Cooking the perfect steak can be intimidating, and while everyone seems to have their tips for getting steak just right, some advice is based entirely in myth. Chef and writer J. Kenji López-Alt put some steak cooking advice to the test, and found that one "must-do" regarding thick-cut steaks really isn't necessary.

Some experts say that you should let a thick steak come to room temperature, which prevents an uneven cooking job. López-Alt tested this theory by grilling one thick, room temperature steak versus one that came right from the fridge, and both finished cooking at almost the same time and also cooked evenly throughout.

López-Alt says that rather than temperature, dryness of the exterior of the steak is more important, and you should pat your steak with paper towels before cooking, or salt it and let it sit in the fridge overnight for an even better sear. Cooks’ Illustrated has also performed the same steak test with nearly identical results.