The One Seasoning That Gives Your Steak Unforgettable Umami

Whether you're grilling, sous vide cooking, or pan searing your steaks, there are tons of ways to introduce additional flavor to your carefully prepared cuts. Take a page out of the book of flavor-boosting steakhouse secrets and pile on the butter. Garlic and herbs are also simple additions that take steak to another level. There's even science behind why beef and red wine make the perfect pair. And, believe it or not, there's even an ingredient that can increase your steaks' umami qualities.

Monosodium glutamate, best known as MSG, is the quickest way to amplify the umami quotient of your steak. Yes, steak is already plenty umami. Other descriptions like "savory," or even just "meaty" are used pretty interchangeably — and most steaks are already both. So shouldn't there be a ceiling to this whole thing? Well, when it comes to punch-packing flavors, the sky's the limit, bovine baby. But like a lot of life's most delicious elements, a little bit goes a long way.

While monosodium glutamate naturally occurs in foods like Parmesan cheese and tomatoes, no one's suggesting that you use either as your steak seasoning. Instead, you can find concentrated MSG in the corporeal or virtual spice aisle, like the Ajinomoto brand. Ajinomoto was actually founded in Japan in 1909 to produce this very seasoning. 

Of course, MSG puts a little punctuation on everything it touches, so you might want to hold back on the salt when using it, lest the mineral becomes over-amplified. And, just like you want to avoid peppering your steak too early to keep the spice from burning, you'll want to introduce MSG a little later for peak impact, too. Wait until your steak's first flip to add a pinch or two. You can also sprinkle it into your pan sauce once it's off the flame for a more controllable foray into this fantastic steak upgrade.