{"id":6333,"date":"2022-09-30T15:27:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-30T15:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/?p=6333"},"modified":"2023-09-22T08:34:39","modified_gmt":"2023-09-22T08:34:39","slug":"brown-spots-on-steak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/brown-spots-on-steak\/","title":{"rendered":"Brown Spots On Steak: Does This Mean It’s Spoiled?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Brown spots on steak do not automatically mean your steak has gone bad – they are a sign of oxidation, which happens to meat proteins are exposed to air. These spots are a sign that the steak<\/a> should be frozen or cooked and consumed as soon as possible to prevent any further chemical changes from taking place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For years, I threw out any meats that had changed color however slightly. I only realized I was wrong after joining culinary school. My instructors in school clued me in on the truth that oxidized steak is okay to eat. They also armed me with the intel on what spoiled steak looks like – which I\u2019ll cover!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s take a deeper look at what those spots mean, what to do about them, how to store steak, and more!<\/p>\n\n\n

\"Brown<\/figure>\n\n\n

Why Does My Steak Have Brown Spots?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When oxygen reacts with myoglobin (a protein in meat), the meat will slowly turn red and then brown. This process is called oxidation. <\/strong>The color change indicates that your meat is oxidizing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All cuts of beef contain myoglobin. It\u2019s a natural protein found in meats. Myoglobin is responsible for the near-purple color of freshly processed meat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you look at the meat on supermarket shelves, the color is usually a deep red hue – vacuum packaging and very low storage temperatures give the meat this color. The longer the meat remains refrigerated and not frozen, the more it is exposed to oxygen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Can I Tell if My Steak is Spoiled?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Raw meat that is rancid is fairly easy to detect. The fact that it has turned brown is not a good reason to discard it. There are other signs of spoilage. Check the texture and smell to be sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your steak is bad if:<\/p>\n\n\n\n