broiler or stove top for steaks

I hope someday I'll be able to have a propane grill again. I've been afraid of them since mine caught fire a number of years ago and almost blew my house off the face of the Earth.

Gonna let you guy's in on a little secret. This will be the best steak you have ever had. Please don't tell anyone. LOL
 
http://www.tinyurbankitchen.com/2009/09/oven-to-pan-seared-prime-ribeye-steaks.html

Re: Steaks. I haven't tried it yet, but my mother swears by a technique taught to her by a steakhouse chef; cooking the steak on a pre-heated cast iron griddle inside the oven. I could get the details from her; I go by a variation on Alton Brown's advice, and use my (gas) oven's own broiling pan. I just line it with heavy duty aluminum foil, because, from what I have seen of Alton Brown, there is no evidence that he ever washed a dish, pot, pan or utensil in his life.
 
Re: Starting a charcoal grill. OK, I also have to give some credit to Alton Brown. For years, I used a chimney starter (in the days of 2 pound cans of coffee, you could make an excellent chimney starter by taking one with the top and bottom removed, and make holes along the bottom side with a "church key" can opener; a few years back I got a Weber chimney starter for a couple of bucks in a close-out sale). In any case, Brown's hint made the chimney starter even more efficient: spray some vegetable oil on the newspaper on the bottom first (you don't have to buy commercial products or even expensive mist oil sprayers; just get a cheap pump spray bottle, put in the oil, and toss when it's empty).
 
Bart

mrclean


Gonna let you guy's in on a little secret. This will be the best steak you have ever had. Please don't tell anyone. LOL

http://www.tinyurbankitchen.com/2009/09/oven-to-pan-seared-prime-ribeye-steaks.html

Them's good lookin' Steaks! Worth a try!

As it has a "sear" setting, the Cuisinart Griddler produces a wonderful indoor result:  http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11600425&search=cuisinart&Mo=5&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Sp=S&N=5000043&whse=BC&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=cuisinart&Ntt=cuisinart&No=2&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav=&s=1 
 
Costco always has them in-store and with a recent coupon sold them for $59.00.  Sam's carries them in-store & online as well.  They are also available at Kohl's, Macy's, BB&B, etc. for prices up to the full list of $149.00. 
 
Beyond steaks, it makes great burgers, grilled cheese, panini, etc.  Clean-up is quick and easy and grilling is pretty much smoke-free. 
 
Also, use CharCrust "Original Hickory" rub:  www.charcrust.com .  Wal-Mart, as well as several other grocers, carries it here in Dallas.  Great stuff!
 
(BTW:  the Cuisinart Griddler once advertised on Roadfood; support our advertisers!).

I keep wanting to buy one of those Griddler things, but lleechef keeps pointing out that we have no room for one and we have no need for one. Unfortunately, she's right on both counts. But I still want one.

Michael Hoffman

I keep wanting to buy one of those Griddler things, but lleechef keeps pointing out that we have no room for one and we have no need for one. Unfortunately, she's right on both counts. But I still want one.

You shoulda put that in the Pre-Nup's!!!

Michael Hoffman


I keep wanting to buy one of those Griddler things, but lleechef keeps pointing out that we have no room for one and we have no need for one. Unfortunately, she's right on both counts. But I still want one.

She may be right on the "room" issue, but she is dead wrong about "need".

wheregreggeats.com


cast iron fry pan ... get it nuclear hot ... put safflower (or other hig temp oil) on the steaks themselves .... stand by with paper towels to mop up the juices that might stray from the meat and start smoking (assuming you have a normal, inefficient, fan) eliminate as much smoke as possible.

 
This is the method I use also 1 1/2 minute side one flip 1 1/2 minute flip 1 minute flip 1 minute on last side cover with foil for 5 or more minutes. This will give medium rare. Pull the batteries out of the smoke alarm if your fan isn't powerful enough.

I use a cast iron grill pan, but go out on the porch with my butane stove.  Great for a rainy or snowy day.  Or if you are cooking a couple burgers and don't feel like lighting the grill.  And no smoke in the house!
 
http://www.restockit.com/...ci_sku=FHCF200&kw={keyword}&adtype=pla

joerogo


I use a cast iron grill pan, but go out on the porch with my butane stove.  Great for a rainy or snowy day.  Or if you are cooking a couple burgers and don't feel like lighting the grill.  And no smoke in the house!

http://www.restockit.com/...ci_sku=FHCF200&kw={keyword}&adtype=pla

 I have one of those also and they work great. Oriental grocery stores carry them also.

ces1948


Just a question for the cast iron pan users. Do you think I could use a cast iron pan on the grill? We have a Weber 3 burner that is 36k total. A possible problem I see is not being able to concentrate enough heat to the bottom of the pan because of the shape of the grill burners. What do you think?

 
not a problem. the beauty of cast iron is that it conducts heat so well, that even if most of the heat is on one side of the pan, the pan will conduct that heat evenly across the entire cooking surface. you can even set a cast iron pan directly on a campfire with no grate and get excellent results with it.

Some folks mentioned using charcoal starter; try this instead:
(One Sunday NY Times will start two years worth of charcoal!)
 

One thing that I learned the hard way about cast iron pans on the stove-top: preheat on medium, cook on low.. If you put the flame on high, many cast iron pans can end up cracking, and if you cook on anything above low, unless you have one heck of an exhaust system, you will have smoke all over the place.

bartl


One thing that I learned the hard way about cast iron pans on the stove-top: preheat on medium, cook on low.. If you put the flame on high, many cast iron pans can end up cracking, and if you cook on anything above low, unless you have one heck of an exhaust system, you will have smoke all over the place.

Which is exactly why I use a Cuisinart Griddler after rubbing the steaks with CharCrust Original Hickory!

Tampico

joerogo

I use a cast iron grill pan, but go out on the porch with my butane stove.  Great for a rainy or snowy day.  Or if you are cooking a couple burgers and don't feel like lighting the grill.  And no smoke in the house!
http://www.restockit.com/...ci_sku=FHCF200&kw={keyword}&adtype=pla

I have one of those also and they work great. Oriental grocery stores carry them also.

A Coleman Camp Stove with a cast iron skillet works good too!

MetroplexJim

bartl


One thing that I learned the hard way about cast iron pans on the stove-top: preheat on medium, cook on low.. If you put the flame on high, many cast iron pans can end up cracking, and if you cook on anything above low, unless you have one heck of an exhaust system, you will have smoke all over the place.

Which is exactly why I use a Cuisinart Griddler after rubbing the steaks with CharCrust Original Hickory!

 
The George Foreman never got hot enough for me. Does the Griddler so a better job?

Foodbme

Tampico

joerogo

I use a cast iron grill pan, but go out on the porch with my butane stove.  Great for a rainy or snowy day.  Or if you are cooking a couple burgers and don't feel like lighting the grill.  And no smoke in the house!
http://www.restockit.com/...ci_sku=FHCF200&kw={keyword}&adtype=pla

I have one of those also and they work great. Oriental grocery stores carry them also.

A Coleman Camp Stove with a cast iron skillet works good too!

 
Yep, gotta have an open flame.  I bought an electric one first.  Not hot enough and can't hold a proper temp.

Tampico

MetroplexJim

bartl


One thing that I learned the hard way about cast iron pans on the stove-top: preheat on medium, cook on low.. If you put the flame on high, many cast iron pans can end up cracking, and if you cook on anything above low, unless you have one heck of an exhaust system, you will have smoke all over the place.

Which is exactly why I use a Cuisinart Griddler after rubbing the steaks with CharCrust Original Hickory!

The George Foreman never got hot enough for me. Does the Griddler so a better job?

 

Yes! 
 
Because of the "sear" setting, it does.  And, it will do up to a 2.5" steak.  The grill plates are easily removed for cleaning and clean up quite easily.  Even though it "looks good" on the counter, it is realtively light and compact for easy storage.  It will be the best $60 bucks you ever spent for anything that goes into the kitchen.
 
Prior, I had a Foreman Grill and had the same problem with it.  That was twelve years ago, so in fairness to the Foreman Grill the new ones probably have addressed this issue.  I've had my Cuisinart for six years now and it still looks - and performs - as new.
 
A little off this topic, I recently watched a CNBC "special" on COSTCO and now having "seen inside" a bit, I appreciate them more than ever:  especially the care they take to insure the quality of the limited number of items they stock.  The fact that both Sam's and COSTCO always stock this model speaks volumes for it.