I'm a newbie to CI and watched a few videos on searing steaks in a CI pan and decided to give it a shot. The steak tasted ok and was edible, but I don't think I got it "seared". I have an electric coil stove, and using a #8 pan. I gradually heated pan from low to med-low to med, to just a smidge above med then back to med to cook. A drop of water on the pan danced and sizzled so I figured I was good. Put about a tablespoon or two of veg oil in the pan and put in the salt and peppered strip sirloin. It sizzled real good, steak was about 3/4 - 1" thick. I flipped it after about 2 minutes, second side cooked about 2-3 minutes, put some butter in the pan and basted steak, removed to rest and spooned some butter from pan over steak. It ended up medium, tasted ok, I think part of it was the cut of meat, but I don't think I got it "seared". I've read so much about electric coil stoves warping pans and no need to cook anything over medium heat, I get nervous going higher and so I think I was hot enough.
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First steak sear attempt
- Thread starter JeffreyL
- Start date
Here's how you solve it: reverse sear. Season your steak with at least some salt, and put it in an oven safe dish. You can choose to let it come to room temp before starting, but the only difference will be how long it takes to hit a target internal temp before you proceed to step two. Step one is putting the steak in the dish AND your cast iron skillet into a cold oven and set it to 300-350F. Step two: When the steak hits about 100-105F (it really helps if you have a good instant read thermometer), take the skillet out and put it on a med-high burner. Give it a minute to get a little hotter. Lube your steak, both sides, with some high smoke point oil, like peanut oil. Step 2.5: Turn on the exhaust fan on high. Step 3: Put the steak in the pan and don't touch it for two minutes. Step 3.5: Turn the heat down to medium. Flip the steak over and give it two more minutes. Rest 3-5 minutes and serve. The timings will depend on the thickness and how you like your steaks done. You can figure that out, I'm sure. But you will get a great, crusty sear, and without overcooking your steak. Or stressing your iron.
You Doug are a CI rock star.
W. Hilditch
Active member
Jeffery, The glass top electric coil stoves are the ones to watch. The regular electric coils without the glass are never any problem. You were on your way to a good sear and backed off too soon. As you are preheating the skillet add a piece of fat from the meat or a little oil. When it starts smoking it it ready for the steak but will need a little extra heat as the steak will cool the skillet down some. Probably medium high on any electric stove.
I cook beef steaks rare and medium rare. I’ve successfully done reverse sears on roasts and 2” steaks after they have rested for 15 or 20 minutes after oven time but I don’t think it is recommended for a steak 1” or less unless you want it done to medium or more.
Hilditch
I cook beef steaks rare and medium rare. I’ve successfully done reverse sears on roasts and 2” steaks after they have rested for 15 or 20 minutes after oven time but I don’t think it is recommended for a steak 1” or less unless you want it done to medium or more.
Hilditch
Would you think the same danger in glass top coil type stoves applies to inducation cooktops as well? They are glass top over an induction coil (as I understand). The coil causes the metal to heat up via magnetic friction or something.
W. Hilditch
Active member
I really don't have a clue. First I'd go to the manual and then Google. I'd think and hope not but that is just a SWAG. The issue with the coil glass tops is when it melts the 'glass'. There are all sorts of warnings in a coil glass top manual.
Hilditch
Hilditch
Jeffery,
I saw this video on reverse searing a while back and tried it several times. The steak comes out really juicing. As stated above, your times will vary depending on thickness. In the video, the guy uses a really thick ribeye.
https://youtu.be/GZ4xl7XJM08
I like that method, but one of my biggest faults is impatience. Or is it severe Late Onset Adult ADD? Or maybe I would rather be outside when I'm cooking a steak? Anyway, this is the way I have been doing it lately (it's also the reason I went out and found a cheap Wagner 1891 grill pan):
http://www.myrecipes.com/m/recipe/cast-iron-cowboy-steak
Three observations/comments:
1. My wife likes the reverse sear better, because...
2. She says the "Cowboy steak" method is too greasy. (Maybe I overdue it with the butter?).
3. I love the taste of butter, so I think the "Cowboy" method is tastier (although maybe not as tender as the reverse sear method.)
I saw this video on reverse searing a while back and tried it several times. The steak comes out really juicing. As stated above, your times will vary depending on thickness. In the video, the guy uses a really thick ribeye.
https://youtu.be/GZ4xl7XJM08
I like that method, but one of my biggest faults is impatience. Or is it severe Late Onset Adult ADD? Or maybe I would rather be outside when I'm cooking a steak? Anyway, this is the way I have been doing it lately (it's also the reason I went out and found a cheap Wagner 1891 grill pan):
http://www.myrecipes.com/m/recipe/cast-iron-cowboy-steak
Three observations/comments:
1. My wife likes the reverse sear better, because...
2. She says the "Cowboy steak" method is too greasy. (Maybe I overdue it with the butter?).
3. I love the taste of butter, so I think the "Cowboy" method is tastier (although maybe not as tender as the reverse sear method.)
Thanks for the tips, I will definitely give these a try.
My biggest problem lately I think has come from my research as of late and constantly worrying about warping my pans and so now i get scared to add heat. I was under the understanding that the electric coil stoves were doing the damage because they get so hot so fast. Or is it just the glasstops? I generally heat mine kinda slow, like med-low for a few minutes, then up to just under medium, then to medium and never much higher as i get nervous, so to sear a steak it would be ok to go higher? i never did get the steak to smoke so basically i just made fried steak
My biggest problem lately I think has come from my research as of late and constantly worrying about warping my pans and so now i get scared to add heat. I was under the understanding that the electric coil stoves were doing the damage because they get so hot so fast. Or is it just the glasstops? I generally heat mine kinda slow, like med-low for a few minutes, then up to just under medium, then to medium and never much higher as i get nervous, so to sear a steak it would be ok to go higher? i never did get the steak to smoke so basically i just made fried steak
Even if you don't want to do a reverse sear, pre-heating your skillet in the oven virtually eliminates the problem that might cause a pan to warp on a burner. It was with that in mind that I recommended the technique.
W. Hilditch
Active member
It is just the glass tops. You are doing your preheating correctly, just go up one more notch to med-high. Even high won't hurt your CI if there is food in it. Smoking will start at about 500° F and searing a steak you probably won't get over 600° which is no trouble for cast iron if heated evenly.
To warp a piece you would probably have to leave an empty pan on high for longer than 15 minutes at which point the seasoning would be history and the pan over 1,000° F.
Hilditch
To warp a piece you would probably have to leave an empty pan on high for longer than 15 minutes at which point the seasoning would be history and the pan over 1,000° F.
Hilditch