Has anyone here used the cast iron skillet method of cooking steak?

[Arkansas Granny]

They showed this recipe this morning on our local news show. I'll have to try it just out of curiosity.


Pan Seared Rib Eye

1 boneless rib eye steak, 1 1/2-inch thick
Canola oil to coat
Kosher salt and ground black pepper


Place 10 to 12-inch cast iron skillet in oven and heat oven to 500 degrees. Bring steak(s) to room temperature.
When oven reaches temperature, remove pan and place on range over high heat. Coat steak lightly with oil and season both sides with a generous pinch of salt. Grind on black pepper to taste.

Immediately place steak in the middle of hot, dry pan. Cook 30 seconds without moving. Turn with tongs and cook another 30 seconds, then put the pan straight into the oven for 2 minutes. Flip steak and cook for another 2 minutes. (This time is for medium rare steaks. If you prefer medium, add a minute to both of the oven turns.)

Remove steak from pan, cover loosely with foil, and rest for 2 minutes. Serve whole or slice thin and fan onto plate.

[NMDemDist2]

1. I have tried it

it keeps the smoke alarms from going off :rofl:

[Stinky The Clown]

5. That was going to be my reply, too!

The method absolutely works and works well. but your smoke alarm will NOT like it. At all.

Our smoke alarm closest to the kitchen is on the ceiling above the stairwell to the basement. The stairwell opens into the kitchen. Even closing the door doesn't stop the alarm from going off. The only way is to remove the battery and unplug the smoke detector. And then not forget to hook all back up again. And not break anything.

[no_hypocrisy]

8. Will your smoke alarm go off even with a ceiling fan and floor fan going?

[Stinky The Clown]

10. It has gone off even with the sliding door and the window open.

We do this steak thing rarely, but we do blackened fish enough to know that the smoke alarm will consistently go off, no matter what we do.

Once (but only once) it set off the second floor alarm, too.

[mtnester]

13. Bacon in cast iron - it ALWAYS sets off my kitchen alarm

even with the doors and windows open...I move it now before I even start

And it is not always bacon in another skillet, but it is ALWAYS bacon in cast iron.

[Gormy Cuss]

2. Never tried the oven trick, but well-heated cast iron on a burner is the best way I've found

other than an outdoor grill.

[sandnsea]

3. Agreed

That's how we cook venison too, hot and fast. Very tender results.

[Warpy]

4. Same here, much better than sticking it in a broiler

You get the wonderful caramelized surface and the oven finishes it to the appropriate doneness.

[old mark]

18. I do this a lot, but as you say, never with the oven.

I use olive oil on the steak, not canola, and only sale and pepper on the meat. You can also fro a sliced clove of garlic in the pan before you add the steak, but that's a wohle other thing.
The steak is much better if you allow it to come to room temperature as stated before putting it in the pan.
Using a T-bone, this is my favorite method.
I have seen this referred to as the French method of making a steak.

mark

[hippywife]

6. I've frequently done them in the

cast iron skillet with butter but never put them in the oven as a part of the process.

[eleny]

7. I've used a very hot cast iron skillet

But I never tried putting it in the oven first. Just get it hot and then do the 30 second on each side deal. After that I leave it in the pan until it's done the way I like it.

But I like this the sound of this method you posted and will try it!

[libnnc]

9. All the time

It's the only way I cook steak actually.

I'd starve if it wasn't for my cast iron

[Rabrrrrrr]

11. Yes, I do! I love it!! Makes an excellent steak. I also put onion in it,

I cut an onion in half and coat with olive oil and salt and put it in the pan before the pan goes in the oven the first time. By the time the steak is ready, the onion is also cooked through (since it gets that extra time).

The other veggies I've tried don't work this way - asparagus, mushrooms, and so forth. They end up all shriveled and/or burnt.

But the thinner veggies do well to add them after the steak has been pan fried as the pan goes back into the oven (coat veggies with olive oil and salt).

But they also cook just fine if you wait to cook them in the pan after the steak comes out and one is deglazing it for sauce.

The onions, though - they come out perfect!

[flamin lib]

12. I do this all the time with a bit of a change.

Heat a wee-small bit of oil (bacon fat) in a skillet to 350 degrees (by an infrared thermometer) or just dip a corner of the steak onto the surface to test until it sizzles loudly. Cook on one side 3 minutes, turn and cook on the other side 3 minutes. Remove to a plate and rest five minutes.

My steaks are usually sirloin or chuck and about an inch thick. Outside is caramelized and inside is hot pink. Those cuts respond well to a bit of onion powder with the S&P while they're coming to room temp.

[mtnester]

14. Did anyone watch the episode on the last season of Top Chef

where they cooked those lollipop steaks? Some used the grill, but most used a pan...one of them basted it with a TON of butter and hers was one of the top ones.

That episode had me nearly in a swoon.

[hippywife]

15. I don't watch

TV, don't even have cable but my favorite way to cook a steak is to melt a good amount of butter in a cast iron skillet with just a little Worcestershire or soy sauce and some capers. It's heaven! :9

[comrade snarky]

16. Might want to leave off the pepper

Pepper burns, it can distract from the flavor of the meat sear. I throw a little on when the steak goes back into the oven.

[wryter2000]

17. Cooks Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen has been doing skillet steaks recently

Their method for avoiding the grey/tough layer right under the surface is to cook the steaks slowly in the oven just until the interior is 90 degrees and then very quickly pan fry them. They don't use the oven, just the stovetop, but they suggest that thick steaks overcook on the outside before the inside even gets to rare if you use a skillet.

I haven't tried this, but what they look looks good on my TV. I usually use the broiler or the grill in nice weather.