cooking steak on the stove top-finish in the oven

looks like its going to rain by the time I make dinner so I'd like to try a different way .
I've heard about starting the steak on the stove stop & finishing it in the oven but never tried it.
I have cast iron pans
boneless ribeye steaks about 1 1/4" thick ( Food Lion $4.99 lb )
I want 1 rare & 1 medium rare
season the steaks before cooking ?
how long on stovetop? what temp. ?
how long in oven? what temp. ?
     thanks, SK

I always do thick cuts of steak this way. Start on the stove using a cast iron pan or one with similar qualities.
Salt (kosher preferred) and pepper the meat and using the barest amount of oil, saute a few minutes until a "crust" is formed on the steaks. Then, turn the steaks over and transfer pan to a 500 degree preheated oven and finish. Use the "touch" technique to know when steaks are at the desired temperature.

sk bob


looks like its going to rain by the time I make dinner so I'd like to try a different way .
I've heard about starting the steak on the stove stop & finishing it in the oven but never tried it.
I have cast iron pans
boneless ribeye steaks about 1 1/4" thick ( Food Lion $4.99 lb )
I want 1 rare & 1 medium rare
season the steaks before cooking ?
how long on stovetop? what temp. ?
how long in oven? what temp. ?
     thanks, SK

 OK----Preheat oven to 450-500----season steaks liberally w/salt and pepper----take medium size cast iron and put a small film of veg oil on it. Place on top of biggest burner and crank it til it starts smokin'---throw in the one you want medium and cook 3-4 min or until you get a nice crust---flip over and sear for about 2 min and then throw in oven---let cook for about 5 or 6 min and then pull-------------remove steak and let it rest----on same burner---fire the rare one in pan juices----will crust real fast---as soon as crust is acheived ----------throw in oven for about 3 min and pull----------let rest for about 2 min-----and you should be golden with both steaks----------------
 
Russ

russ2304

sk bob


looks like its going to rain by the time I make dinner so I'd like to try a different way .
I've heard about starting the steak on the stove stop & finishing it in the oven but never tried it.
I have cast iron pans
boneless ribeye steaks about 1 1/4" thick ( Food Lion $4.99 lb )
I want 1 rare & 1 medium rare
season the steaks before cooking ?
how long on stovetop? what temp. ?
how long in oven? what temp. ?
     thanks, SK

 OK----Preheat oven to 450-500----season steaks liberally w/salt and pepper----take medium size cast iron and put a small film of veg oil on it. Place on top of biggest burner and crank it til it starts smokin'---throw in the one you want medium and cook 3-4 min or until you get a nice crust---flip over and sear for about 2 min and then throw in oven---let cook for about 5 or 6 min and then pull-------------remove steak and let it rest----on same burner---fire the rare one in pan juices----will crust real fast---as soon as crust is acheived ----------throw in oven for about 3 min and pull----------let rest for about 2 min-----and you should be golden with both steaks----------------
 
Russ

Thanks, Russ. A more, detailed version of what I do as in my above post. 

With a steak that thin I see no point in finishing it in the oven. Why don't you want to do it all the way on the stovetop?
 
For medium rare you'll want to cook it about 5 1/2 minutes per side over medium high heat, while for rare 4 1/2 should do nicely.
 
I like to rub a steak all over with cut garlic and then pepper it. I also like to brush the steaks all over with olive oil. I start it one one side and then sprinkle some salt on the side that's up. After turning I salt the now-cooked side lightly.
 

Michael, with all due respect, 1-1/2" thick is not 'thin". If you cook a steak that thickness all the way through on the stove top, it will be too crusty to enjoy.

Twinwillow


Michael, with all due respect, 1-1/2" thick is not 'thin". If you cook a steak that thickness all the way through on the stove top, it will be too crusty to enjoy.

I have never had a crusty rare or medium rare steak of that "thickness" that's been cooked on my stovetop. I do it all the time. Granted, I use a grill pan, but I don't believe there's be a differnce with a regular pan.

I also think it unnescessary to finish a rib eye in the oven.  You might want to turn it several times if your afrais of making it too crusty.  Ive worked in several place that served a large fillet that was a good 3" tall.  On those anything over MR went in the oven.

Well, I think finishing in the oven is a good idea.  A lot of  professional chefs use the technique to great success. 

I know when I fry breaded pork chops, even as thin as 1", as soon as I get a crisp texture, I immediately put them in the oven for 5 or 6 minutes on 350 and they come out crispy....and juicy.  If I fry them to doneness they are tough as shoe leather.

A 1-1/2" thick rib eye would probably work great with the same combination.  I agree that the cast iron pan has to be smokin hot and I'd suggest a little salad oil, too.  Maybe splash some nice red wine over that steak just before throwing it in the oven...

 

I have done both allot. Thiner that 1" = no need for the oven. An inch or thicker comes out better when finished in the oven. Just my 2c's. :~)
Joe

PapaJoe8


I have done both allot. Thiner that 1" = no need for the oven. An inch or thicker comes out better when finished in the oven. Just my 2c's. :~)
Joe

I concur. 

I do mine all the time on my stovetop grill pan.For a steak that temp you dont need to waste electricity on the oven.

What a timely thread..I am going to attempt to make 'steak pizzaola' a recipe from Cortese Restaurant in Binghamton NY. The use a porterhouse, but I have a nice rib-eye. Basically as near as I figure its a pan cooked steak. After cooking the steak, I plan to let it rest, and saute' some garlic in the panjuices, return the steak and cover with a tangy marinara (pizza sauce)...

I just put the cast iron pan in the oven when I turn it on (actually that's where I store it so it is already there).  When the oven gets to 500, take the pan out and put it on a burner thta is on high and it will already be smoking hot.

Cosmos, is Delmonicos in Syracuse still open? I used to love that place.
lets see that steak pizzaola recipe. I haven't had that in a while.

sk bob


Cosmos, is Delmonicos in Syracuse still open? I used to love that place.
lets see that steak pizzaola recipe. I haven't had that in a while.

They're still in the phone book. I haven't been there before...isn't that where the original Grimaldi's was on Erie Blvd?

Have to give their pizzaola a try sometime...se if its as garlicy as Cortese (my daughter calls them the house of garlic).

I learned to do this from the Barefoot Contessa. She (and now I) coated the steak with very coarse black pepper... I grind mine in a coffee grinder. No oil, just a very hot skillet to crust both sides and all around the edges. Then into the 500 degree oven for  a few minutes... I use an instant read thermometer.

According to Cook's Illustrated, the optimum way to cook with stovetop/oven is to first use a slow (250 degree) oven and bring the steak to an internal temperature of 95-100 degrees.  Then, use a preheated skillet to finish on the stovetop.  I have used this technique several times with always perfect results.  And by finishing on the stovetop it is much easier to watch and keep control of doneness.
 
My 2 cents...

Well, I finally got to my steak pizzaola. I cooked my rib-eye at medium high for about 4:00 minutes / side (though I botched the timer on the second side). It came out medium rare instead of rare.

My rib-eye from Natoli's Market, Cortland:

Steak-a-cookin' w/ a quick marinara-a-bubblin'...:

Two cloves of garlic and some olive oil in the steak pan and the marinara added:

Finished product w/ a side of linguine, and a garlic-basil vinegrette salad (sorry, the pic doesn't do it justice, but it was close to what I get at Cortese in Binghamton):