How do you know it's golden brown unless you move it to look?
BFL
Yummmmmmmm
This is indeed the only way I will prepare a steak. Maximum maillard reaction, maximum umami.
I love my cast iron frying pan, but for steaks I still prefer charcoal grilled. Remember those cast iron hibachi from the ‘70s? Well, you can’t find them in cast iron anymore, just cheap pot metal from China, but they sure do the trick anyway. The adjustable grill racks are the shiite! 3 minutes per side over high heat, then raise the racks to slow cook. If you’ve got an old hibachi in the garage, hang on to it! I’ll try the oil coating on the steaks next time around.
I’ve used essentially the same method when there was 3 feet of snow on the deck. You do want to let it come to room temp first. The food nazis will say that’s unsafe but I’ve never had any problem. Time depends on thickness of steak. I like mine rare and a relatively thin steak at room temp may be done after searing. The sear and pat of butter on top are probably the two most needed qualities to produce a restaurant quality steak. I pat the steak dry but don’t salt and pepper it until after brushing it with olive oil right before putting it in the pan. Another critical component is letting it rest on the counter covered with foil for about 5 minutes after it comes out of the oven. In that 5 minutes you can deglaze the pan with some red wine, add some herbs and butter, reduce it slightly, add salt and pepper and have a nice sauce for your steak.
bookmark!
I totally agree! If I'm cooking inside on a conventional oven, this is how I'm doing it, except that I might add some butter when it's done. I've yet to have one turn out badly.
Just a warning to those cooking using this method. When putting the steak in the pan and when turning it, be VERY careful to minimize any splashing of the hot greece! You WILL know it if even a single drop gets on your hands!!
Had a steak the other night at SaltGrass Steakhouse. Outstanding! I told my wife I’d bet they were done in an oven. I’m cooking steaks tonight and will be doing it the way you described. Thanks.
PFL
Bookmarked ... until I can get home and access a printer.
Have to bump this for a bookmark - thanks!
I simply cannot bear to pierce a steak with a thermometer. Most chefs never would as it allows juices to escape.
There’s a sure-fire way to tell: touch your thumb to your forefinger and feel the fleshy muscle of your thumb: that’s how rare feels on a steak. Thumb to middle finger is med-well. Ring finger is medium, pinky finger is officially only fit for the dog.
It’s also nice to dry-age it a few days in the frig.
Ed
Anyone notice the rind fat on Angus is not greasy/fatty like steaks of old?
bookmark...will try this cooking method this winter when I need to cook indoors
Well, well. I just put a steak in a cast iron skillet that was so hot a drop of water disappeared immediately. I left the steak in the skillet for three minutes.
Then I turned it over and put it in a 500 degree pre-heated oven for 5 minutes.
I took it out, put it on the plate and covered it with foil and let it rest for 5 minutes.
I sliced it open and had steak tar-tar.
Now it’s back in the skillet and back in the oven. Bottom line is the directions didn’t work.
this is interesting.
After many years of buying really nice looking meat and proceeding to render it only somewhat edible (albeit with the occasional chance success) I finally am able to decently broil a steak. The right number of inches from the broiler and turn halfway through and they come out pretty consistently good. I usually only buy ribeye or NY strip when on sale.
I wonder about the first 3 minutes because that seems like a long time to cook on high heat in a preheated iron skillet. But I may give this a try some Saturday.
thanks