Quote :

"Cooking at 250-300 and then searing at 500 is my preference."

yes. I heat one side of my grill as hot as it will go (yes, normally i use gas just for convenience) and leave the other side off.

I put the steak on the cool side for several minutes to get the inside up to about "rare" temperature. Once that's accomplished, I move the steak and sear it over the side that has been going balls out as hot as it can go for a minute-ish on each side (or until i get a nice sear on both sides)

then let the steak rest for a few while the wife finishes making the sides. When it's all said and done, it's a perfect medium rare. (I used to always get my steak rare, but the fat seems to melt and add more uniform flavor if I get it up to medium rare.)

then consume.

delicious.

8/22/2012 10:14:41 PM

this thread inspired me to do this tonight...went to fresh market and got two 4lb sirloins, fed my household (3ppl) with 2/3 of one


rubbed both sides with fresh-ground pepper and sea salt, basted with oil and let sit tightly wrapped with cling wrap for about an hour while it came to room temp

light coating of oil on lodge cast-iron skillet (I store it oiled anyway)
heated stove and skillet to 500F, let big burner get as hot as it'd get
threw skillet up, dropped steak for 45sec on each side
threw skillet in oven for 1:45 on each side
plated and tented with foil for 3-4min while finished prepping table and rest of dinner
cut steak "to order" ...freaking perfect mid-rare with outer crust. should have gotten pics

melted in my mouth

8/22/2012 11:34:35 PM

Quote :

" I saw Alton Brown says to put salt on it, I disagree. Salt will pull moisture out of the steak which you don't want. No salt until after it's cooked IMO."

lol dude, you would get cussed out 5 min into a job at any restaurant

Quote :

"Moral of the story: If you've got the time, salt your meat for at least 40 minutes and up to overnight before cooking. If you haven't got 40 minutes, it's better to season immediately before cooking. Cooking the steak anywhere between three and 40 minutes after salting is the worst way to do it."

http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/03/the-food-lab-more-tips-for-perfect-steaks.html

8/22/2012 11:47:23 PM

^ good read

8/23/2012 12:38:01 AM

9/30/2012 2:12:06 PM

http://artofmanliness.com/2008/03/12/grilling-the-perfect-steak/

3/12/2013 2:26:01 PM

now my problem is judging how the rest continues cooking the steak

3/12/2013 2:31:30 PM

Great thread. I prefer a Lump Charcoal Grill over anything, but when it's just me and the wife, you can't beat cast iron.

I prefer salting immediately before it goes in the pan, then put it in the broiler for a few minutes, flip it, back in the broiler for a few minutes. I aim for rare to med rare and have gotten good at telling the temp by poking.

The oil is mostly for the pan. I always put a little in before cooking anything and tend to use an oil like canola since it's gotten a higher smoke point and it isn't going to put a lot of flavor in the food.

3/12/2013 3:21:07 PM

resting after cooking
http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/12/how-to-have-juicy-meats-steaks-the-food-lab-the-importance-of-resting-grilling.html

3/12/2013 3:27:15 PM

uncanny that this thread should come up now when I just did this last night. changed my routine a little...same process as I listed above but hit the steaks for two minutes on each side on the hot burner then straight to resting plate. these were 1.5" steaks, came out perfect...dark brown outer crust, about a quarter inch, then about the same of a transition zone, then the rest an even rare to mid-rare.

just thin-sliced some.of the leftovers for lunch, freaking oralgasm

[Edited on March 12, 2013 at 3:36 PM. Reason : ]

[Edited on March 12, 2013 at 3:37 PM. Reason : gd phone]

3/12/2013 3:35:49 PM

Add To My Topics

3/12/2013 3:43:13 PM

last time i did this, the smoke was horrible and made me decide I'll wait for grilling weather

3/12/2013 4:04:29 PM

the smoke is still just as bad, but im makin much more daddy-like steaks now

3/12/2013 4:07:45 PM

I marinate filets in worchestire, soy, dry mustard, and salt & pepper. Sear them in a little of the marinade then finish them in the oven.

3/12/2013 4:59:29 PM

There's about a 95% or greater chance that my smoke alarms go off anytime I cook a steak.

Hell, even when I cook something in the toaster oven and it has some old bready stuff in it that smokes a bit, the fucking smoke alarms go off. They are ridiculously sensitive :/

3/12/2013 5:26:03 PM

Quote :

"the smoke is still just as bad"

Switch up your oils. Avoid Butter or Olive oil (if it's extra virgin). For most oils, the more refined it is, the higher the smoke point.

There's a good chart athttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_point

I've used coconut oil before and it was AWESOME. Of course everything that goes in the pan will have some coconut flavor to it, so it's not for every meal.

3/12/2013 5:35:12 PM

I want to try this so bad.

3/12/2013 5:52:22 PM

I want to try this, on a cast iron griddle, on my egg smoker, but try finding a griddle that fits in the egg.

3/12/2013 6:23:09 PM

cut the handle off a cast iron frying pan

3/12/2013 6:27:04 PM

3/12/2013 6:38:51 PM

there you go

3/12/2013 6:41:07 PM

The big egg is easy to get up to sear temp, but too much direct heat (i think) will toughen my steak and dry it out.

Using the griddle I can let the steak cook in its own juices, at sear temp, and not have to worry about getting the kitchen smoky.

3/12/2013 6:56:53 PM

Quote :

"There's about a 95% or greater chance that my smoke alarms go off anytime I cook a steak. "

I interviewed a 5-star chef a couple months ago who said you just can't cook at home the way they do in restaurants for this reason. Basically, he said if you're cooking a steak right, you're going to set off the smoke alarms if you're in a home kitchen.

3/12/2013 7:02:09 PM

I just let the smoke detector dangle by the wire and seal it up in a ziploc

3/12/2013 7:08:24 PM

From Ruth's Chris Wikipedia page.

Quote :

"The restaurant's signature is serving USDA prime steaks that are seared at 1800° Fahrenheit[41] (982.2 °C) and served on ceramic plates heated to 500° Fahrenheit (260.0 °C). Half an ounce (1 Tbsp) of butter is added just before the plates leave the kitchen in order to create the signature 'sizzle'. Fertel firmly believed that the success of her steaks was due as much to the sound and smell of the 'sizzle' as well as the taste. "You hear that sizzle, and you think, 'I wonder if that's my steak'", she commented in an interview shortly before her death.[42]"

3/12/2013 7:10:58 PM

^^I don't have a ladder and the one in my kitchen/dining/living area is at the top of a 12' cathedral ceiling, otherwise I would do that.

[Edited on March 12, 2013 at 7:12 PM. Reason : ^^]

3/12/2013 7:11:54 PM

Sear them in whiskey. Fucking money

3/12/2013 7:13:34 PM

So get a ladder, pussy

3/12/2013 7:28:42 PM

Get me some extra work so I can afford one, ass

3/12/2013 7:33:45 PM

you probably can't afford steak

3/12/2013 7:44:52 PM

get a grill.

3/12/2013 7:45:26 PM

i <3 this thread

3/12/2013 7:50:36 PM

nothing better than a fried steak with some green peas tossed in the skillet

3/12/2013 7:50:37 PM

I'm not into the idea of spending $150+ on something that I might use once a year.

[Edited on March 12, 2013 at 7:52 PM. Reason : talking about a ladder, not a grill]

3/12/2013 7:52:21 PM

Ladders are great man. You should get one.

or just swat the smoke detector with a stick

3/12/2013 7:54:38 PM

what kind of pantywaist would only have use for a ladder once a year?

3/12/2013 7:57:17 PM

What kind of pantywaist only cooks a steak one time a year.

3/12/2013 7:58:01 PM

What do you do? We need help, and you can even borrow a ladder instead of buying one. We have like 8..

3/12/2013 8:03:21 PM

Figuring out how to cook the steak outside > Figuring out how to disable your smoke alarm

3/12/2013 8:05:38 PM

Quote :

"only cooks a steak one time a year"

This is appropriate, from a dietary standpoint. I enjoy them much more because I eat them so rarely. Get it? Rarely. Ahaha. Aha.

3/12/2013 8:11:34 PM

first of all, you're not going to get a perfect sear without having a lot of smoke. Sure, you can use peanut oil or something to reduce the smoke, but there's going to be a lot. A side burner on a propane grill won't heat the skillet to optimal temperature. I've used detached induction cook tops but nothing can heat a skillet as well as a simple electric stove burner. I'm guessing you don't have the vent fan you'd need to do this indoors so your best option is the induction or a stand alone propane burner (like for heating large volume oil like a turkey deep fryer).

The most important thing to remember is to bring the steak to room temperature (let it sit) and DRY IT with paper towels before you throw it on. DO NOT use salt (this brings moisture to the surface) - rather, use galic powder, onion powder, and black pepper if anything. The whole idea is the getting the malliard effect, which is attained by direct conductive heat. If there is any moisture, it will essentially broil the steak and you won't have the nice brown color or flavor.

Throw it on a white-hot skillet with a light coating of oil, at maybe 2 mintues a side for a thick steak and then put it in a preheated oven with a digital thermometer to bring it to desired internal temp. Take it out a few degrees before it's done because it will continue to cook when you take it off. When you get that temp, take it off and put it on a plate and let it rest for at least 5 minutes (if you cut into it, it will bleed out all over the plate and you'll lose the moisture). While it rests, add the butter if desired. Salt it when you are ready to eat it.

tl;dr let steak come to room temp, dry it with paper towels, do not add salt, sear it, bake it, let it rest for five mins with some butter on top, then salt

3/12/2013 8:27:59 PM

Quote :

"DO NOT use salt (this brings moisture to the surface)"

this is bullshit

3/12/2013 8:32:40 PM

if you're trying to do this without choking your house with smoke you've either got a commercial hood or you're not doing it right. Just open all your windows to get the air moving and disable your smoke detectors before cooking. Even coconut oil (switched when I went paleo, wish I'd discovered that shit years ago) smoked like a motherfucker when I used it.

and salt ain't gonna do shit but help that sear and flavor, if you think it's gonna dry out your steak you haven't cooked enough steaks. or you're buying those pansy cuts they sell at food dog/teeter. go to a proper butcher

3/12/2013 10:23:22 PM

lol add salt after, good luck with your shit steak


http://mobile.seriouseats.com/2012/12/the-food-lab-complete-guide-to-pan-seared-steaks.html


also see my post earlier on this page that gives a more detailed description of what happens when you salt your steak

[Edited on March 12, 2013 at 11:25 PM. Reason : k]

3/12/2013 11:15:31 PM

I never had it then the woman made it for me. I havent used my grill in forever

3/13/2013 12:06:38 AM

I always salt just before I toss it onto the skillet, and also use the ziplock method for my fire alarm if I know I'm cooking steak.

I've actually grown to prefer my meat cooked on cast iron rather than grilling. Less prep time, easier to get an even sear, and control the temps.

3/13/2013 8:22:18 AM

I got that MT-26 werner. Thing is great as I can reach all of my high ceilings (9'+), bitch is heavy though.

3/13/2013 8:35:38 AM

Lots of bad advice in this thread intertwined with some good. That link rwoody posted is pretty spot on, as well as the Alton Brown source on the first page.

If you're trying to create the same steak you get in the restaurants you'll have a hard time. A lot of those places have broilers that can reach heats above anything you can create in a home kitchen. That Ruth Chris quote is a good example. My ovens can only broil up to 450/500, not that high.

Also, dude, get a ladder. And if you're cooking steak once a year, you're probably better off just going to a restaurant and letting them cook it for you.

3/13/2013 9:24:48 AM

Quote :

"DO NOT use salt (this brings moisture to the surface)"

this is bullshit

3/13/2013 10:29:07 AM

^Seconded. Salt is essential.

Also

Quote :

"If there is any moisture, it will essentially broil the steak"

This is not what Broil means. Broiling steaks is good.

Also,The problem with moisture on the steak is it will "steal" heat off the skillet that should otherwise be searing your steak. This is why you should salt your steak 40 minutes ahead so that any moisture wicked out is reabsorbed

Or

In the case of not having 40 minutes to wait for the steak to salt, you can put it on seconds before it goes in the pan, so the steak doesn't have a chance to condense moisture on the outside. When I cooked in a commercial kitchen, this is how we did it.

And if you cook a lot of meat, learn the poke test. It's a really simple check for doneness, if you're shooting for something between med-rare and med-well. For rare or well done steaks you can tell by color:
Rare - as soon as the exterior of the steak has browned, it's done, you're only concern is making sure any surface exposed to air has been cooked.
Well done - once the entire steak has charred and turned black, its done.

3/13/2013 10:48:10 AM