Why does my meat curl and pucker?

Question

sometimes when i cook steak, it curls up and puckers.

Answer 1

The edge of the meat shrinks more than the interior.  Cut several places around the edge about 1/4 inch deep and it shouldn't happen.

Answer 2

your heat is more than likely  to low. can't tell. i'll pass!

Answer 3

sometimes meat just do that.there is a simple just slit it wherever it puckers at.

Answer 4

If it curls and pucker, it probably shrinks too, right? That's because the meat is probably cold when it is added to a sizzling hot skillet. To reduce shrinkage, etc., take the meat out of the fridge a couple of minutes before cooking to bring it to room temp. then add to the pan. Or, lower the heat then gradually increase it.

Answer 5

that's the fat and water releasing from the meat, kind of like air leaving a balloon it will contract.

Use a less fatty meat, sounds like your using a flank or skirt steak of sort.  

Answer 6

Most likely due to the fact that you are cooking a steak with the fat along the edge. When the fat cooks down, the lining that's connected to the steak starts to shrink and pull the edges up and curl. You see this most often when cooking a pork chop. Cut a few vertical slits on the fat just until you hit the meat. This will break the connecting fat tissue into smaller pieces and keep the edges from pulling up.

Saw this technique when America's Test Kitchen made Pork Chops. Hope this was helpful.

Answer 7

Make cuts in the fat that is surrounding it....it contracts and cause the meat to curl......when it puckers, press down on it with a spatula for about a min or two.

Answer 8

to prevent this from happening, cut a few slits (no need to go all the way through the meat) into the steak. 3 or 4 cuts depending on the size of your steak.

this is done a lot when pan searing fish, because fish does the same thing unless you put a few slits in it..

hope that helps.