills or cooking surfaces with uneven heat distribution.
When to Rotate
Rotation is most helpful when:
- Uneven Heat Distribution: Your grill or pan has hot spots. You'll notice some areas of the steak are browning faster than others.
- Specific Sear Marks: You want to achieve crosshatch sear marks from the grill grates.
How to Rotate
- Identify Uneven Cooking: Observe the steak carefully as it cooks. Look for areas that are browning too quickly or not browning at all.
- Small Rotations: If using a grill and aiming for crosshatch sear marks, rotate the steak approximately 45-90 degrees after a few minutes on each side. This will create the desired pattern. For uneven heat, simply rotate the steak towards a cooler or hotter area of the cooking surface, as needed.
- Use Tongs: Use tongs to rotate the steak to avoid piercing the meat and losing juices.
Flipping Frequency
The video refers to the "flip often" method. While the text snippet provided doesn't give explicit instructions on when to flip, it does demonstrate that frequent flipping can lead to less juice loss. Rotating falls under the same idea of carefully managing cooking temperature.
Example:
Imagine you're grilling a steak, and the back of the grill is hotter than the front.
- Place the steak on the grill.
- After a few minutes, notice the back of the steak is browning faster.
- Rotate the steak 180 degrees so the less browned side is now towards the back of the grill.
- Continue cooking, flipping and rotating as needed until the desired doneness is reached.
