"When it comes to enjoying a steak at a steakhouse, it's possible you've been given some incorrect advice about how to deal with gristle. If you've been using your napkin to remove it from your mouth, you've been committing an etiquette error. Instead, use your fork to remove it and place the sinewy bit on the side of your plate."
"Whether left on the table or in your lap, that gristle still needs to be dealt with. If it's left in your napkin on the table, your server may pick it up and find an unpleasant surprise. If you leave it on your lap, it may roll off onto the floor and that's just as unfortunate. What seemed like a better idea is actually worse in the long run."
Removing steak gristle with a napkin is an etiquette error; use a fork to remove it and place the sinewy piece on the side of the plate. Using a napkin to conceal gristle may appear discreet but creates practical problems when the napkin is set down or rests in a lap. A concealed bit of gristle can surprise servers or fall to the floor, causing greater embarrassment. Modern table manners evolved from the 1500s toward greater refinement and were intended to curb messy, animalistic habits. Napkin rules aim to contain mess and preserve civilized dining.
Read at Tasting Table
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]