Pan Fried Steaks

Can you pan fry steaks and get a similiar taste to the way restaurants do. I am doing steaks at a friends who lives in an apartment and they do not allow grills. appreciate any help

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I've done it in a big, heavy, well-seasoned cast-iron skillet. You get a great crust that in some ways, to me, does approximate the experience of a restaurant steak grilled at 900 degrees.

Michael, please tell me how you do the steaks in a cast iron skillet?

Paul E. smith
Knoxville, TN

Heat .... I got a good steak once shear'd in cast iron which was cooked over a wood fire
then I ruin'd a steak, trying to get a pan hot over a propane cajun cooker
Guess we can call that some overkill ... Ruth Chris' Steak house advertises the 1800
oven / broiler, and a 900 degree pan. I've never got enough heat from the kitchen
stove, even a Viking Range. My best crust formation has come from Lump Char coal,
and finishing in the oven.

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Originally posted by Sundancer7

Michael, please tell me how you do the steaks in a cast iron skillet?

Paul E. smith
Knoxville, TN

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Put the skillet on the stove over a high flame until it's smoking hot, then slap on the steak. If the steak isn't fatty, I'd brush it with oil or clarified butter so it didn't stick. After 30 seconds, flip it so the other side gets seared, then cook both sides until done to the way you want it.

...and when you are done, pour some olive oil in the pan, add a lot of sliced garlic, and pour the whole mess over your steak. Cortese's restaurant in Binghamton, NY calls that steak ala milanese. They carry it to the tables steaming with garlic fumes (theres a special exhaust fan they turn on when one comes out).

Thanks Cosmos and Michael for the tips. I will try today.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I believe that a cast iron skillet is a must for this. You can even buy a cast iron skillet that has the raised ridges in the middle. Gives your steak a look like it was grilled !

I like to sear the outside of the steak, usually with some butter and olive oil in the pan, and then place the pan with the steak into a pre-heated hot oven for few minutes. Sometimes I will even toss in some mushrooms, onions and garlic when I put the pan in the oven.

Dudes, season the hell out of em and use commercial non-stick pans heated to hades temps. Let em rest.

Hey Guys,
They invented the 'Jenn-Aire' stove-grilltop just so y'all wouldn't have to worry about washing the pan.
Boy can you play havoc with the smoke detectors in a kitchen if you let that implement get out of hand!!

The smoke detector was one of the reasons I had to quit cooking with Olive oil. After the fire department came to my house the second time, they had a discussion with me. Both times it was because my lack of knowledge regarding the low cooking ability of olive oil created smoke. smoke which set up my detector and notified the fire department. I was embarassed when I created a scene on my street with all kinds of red vehicles parked around.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I recently began using Julia Child's method for very, very thick steaks. I sear them in my LeCreuset enameled cast iron skillet, then finish in a moderate(300-350 degree) oven until done to our liking.

This method gets the seared crust you want, but doesn't toughen the steak.

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Originally posted by Michael Stern

quote:

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Originally posted by Sundancer7

Michael, please tell me how you do the steaks in a cast iron skillet?

Paul E. smith
Knoxville, TN

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Put the skillet on the stove over a high flame until it's smoking hot, then slap on the steak. If the steak isn't fatty, I'd brush it with oil or clarified butter so it didn't stick. After 30 seconds, flip it so the other side gets seared, then cook both sides until done to the way you want it.

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I'm a fan of the sear-and-rest-in-oven method, but I prefer Calphalon hard anodized (not the nonstick) to cast iron, as you can make a pan sauce after the skillet comes out of the oven, and I use a lower oven temperature (250F) for the rest period.

If you feel so inclined when the meat comes out of the oven, slip it onto a warm platter while you heat the pan back up, saute a couple of minced shallots in the drippings, reduce the heat to medium-low, and deglaze the pan with chicken stock, scraping up all the chewy bits, then add a couple of slugs of medium-bodied red wine (no cabernet or merlot - too chewy/tannic). Don't deglaze the hot pan with red wine; it really is a negative flavor impact. Remove from heat, whisk in a couple of lumps of cold butter and maybe a half-teaspoon of dijon mustard.

That sticky stuff on the bottom of the pan (fond) is your friend. It's a shame to let the sink and scrubbie pad get it all.

Eric

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Originally posted by jmckee

I recently began using Julia Child's method for very, very thick steaks. I sear them in my LeCreuset enameled cast iron skillet, then finish in a moderate(300-350 degree) oven until done to our liking.

This method gets the seared crust you want, but doesn't toughen the steak.

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Are there any guidelines for time per inch for Med Rare?
Thanks!

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Originally posted by PineSlayer

quote:

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Originally posted by jmckee

I recently began using Julia Child's method for very, very thick steaks. I sear them in my LeCreuset enameled cast iron skillet, then finish in a moderate(300-350 degree) oven until done to our liking.

This method gets the seared crust you want, but doesn't toughen the steak.

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Are there any guidelines for time per inch for Med Rare?
Thanks!

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I tend to use the "palm pilot" method. If you feel your palm at the fleshy part, next to the thumb, when relaxed, it's pretty mushy, much like raw meat. As you tighten it up, it gets more firm, like well-done meat. I touch the meat and compare it to my palm. In other words, I don't like timetables. When the meat still gives under a gentle finger, it's about medium rare. Get it off there and put it on a carving board, covered by foil, to rest.

Another way to cook them is to sprinkle an even but thin layer of kosher salt on the bottom of a dry cast iron skillet. Heat it up over high heat until the salt just begins to smoke, then slap your steak on one side of the skillet. Sear for about 30 seconds, then flip it over to the unused side of the skillet. The salt seems to intensify the heat. Then I remove it, wipe the remaining salt out of the pan, and add a hunk of butter. I put the steak back in and cook it a bit longer in the butter and any other ingredients of the day.

Hamburgers are also good when salt-seared.

I do mine just like VibrationGuy described, except that my pan sauce also gets a shot of good teriyaki sauce...

My most used pan these days is my cast-iron grill pan. Get one with ridges about 1/2 inch high. Heat the pan slap the seasoned steak (worstershiresauce, pepper and garlic powder) on it and flip over in a few minutes. You'll get perfect grill lines on it. If you want it more then medium rare (a waste in my opinion) you can always finish it in the oven.

Are there any guidelines for time per inch for Med Rare?
Thanks!


I've used the sear-and-roast method on thick steaks with much success. For a 1-1/2 thick steak, my guidelines suggest roasting 2-4 minutes at 450 degrees for very rare, 4-6 minutes for rare, 6-8 minutes for medium rare, or 8-10 minutes for medium. You can even transfer the steak from the cast iron pan to a baking sheet to roast, leaving the pan free for making a pan sauce.

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Originally posted by Sundancer7

Can you pan fry steaks and get a similiar taste to the way restaurants do. I am doing steaks at a friends who lives in an apartment and they do not allow grills. appreciate any help

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

It depends on which restaurants you're referring to. If you mean top steakhouses like Morton's of Chicago, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, Peter Luger's in New York or Harry Caray's in Chicago, the answer is "no." I believe this to be true for several reasons. First, the premium steakhouses have access to top prime beef that is not available in your local supermarket or even most specialty shops. Second, they age the beef for up to six weeks for better taste and tenderness. Finally they broil the meat using commercial ovens at temperatures of up to 1800 degrees, hot enough to sear the outside and seal in the juices without overcooking the cut as a whole. If, on the other hand, you're referring to places like Sizzler or Ponderosa, I would say "sure." In fact, I would much rather have a good, home, pan-cooked steak to one you could get at this type of restaurant. At home, you get to control the degree of done-ness and the seasoning.

There's a theory that the best way to know when a pan-fried steak is done is that the smoke alarm goes off. But if, like me, you go into major panic at the sound of a smoke alarm, open a window and cook on each side at raging temp until it's smoking, but not beep inducing (a couple of minutes each side will do). This is my favorite way to cook a steak, known as black and blue -- crusty black outside, really rare inside. For those who enjoy a rare steak, the only way to go in my view.

I second rb's comments on access to decent beef; there's actually a shortage of USDA Prime on the market right now that is affecting even the best steakhouses (unless they're large enough, like Smith & Wollensky to actually buy their beef as futures), and even in the best of times, it's virtually impossible to get Great Beef for home use.

That said: there's always Niman Ranch mail order, which is also available at Trader Joe's. There's Oregon Country Beef, available throughout the Northwest, and there's the wonder of developing a relationship with a local butcher shop.

I also age my own meat at home; you'll need to invest in some temperature and humidity monitoring gear, which can be as simple as something from Radio Shack (under $100) or as complex (and clever) as the thermal monitoring system with web server that my firm builds (starting around $800). It really does work. The loss is not insubstantial, but it's mostly water evaporation, and water, where I come from, is essentially flavorless. The rich, beefy flavor of dry-aged beef is unsurpassed, and unless you have access to one of the rare purveyors of such, you really should do it at home. There's a vguely comforting feeling knowing that you've got meat out in the garage fridge getting better and better. My grandparents recently acquired a new fridge specifically for aging meats and making gravlax (and keeping beer cold). What a lovely way to spend retirement.

Eric

nb - Whole Foods Markets often market exceptionally good Choice or Prime dry-aged meat; I had a stunning USDA Prime Standing Rib Roast from my local WFM for Christmas a few years ago - beef like I have never seen in a supermarket before.

If your "Smoke Detector" will cooperate. Then anyone can prepare "Restaurant Quality Steaks, Chops, Fish" at home on a Electric or Gas Stove. The Pan that you use must be Good Quality almost any type or brand. The easiest was to do the job, is to Trick/Bounce the Heat to avoid sticking, prevent Burning and not overwhelm the pan. This is accomplished by letting MSG, naturally do it's magic. When your pan is left upon your hottest burner, approximately 1/3 minutes depending on thickness of pan and how long it takes your stove to heat. When a drop of water dances and disappears its ready. Lightly coat the bottom of pan with MSG, it will become translucent and disolve from the heat. While waiting coat one side of your meat with MSG. Place MSG side down onto your hot pan. Lightly coat other side at with MSG. Allow to cook depending on meats thickness until exterior fat starts to become translucent close to heated bottom. Turn with TONGS, not fork. When the turned side starts to become translucent turn again. Turn several times if meat is Thick. When meats is still sort of bouncy [RARE} put it into plate for a minute or two turning to allow heat to penetrate to center of meat. Place back into pan turning often until cooked to your taste. Let us know if this works for you. When finished, after you've checked the meat to be sure its cooked to your satisfaction. Put water into hot pan carefull to not allow bottom of pan to get wet, as you'll have a WOK. It will be easy to clean after everyone's finished eating. The bottom of Pan can be deglazzed for au jus or whatever with a little wine or? The MSG actually cooks away and has no effect on taste or flavor with this method, prevents sticking and lets you sear and prepare meat oil free, with salt being added to taste by individual eaters.

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I tend to use the "palm pilot" method. If you feel your palm at the fleshy part, next to the thumb, when relaxed, it's pretty mushy, much like raw meat. As you tighten it up, it gets more firm, like well-done meat. I touch the meat and compare it to my palm. In other words, I don't like timetables. When the meat still gives under a gentle finger, it's about medium rare. Get it off there and put it on a carving board, covered by foil, to rest.

I'll second that: it seems to work very well for me, too. You can also get good advice (and good steaks for special occasions like the Second Coming, given the cost!) from Lobel's in New York: http://www.lobels.com/index_lobels.htm

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Originally posted by EdSails

My most used pan these days is my cast-iron grill pan. Get one with ridges about 1/2 inch high.

I just got a glass-topped range. Does anyone know of smooth-bottomes grill pans that I can use?

ooh, thats a toughie. Those kinds of ranges arent really equipped to use cast iron pans, you'll totally ruin the surface and potentially crack it.

Hint for getting the cast-iron pan ripping hot if you're doing the cast iron sear and oven finish: keep the pan in the oven while you're preheating it to 500 degrees, then give it a couple minutes on the hottest burner before you slap the steaks in.

I'm doing a couple of 1.5 inch London broils this way in about 45 minutes: they've been marinating in a mixture of cold coffee, soy sauce, molasses, sambal and garlic since about noon. Sear for about 45 seconds per side, finish in 500-degree oven until they're medium rare. (And you can try the flesh test all you want, but honestly, nothing beats an instant-read digital thermometer.) Let rest for about ten minutes, slice thin across the grain and serve.

Sides: fresh corn from our share in a local organic farm, stripped and sauteed in a touch of oilve oil in a cast iron wok with a twig of rosemary and a pinch of kosher salt, plus a fresh green salad of lettuces, radishes, green pepper, cukes and tomatoes (all from the farm as well) dotted with some nice buttermilk blue cheese from the cheese shop down the street. Dessert: blueberry-peach cobbler with fruit from the farm.

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Originally posted by Jason Perlow

ooh, thats a toughie. Those kinds of ranges arent really equipped to use cast iron pans, you'll totally ruin the surface and potentially crack it.

I don't know, we recently bought a glass-topped range and we use cast iron on it all of the time. Our only problem was that our favorite pan had developed a sag in the bottom after decades of use that prevented it from sitting flat on the glass. We found a nicely seasoned "new" (from a rummage sale) cast iron pan with a flat bottom and have had no problems with it.

Yeah, I wouldn't see a problem with cast iron on smoothtop, either. I've used it with great success on glass-top induction surfaces before, and I don't think radiant or halogen should be a big struggle, either. Lodge has a new line of "pre-seasoned" cast iron that a lot of people seem to be raving about.

Eric

Hello, Folks!

I really shouldn't be giving this information away, because my steaks are the best anyone's acccording to anyone who's enjoyed them. But what the hey! I've so enjoyed this friendly website. Sterns, thank you for so much fun.

1) Marinate the rib-eyes or porterhouses (the cuts I use) of your choice in Lea & Perrins Worchestershire Sauce at room temperature. Poke 'em full of holes and then douse 'em. Cut through the fat rings on the meat in several places so the steaks won't curl up.

2) Melt a little butter along with a little olive oil in your well-seasoned (please understand the term!) cast iron skillet. Swirl it around. When it's good and smoking, gently place the steaks in the skillet. Throw open the windows and put your kitchen fan on high.

3) Scorch until done to your taste — it doesn't take long. The crust on these steaks will rival anything you will ever get at a steakhouse. Just be sure the steaks aren't super thick.

4) Take steaks out and let them rest. Then lower the heat somewhat, and deglaze the skillet with a few splashes of sweet Jewish-sounding dessert wine, a dollop of red current jelly and some butter. When it starts to bubble, scrape up the bits on the bottom with a spatula until the bottom is smooth again.

5) Thrown in big slices of mushrooms or onions or both and let them soak up the pan juices until they soften. Ladle over the steaks or onto baked potatoes.

6) If you've done this right, your pan should clean up as easy as if it was Teflon.

Bon Appetite, Baby!

- Rusty

Interesting this topic came up as we just made some pan fried rib eyes last weekend as the weather was cold and snowy outside and the grill was not a place I wanted to go. Got the old seasoned cast iron ribbed griddle out and heated it on the gas stove till it was quite hot and threw the steaks on there. Room for about 4 nice sized ones. When I put them on there the smoke rose over the stove and with a panic, turned on the vent. They turned out great..

The funny part was after I got done cooking them I went to look out the back window to check on the weather. I turned around to my wife and said "Wow it's not only snowing out but you gotta see all the fog!" She said, "Dear, your glasses are totally smoke covered, it's not fog". No wonder we have to clean our cabinets three times a year.

Don

Just remembered, I think someone mentioned a Teflon pan, that you cannot heat them as hot as you can like cast iron. Teflon and some other variations, at VERY high heat, give off EXTREMELY toxic fumes! Known to kill pet birds in the house.

Don

I just cooked some of the best tasting pan fried steak I have ever had.
I purchased two hanger steaks about a pound and a half each.
I cut the hanger in half lengthwise, butterflied it and pounded it slightly.
I marinaded for 90 minutes in lite soy, crushed garlic, crushed ginger, three tablespoons of vegetable oil, and some brown sugar.
After drying the hanger, I fried in a hot cast iron pan, 2 and a half minutes per side.
This steak was so tender. It was medium rare to rare depending on the thickness. The flavor was intense. It was juicy and needed no salt or pepper. Hanger steak is not easy to find but it was so flavorful, I can understand why butchers keep this cut for themselves.
I got the marinade from America's test kitchen and the cutting part from Tony Bourdain.

it really is pretty basic . just be sure you have a GOOD exhaust system , 'cause if there isn't a lot of smoke , the pan wasn't hot enough . just scatter some coarse salt in the bottom of a pre-heated cast iron skillet ( the salt will "dance" , when the pan is hot enough . place the steak in the pan , throw on as much coarse black pepper as you like , and cook to the desired doneness . i've eaten this preperation for many years , and it's really hard to screw it up . a good vin ordinare , some crusty bread , a nice salad , and you're all set .

I live outside the city limits and have a large screened in back porch. I keep my (gas) grill there and we can cook outside all year -in reasonable weather. The grill has a side burner and I do 99% of my fry-cooking there. I have a large, very well seasoned iron skillet that I get piping hot. I add a bit of cooking oil, throw my steak in it and when it's cooked to my spec I take it out to 'rest' and then I flash cook all the veggies I want to have with it. Usually onions, green peppers and whole green beans.

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Originally posted by Scarlett

I live outside the city limits and have a large screened in back porch. I keep my (gas) grill there and we can cook outside all year -in reasonable weather. The grill has a side burner and I do 99% of my fry-cooking there. I have a large, very well seasoned iron skillet that I get piping hot. I add a bit of cooking oil, throw my steak in it and when it's cooked to my spec I take it out to 'rest' and then I flash cook all the veggies I want to have with it. Usually onions, green peppers and whole green beans.

Did I understand correctly that you keep your gas grill on a screened-in porch? If this is true you might be interested to know that I almost lost my home some years ago because my gas grill caught fire out on my patio, beneath a roof overhang.

I was heating the grill and somehow, the fire department never was able to figure out how, flames began shooting up from the valve on top of the propane tank, eventually igniting the overhang. The fire department arrived within minutes and managed to get the fire out and the flames from the tank stopped before there could be a blast that would have leveled the house.

I haven't used a gas grill since.

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Originally posted by Michael Stern

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Sundancer7

Michael, please tell me how you do the steaks in a cast iron skillet?

Paul E. smith
Knoxville, TN

Put the skillet on the stove over a high flame until it's smoking hot, then slap on the steak. If the steak isn't fatty, I'd brush it with oil or clarified butter so it didn't stick. After 30 seconds, flip it so the other side gets seared, then cook both sides until done to the way you want it.


ABSOLUTELY!!! I cooked some excellent 2" thick beef filets like this just the other night. I seasoned same with some garlic salt , a bit of lime juice, and immense amounts of freshly coarse ground black pepper pressed into the steaks. I used a bit of peanut oil to keep same from sticking to pan. Presto! Less than four minutes later I had perfectly cooked medium rare filets. Although I used my trusty 37 year old plain iron pan, one with ridges would have given the steaks those "pseudo" grill marks perhaps some are used to.

Yeah.. I know that sounded dangerous... and I know it sounds stange but I'm completely surrounded by concrete, brick and screen. Also, I've got a fire extinguisher beside the gas grill and it's never left unattended.

I pan fry one inch rib eyes in a four inch deep cast iron skillet that hasn't been touched by water in over 40 years, so it is well seasoned.

Before throwing the steaks in the skillet I put some of the fat scraps I have cut from the steaks in the pan and let it melt a bit, then toss in some salt and pepper, then the steaks. Fry a minute one side, turn with tongs, never a fork, and fry two minutes. I like beef rare . Take out of skillet, let steaks rest for a bit in order to set, and then eat. Served with a spinach salad with hot bacon dressing.

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Originally posted by Scarlett

Yeah.. I know that sounded dangerous... and I know it sounds stange but I'm completely surrounded by concrete, brick and screen. Also, I've got a fire extinguisher beside the gas grill and it's never left unattended.

I was sitting right next to my grill when the flames started shooting. The fire extinguisher did nothing.

Michael,
Thank you, you have made me see the error of my ways.
From now on I'll wait until the weather is nice enough to roll it outside. There's no need to push my luck.

Thanks again, S

quote:

Originally posted by Scarlett

Michael,
Thank you, you have made me see the error of my ways.
From now on I'll wait until the weather is nice enough to roll it outside. There's no need to push my luck.

Thanks again, S

If what I've said helps anyone then I'm glad. By the way, I cook with my Weber charcoal grill all year long -- rain or shine, snow or hail. Well, there's not much shine because I do my grilling in the evening. But you know what I mean.

I've also used the sear-on-the-stove finish-in-the-oven method w/ great success, courtesy of Alton Brown on the Food Network.

Get the cast iron skillet smokin' hot.
Rub your room-temperature steaks w/ some olive oil and then season as you like (I use a Montreal Steak Seasoning, sometimes just salt & pepper).
Sear on the stove 45 seconds each side, then transfer to the oven for 2-3 minutes or so, depending on thickness and desired doneness.

Let it rest and eat it up.

Sauce? Sauce? I don't need no stinkin' sauce w/ my steaks. Just a knife & fork, thank you.

John

Pan fried steaks can be a very satisfying method of cooking. As many have mentioned a large HEAVY cast iron pan is necessary. After the pan is as hot as it can get, throw in a small amount of kosher salt, and when it starts to sizzle slap the beef on.

Now you have two choices, either reduce the heat on the stove and cook at medium low or put the steaks in the oven at about 300 to 350 (depending on your ability to test the doneness of the meat). A good digital thermometer is a decent investment, but leave the probe in don't keep reinsering elsewhere to test the temp. Just leave the probe hooked up in one spot, heat WON'T hurt it. If you do keep removing and replacing the temp probe you will lose the "juciness" we all crave in good meat. Remove the steak at least 10 degrees before it's ready (about 115 to 120 degree F) because it will continue to cook during it's rest. When the thermometer peaks and has fallen a few degrees, time to munch.

My additions to this come from a friend of a family who was a senior chef at Maxim's and trained as an apprentice in several 3 diamond restaurants. While I am not NORMALLY a fan of French food this is the perfect marinade and compliment.

Marinade
Marinating is a must. Even if you use dry aged meat a marinade further breaks down connective tissue and makes the meat softer. I have used this marinade on CHOICE meat and was proud even my epicurean buddies couldn't tell the difference in the meat quality. For 2, 1.75 inch thich porterhouse steaks I mix 1 cup orange juice, 3 tablespoons lime juice and 2 tablespoons pineapple juice. You can add teriyaki or soy if you choose, but it will make the meat salty which may or may not be your thing. Beleive it or not, the citrus will NOT change the flavor of the beef, just the tenderness. Split the marinade in half and soak for at least 2 hours in 2 seperate covered flat tupperware or equivilent dishes in a fridge.

Compliment
Before coomking the steaks decide if you want onions, mushrooms or both for a side. Either one needs to be cooked in advance. I usually have both. Anyway in one pan add a large dollop of REAL butter to a pan at medium heat (hey if you're on a diet, you shouldn't be eating this anyway), and when it starts to brown add 1.5 pounds of mushrooms (I like using uncut full mushrooms, but it's your meal), adjust temp as needed. I know it looks like a lot, but it will cook WAY down. Stir fairly often, and when the mushrooms have given up 90% or more of their liquid, and have become brown and looking oh so tasty remove them from the pan. Now add ANOTHER large dollop of butter to the pan and put in about 3/4 of a pound of sliced WHITE sweet onions and SLOWLY carmalize them. This will take about 15 minutes, and the smell will drive you crazy. Feel free to add a clove or two of diced garlic if you want. Anyway when the mushrooms are golden and SWEET take them out of the pan and combine them with the mushrooms. Now deglaze the pan with about 1/2 cup decent red wine. By deglaze that means to pour in the wine at about medium high heat and using a scraper get all the good bits adhering to the pan. They are SOOOO tasty. You may also add 1.5 to 2 tablespoons teryaki GLAZE (not sauce, it's TOO salty) for a bit more sweet and salty flavor. Reduce wine by 50% and pour over the mushrooms and or onions.

Okay it sounds like a lot of work, but while a bit time consuming, is pretty easy. Now you have your mushrooms and/or onions sitting a bowl. You have just moved your steak(s) from thier pans (remember this is for two, and you should have two pans going) to rest. Pour in 3/4 cup of wine into each of the pans and reduce the heat and scrape all the good bits from the bottom of the pans. About now you add another good dollop of butter (for texture) and make a choice. If you're all Cordon Bleu, you would just happen to have a nice veal or beef stock laying about (if you do, reduce wine by 1/4 cup and add that to your concoction now). For the rest of us that ain't happening. Now we use my friend's secret weapon. Brown gravy mix, yep, that stuff that makes the nasty brown stuff you put over mashed potatoes with an overdone roast. But it works rather well in this instance. Add about 1.5 to 2 tablespoons per pan, and use a whisk to mix it thoroughly. Beleive me, about now if it's reduced about 50% it will smell marvellous in your kitchen. Take your mushrooms and or onions and sauce and split them equally (be fair here), and let the mess cook and simmer on low heat for about 3 minutes.

Wow seems like a workout, huh? But actually even with the additional prep/cooking time for the compliment the total in kitchen was about 45 or so minutes.

Serve the compliment ON THE SIDE in a bowl, never on the steak, it will distract form the grand flavor you have just created. Notice that outside the kosher salt, I have not used any seasonings on the meat? It doesn't need them, it will be perfect!

For openers or on the side, serve a fresh baby spinach salad with blue cheese dressing with crumbles. You can even "accidently" drop a few crumbles on your steaks. Guys, or gals, this is the romantic meal that is quick and elegant. You might even get lucky if you aren't too full.

Wow, this is fascinating. I have always cooked steaks on a charcoal grill or broiled in the oven, but never pan-fried. I guess it is true that you learn something new everyday. I've read so many interesting ways to pan fry I can hardly wait to try it.
One question: What is the difference between kosher salt and regular salt? Would sea salt work as well?

carl reitz

Mistertweney: Excellent description on how to properly pan fry a steak plus the extras you discussed. Your gravy sounds real good.

Thanks
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Michael, my dad almost burned the house down with a gas grill on the porch as well. The connections had rusted through and the gas escaped through there. He managed to pull the grill off the porch into the yard and got away just before the explosion. The flames were thirty feet in the air and the house would be no more if he hadn't managed to pull it into the yard. It burned a big maple tree in half before the fire department made it there. He will never use a gas grill again. However, my roommate just put a gas grill on our porch. I can't make him understand the scale of the fire that comes from this problem. Oh well, what we sacrifice for convenience is mostly common sense.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

quote:

Originally posted by Scarlett

I live outside the city limits and have a large screened in back porch. I keep my (gas) grill there and we can cook outside all year -in reasonable weather. The grill has a side burner and I do 99% of my fry-cooking there. I have a large, very well seasoned iron skillet that I get piping hot. I add a bit of cooking oil, throw my steak in it and when it's cooked to my spec I take it out to 'rest' and then I flash cook all the veggies I want to have with it. Usually onions, green peppers and whole green beans.

Did I understand correctly that you keep your gas grill on a screened-in porch? If this is true you might be interested to know that I almost lost my home some years ago because my gas grill caught fire out on my patio, beneath a roof overhang.

I was heating the grill and somehow, the fire department never was able to figure out how, flames began shooting up from the valve on top of the propane tank, eventually igniting the overhang. The fire department arrived within minutes and managed to get the fire out and the flames from the tank stopped before there could be a blast that would have leveled the house.

I haven't used a gas grill since.

I also wet and dry age my beef. I buy the whole cut and vacuum seal it. Then I let it age in the fridge for 30days. After 30 days I let it dry age for 3 days if in steaks or 5-6 days if whole roast.

The last few times I have cooked the entire roast I slow cooked it in my gas smoker over apple wood for several hours until rare in the dead center. Rib eye prepared this way is unbelievable!

I also use the cast iron pan sear/oven roast for my steaks.

Just a note of interest on word useage in this thread. "SLAP" is used by MANY folks in reference to placing the steak in/on the cooking surface. Now It would be a bit ultra-informal were I to "TOSS" the chicken onto the grill, or "FLIP" some Catfish into the fryer. I even shudder a bit when "SLATHER" is used in the BBQ descriptors. Why then would we "rough-handle" some very costly Beef? Is this one of those Marlboro Macho Moments? Bobbie Flay might Slap his meat now and then...But when I deal with $10 a lb steak, I will lay it gently in the pan/grill as if I were putting my firstborn to sleep for the night.!!

Having lived in apartments in new york city my entire adult life and being a lover of prime dry aged beef I have become quite masterful with a cast iron skillet and a thick piece of meat.

First, coat your steaks in coarse sea salt (grey if you can get it) and extra virgin olive oil and allow them to reach room temp.

Next, turn on your broiler and place your skillet on the stovetop over high heat. Once the skillet turns almost white in the center (about 15 minutes) gently place the steaks in the pan and sear them on each side for about a minute, moving them around a bit. Unless you love firemen, make sure your fan is on and windows are open.

Next, dump out any excess oil from the pan and place the pan in the broiler. Let the steaks broil for an additional 3 minutes on each side for rare. This works great on a Porterhouse about 1.5 inches thick.

Using the broiler cuts out about 90% of the smoke and splatter of just pan frying and continues to develop the crust arond the meat while keeping the inside nice and rare.

I also like to put a nice serving platter in the oven while the broiler is on to let it get hot and allow the steak to rest on it before carving for about 5 minutes once the steaks are done.

Porterhouse: That was very informative. I will try your method. I am glad I still got my old cast iron pan. It is well cured.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I'm panfrying 6 NY strips tonight in 2 cast iron skillets. Can't wait to see how they turn out.

Darn good! Butter and salt in the skillet, added some pepper and worcestershire. Pretty good to me. Easy to do and really good and can't wait to experiment some more.

quote:

Originally posted by VibrationGuy

I second rb's comments on access to decent beef; there's actually a shortage of USDA Prime on the market right now that is affecting even the best steakhouses (unless they're large enough, like Smith & Wollensky to actually buy their beef as futures), and even in the best of times, it's virtually impossible to get Great Beef for home use.

That said: there's always Niman Ranch mail order, which is also available at Trader Joe's. There's Oregon Country Beef, available throughout the Northwest, and there's the wonder of developing a relationship with a local butcher shop.

I also age my own meat at home; you'll need to invest in some temperature and humidity monitoring gear, which can be as simple as something from Radio Shack (under $100) or as complex (and clever) as the thermal monitoring system with web server that my firm builds (starting around $800). It really does work. The loss is not insubstantial, but it's mostly water evaporation, and water, where I come from, is essentially flavorless. The rich, beefy flavor of dry-aged beef is unsurpassed, and unless you have access to one of the rare purveyors of such, you really should do it at home. There's a vguely comforting feeling knowing that you've got meat out in the garage fridge getting better and better. My grandparents recently acquired a new fridge specifically for aging meats and making gravlax (and keeping beer cold). What a lovely way to spend retirement.

Eric

nb - Whole Foods Markets often market exceptionally good Choice or Prime dry-aged meat; I had a stunning USDA Prime Standing Rib Roast from my local WFM for Christmas a few years ago - beef like I have never seen in a supermarket before.

I would suggest visiting a Costco for restaurant quality beef. The rib eyes and N.Y. Strips are superb currently at about $8 a pound.I have paid as much as $14 per pound at Wild Oats that don`t measure up to Costco. They also feature New Zealand loin lamb chops for about the same price as the beef which are also fantastic.

quote:

Originally posted by carlton pierre

Darn good! Butter and salt in the skillet, added some pepper and worcestershire. Pretty good to me. Easy to do and really good and can't wait to experiment some more.

Couple of weeks ago, I was on a NASCAR thread on a political board I frequent. Always food is a topic for discussion. It was there that I got the idea that pan frying a steak something worth considering. So, I googled and the 4th result brought me to this thread. In't that sump'in?

So, I went out and bought me a cast iron grill pan (Emil's was heftier that the Lodge), and four ribeyes. Also, though I do no do yard sales as a rule, I thought I saw a cooler that looked good (it was busted); but, I paid a dollar for "Steak Lovers Cookbook" by William Rice. He has a lot of recipes; but, I'm starting basic with steak and maybe a simple sauce. I will report back.

Here are the mistakes I think I made.

1. Too much oil.
2. Pan not hot enough
3. Marinaded fat ribeyes

But even with all that the flavor was good. Definitely trying more