Steak needs no introduction, and neither does Gordon Ramsay. However, after watching a TikTok video demonstrating how someone cooked a steak by microwaving it in ketchup (calling it “tomato sauce steak” doesn’t fool us or Ramsay), the notoriously hot-headed chef probably wished he was never introduced to the social media platform. There’s a lot of debate on the best way to cook a steak, and while nobody is proclaiming microwaving in tomato sauce to be the Holy Grail of steak preparation (we hope), professional chefs like Ramsay are making it known that this trend deserves to be slammed.
Look, there’s no denying that this unorthodox method works. It seasons the steak, ensures that it gets cooked all the way through, and the ketchup even helps to tenderize the meat thanks to the acid it contains. Regardless, there’s a fatal flaw that holds this cooking method back, and that’s the fact that no Maillard reaction can be achieved in the microwave. There’s a reason why you don’t see steaming, boiling, and microwaving on lists of the top ways to cook premium cuts of red meat. In his reaction video, Ramsay is quick to point out “no color, no flavor.” The only way to get a nice brown crust on the surface of meat is to cook at really high temperatures via grills, stovetops, or ovens.
Ketchup Doesn’t Belong On Steak
There’s a lot to hate about how the person in the original video cooks this steak, and Gordon Ramsay makes sure to voice his displeasure on TikTok for each step. First, the poster places the raw steak into a cold, microwave-safe dish and covers the meat completely with ketchup. This disrespectfully simple marinade is the first red flag in the video to catch Ramsay’s attention as he reacts, “Oh, come on!” After the ketchup-soaked steak finishes cooking in a microwave, a suit-clad Ramsay deals the finishing blow by exclaiming, “I dress up like this, and you serve me that?”
If the argument is that the microwave ketchup method saves time, it might be worth considering why you’re choosing steak as your quick, no-effort, midnight meal. Steak is not a cheap protein most people can buy frivolously, so it should be saved for those special days when you really want to splurge on a great dinner. Commenters on the video largely agree, with one noting, “If someone ever serves me that, I’m flipping the table,” and another asserting, “nope, that should be illegal.”
Luckily, Ramsay has steak-cooking tips he does endorse that don’t require much more than a stove, a pan, and a few simple ingredients. With just a little bit of technique and a couple of knobs of butter, you could achieve the restaurant-quality taste that your steak deserves. Save the ketchup for your side of fries.
