Please let me know the secret. I'm spending good money on steaks and they're coming out lousey.
Anyone here make real good skillet cooked steak?
- Thread starter Juanmosey
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Cast iron, very hot. Butter. Black pepper. Fry.
For me, nothing beats a reverse sear. Cook the steak in the oven until 5-10 degrees below the desired final result. Then sear on a cast iron skillet with butter. I find that it creates a delicious tender steak.
I do my Steaks on my Gas Weber with Cast Iron Grilling surfaces. Want a great Steak, one way for sure is start with USDA Prime or Choice Beef. I buy most of my steak at USAF Commissary, or Small Chain Grocery store. Reason is they don't sell the lessor cut of beef, that tend to be tough.
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garyg
B&B membership has its percs
Everyone has already said it, but it is true. Cast iron is the only way to be successful with thick steaks inside on the stovetop. And the smoke/spatter makes it worth firing up a grill outside.
Jay21
Collecting wife bonus parts
No matter how you cook it, don’t neglect to let it rest before cutting and eating.
What kind of steak are you starting with? I can get a good sear on a New York Strip, flank or rib eye on the stove top. We like a medium steak in our house. Hot pan , sear both sides , let rest before cutting. I use Janes Crazy Mixd up Salt as a seasoning. Simple but delicious.
Mixed-Up Salt Canister 4 oz - Jane's Krazy
Jane’s Mixed-Up Salt is so good, you’ll want to use it on everything. It’s the zesty way to liven up any dish!
www.janeskrazy.com
I prefer Carbon Steel pans like De Buyer over cast iron but both are a great option stainless is my 3rd choice DO NOT use a non stick pan IMHO at least 
find some videos on reverse sear and fine tune for your stove and pan you are using
For regular pan searing (not reverse or sous vide done first) flipping every minute is best lots of videos on this also and why this is best for straight pan sear
I also use tallow in the pan to get good contact with the pan and like a great crust that way
IMHO never ever do some 3 minutes per side thing NEVER do that (those flip often videos often will show why this is not the best method)
One other HUGE thing I do with meat is dry brine which is salting and then putting on rack (which is over a sheet pan) back in the fridge for some time I prefer 2 days some like less again personal choice
Much better crust and flavor with this method IMHO
I also prefer thick cut 1.5-2 inches or more min NOT a fan of the thin steaks for things like rib-eye IMHO has to be thick but that can be personal
And if NOT dry brining you for sure have to pat the meat dry and not have the meat wet
also as said grade of meta matters
and using a thermometer can help so you know the temp for sure and can repeat it all the time every time with perfection if you do enough you do not have to temp all the time but its a great thing to do and learn with for consistency
especially for the in oven reverse sear to know when exactly to take the meat out
Hope ya get it figured out
find some videos on reverse sear and fine tune for your stove and pan you are using
For regular pan searing (not reverse or sous vide done first) flipping every minute is best lots of videos on this also and why this is best for straight pan sear
I also use tallow in the pan to get good contact with the pan and like a great crust that way
IMHO never ever do some 3 minutes per side thing NEVER do that
(those flip often videos often will show why this is not the best method)One other HUGE thing I do with meat is dry brine which is salting and then putting on rack (which is over a sheet pan) back in the fridge for some time I prefer 2 days some like less again personal choice
Much better crust and flavor with this method IMHO
I also prefer thick cut 1.5-2 inches or more min NOT a fan of the thin steaks for things like rib-eye IMHO has to be thick
but that can be personalAnd if NOT dry brining you for sure have to pat the meat dry and not have the meat wet
also as said grade of meta matters
and using a thermometer can help so you know the temp for sure and can repeat it all the time every time with perfection if you do enough you do not have to temp all the time but its a great thing to do and learn with for consistency
especially for the in oven reverse sear to know when exactly to take the meat out
Hope ya get it figured out
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+1
Half butter and half tallow from the steak itself, only medium temperature to get that Maillard reaction going.
This.
Was talking to my friend who is Retire USN Cook, he went to culinary school when in USN.
He retired as E-8, said he use to Sear both side of Great Steak in Cast Iorn Skillet, then finish in same pain in Super High Tempeture Oven.
Ruth crisp Stake House also does this.
He retired as E-8, said he use to Sear both side of Great Steak in Cast Iorn Skillet, then finish in same pain in Super High Tempeture Oven.
Ruth crisp Stake House also does this.
An actually former D.C. steakhouse chef here:
www.onceuponachef.com
And
www.onceuponachef.com
Although I check out many food sites, hers is the only one I subscribe to.
How To Cook Steak On The Stovetop - Once Upon a Chef
If you're wondering how to cook a steak that rivals a high-end steak house, the key is mastering the simple technique of pan-searing.
www.onceuponachef.com
And
Classic French Steak Au Poivre Recipe
Master the art of steak au poivre—pan-seared filet mignon coated in cracked peppercorns, finished with a rich Cognac sauce.
www.onceuponachef.com
Although I check out many food sites, hers is the only one I subscribe to.
I like @Ckmaui's advice. I use carbon steel. I salt the steak an hour or so before cooking. I salt the bottom of the pan and get it pretty hot. Toss the steak in to sear a bit. Spread some butter on top and flip it. Let it sear on the buttered side. Keep flipping until desired doneness. I like 125-130F. Rest for ten minutes. Be sure your steak is between 1" and 1 1/2" thick. If thicker, be prepared to finish it in the oven, but watch it closely. It will have both carryover heat and oven heat cooking it.
1 pan ROARING HOT
2 room temp meat
3 slap it in pan
4 LEAVE it ALONE
5 when blood/juice rises to face flip it over
6 LEAVE it ALONE
7 when juice/blood rises again EAT tha sukka
Marinades/seasonings prior/post cooking are to your tastes.
2 room temp meat
3 slap it in pan
4 LEAVE it ALONE
5 when blood/juice rises to face flip it over
6 LEAVE it ALONE
7 when juice/blood rises again EAT tha sukka
Marinades/seasonings prior/post cooking are to your tastes.
I like to prep the meat a day or more in advance with an Olive Oil rub and coarse salt and pepper, cover and refrigerate.
I use a Le Creuset, so enamalized cast iron and cook in a mixture of quality butter and grapeseed oil.
Like previously mentioned, let it rest when cooking is complete.
I use a Le Creuset, so enamalized cast iron and cook in a mixture of quality butter and grapeseed oil.
Like previously mentioned, let it rest when cooking is complete.
Salting ahead of time is good technique, @ChriWilson Called "dry brining" and the science supports it.
I'd agree with most of the above - trouble is we live in a small-ish apartment and cooking steak this way results in meat smells for a week. BBQ on the balcony is forbidden so the only time we can do this is in France at the house. In the meantime, the airfryer is the best option - perfectly cooked but no Maillard effect sadly. I would add I do have a Le Cruset cast iron (well, 2 actually, one here and one in France) and they do cook really well. I also only ever buy Aussie grass fed or locally sourced French beef when I'm there - the butchery counter has a board showing the name of the cow, when and where it was slaughtered and what cuts they have left.
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if doing air fryer do a dry brine for sure as it can really help with the crust (depending on the air fryer of course)
If one is inside and like yourself it is often the only option to do as you said without smelling up the whole place
also some cook them from frozen (not a thick cut one) as that can help the crust form so might sound strange but a trick I know some do
Whether grill or pan make sure to pat meat with paper towel or cloth to remove moister, u can do this before or after seasoning. I get my pan stainless or case iron hot first then add oil or butter and when oil/butter is smoking or shimmering add meat. Depending on thickness, 1 inch steak maybe 4-5 minutes each side, rare to med rare. Get a meat thermometer if you are not sure how to tell doneness. For the grill spray or oil paper towel to put on hot grates before adding meat. I keep seasoning simple, sea salt and course ground pepper. I have an electric range top and generally set dial on #5.
Another method I enjoy using is to set cook top a little higher so as to sear each side of meat for like 2 minutes and then place in 300 degree oven for maybe 10 minutes max.
Do I get great results, yes but only when I'm not drinking whisky during the cooking process.
Another method I enjoy using is to set cook top a little higher so as to sear each side of meat for like 2 minutes and then place in 300 degree oven for maybe 10 minutes max.
Do I get great results, yes but only when I'm not drinking whisky during the cooking process.
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Describe lousy, please.
To really do it right, I do think that is going to be a problem, it just is. I do not have a solution.
I do think getting the surfaces of the steak as dry as possible helps. To accomplish that, I think America's Test Kitchen has recommended rubbing the steak not only with salt and pepper, but with some small amount of baking soda and putting the steaks unconvered in the freezer, the idea being that the freezer air is very dry and will help dry out the steak surfaces, not really to cool down the steaks.
Use a good instaread thermometer.
And resting tented loosely in foil is definitely important.
I guess I would also say make sure the steaks are cut reasonably thick.
