Making the perfect steak is harder than it looks.
While you might think that anyone can grill up a slab of meat, finding the right cut and cooking it to your exact specifications requires a careful eye, a good sense of timing, and a heckuva lot of practice.
Even if you follow all of the steps toward the perfect steak, it just won’t taste right if the meat isn’t good. Sometimes, however, something goes so wrong that your steak no longer resembles meat. One TikTok user says she experienced something like this firsthand—and it has viewers disgusted.
What’s Wrong With This Steak?
In a video with over 12 million views, TikTok user Alexandra (@alexandra.gaf) shows a steak on a plate. Clearly, there’s something wrong with it. By applying pressure with a knife, the steak is able to be spread like a pâté.
“ITS SPREADING??” she writes in the text overlaying the video.
Alexandra added in a comment that there were many steaks ordered for an event, and this issue only affected the steak in the video. Still, both she and other commenters were grossed out by the appearance of the steak.
Some were so grossed out that they alleged that the steak in question was an “abscess steak.”
What Is An Abscess Steak?
An abscess is a pocket of infection that is sometimes present in meat. This can happen for many reasons, but the result is fairly consistent: a “walled-off mass of pus made up of dead tissue, bacteria, and immune cells,” per Dr. Crystal Heath via Food Republic.
Typically, steaks with abscesses are caught before they go to consumers. On the rare occasions that abscess steaks make it through regulatory checks, they are typically caught by chefs before ever seeing a grill. This is because steaks with abscesses can usually be identified by their off smell and the presence of the abscess itself.
However, if this all goes undetected, it’s possible for a consumer to be served a steak cut from a section with or near an abscess. If this happens, it will be detectable due to its smell, color, and texture. In cases like these, it’s best to not consume the steak and simply throw it away. One should also inform the place where they purchased the steak of the problem.
Was This An Abscess Steak?
Although many commenters were insistent that this was the result of a steak cut from an area with an abscess, that isn’t the only way that something like this can occur.
For example, in the United States, meat is often tenderized before cooking. This is a process that can involve cutting holes in the meat or treating it with chemical agents like enzymes.
If this is done incorrectly, it can affect the texture of the meat. In October 2025, a Texas Roadhouse customer claimed that they received a steak with a similar texture to Alexandra. In response, the restaurant said that it was due to a tenderization issue paired with overcooking.
“We spoke with the guest and explained that these steaks were over-tenderized,” the chain told BroBible. “When the over-tenderized steaks sat covered in the to-go pan, they continued to cook until they were very overcooked. It resulted in the soft texture seen in the video.”
@alexandra.gaf what a fine delicacy we had! pasty filet😭 edit- no this is not ai guys #rottensteak
Commenters Are Disgusted
No matter why the meat ended up the way it did, seeing it made many viewers lose their appetites.
“Pls tell me u sent it back,” said a user.
“For my safety this is ai,” joked another.
“PSA to EVERYONE. It’s not rude to ask for a replacement,” noted a third. “A true cook/chef wouldn’t be offended at all.”
“Every time I get on this app I am so happy to be a vegetarian,” wrote a further TikToker.
BroBible reached out to Alexandra via TikTok direct message and comment.