No matter what your cooking level, there are a few kitchen tools that will save you lots of time in the kitchen. The trick is knowing which kitchen tools you really need so that you don’t have a cabinets full of gadgets collecting dust.

In our opinion, there are only a few essential kitchen tools for cooking beef. Here are our go-to favorites.

1. Cast iron pan. We have two cast iron pans and they can do just about everything. We like them because they heat evenly and don’t cool down when we add beef to them, which makes them ideal for searing and browning. Plus, they are oven-safe so it’s easy to go from the stove top directly to the oven.  A cast iron pan will last forever if you season it well and treat it with a little TLC. 
2. Digital Meat Thermometer. A good meat thermometer will improve how you cook beef more than any other kitchen tool. You may think you know when beef is done based on cooking time or color, but a thermometer is the only way to guarantee that your beef is done to the appropriate temperature. Our all-time favorite inexpensive meat thermometer is the ThermoWorks ThermoPop. It’s small, fast and accurate, and has a long probe that makes it easy to test roasts.
3. Kosher Salt. Beef needs to be seasoned; it’s that simple. When salt is added to beef, it breaks down the beef’s muscle protein, draws moisture to the surface of the meat, and has a hydrating effect. Ultimately, salting a steak before cooking creates a juicier steak. There are different types of salt, but we prefer Kosher Salt because it has large, coarse granules that cling to the beef when seasoning. The large grains also make it easier to pinch and sprinkle.
4. Chef’s Knife. There are all different types of knives, but if we could only pick one, we would choose a Chef’s Knife. In our kitchen, we use the Wusthof Chef Knife, but you may have another brand you like. Whatever knife you use, make sure to keep it sharpened.
5.  Wood cutting Board. A good wood cutting board is sort of like a cast iron pan – it’s an investment but will last a life time with a little TLC.  There are three main types of cutting boards: wood, plastic and bamboo. We prefer wood since it’s better on knives and will keep them sharp longer. 
6. BBQ Grill Tool Set. There are dozens of BBQ grill tool sets on the market. Since we primarily grill beef, we always look for long handled tongs and a long handled spatula. If you have a BBQ grill tool set that has a grilling fork, we recommend not using the fork because it’ll pierce the meat and cause you to loose flavorful juices.

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