Cast Iron Skillet and Turkey Burgers, what temp?

[RPMcMurphy]

I have perfected my turkey burger recipe, but tonight is the first time I'm not going to throw them on the grill and I'm going to use my cast iron grill pan.

What temp and how do I get them to not stick?

thanks!

[kuan]

I don't think there's a temp that causes food to not stick. Rather, make sure your skillet is hot enough and properly seasoned before you put it on. Maybe do one at a time first to make sure.

[RPMcMurphy]

thanks, yeah sorry I worded that wrong, I meant in general, how hot should the pan be for cooking the burgers since I'm not real experienced with cast iron pans...flame on high? or medium? ...

And in a separate question, how do I get it not to stick.

I do season it,after every use but have only used it a few times, I will be cooking up some bacon it it first, for a ranch sauce, I'm hoping that will help with the sticking.

Thanks!

[kuan]

The bacon will probably help.

Use medium heat, as high in a cast iron pan will definitely burn the burgers. Keep it on medium for a while and make sure the pan has absorbed as much heat as it possibly can.

[boar_d_laze]

When meat surface sears it undergoes a chemical transformation. During the transformational period, the food surface will bind to the cooking surface and hold it tenaciously. However, when completed, the food surface will "release" the cooking surface.

To sear meat in any pan: Bring the pan to temp. Add a little bit of fat -- butter, shortening or oil, and swirl the pan to coat it.

Tip: If the oil moves slowly and/or leaves voids on the pan surface, the pan is not enough to cook. If the oil smokes heavily, the pan is too hot and the oil ruined. Dump it out and allow the pan to cool slightly.

Add the seasoned meat to the pan. Allow it to cook, without touching it or otherwise moving it for a few minutes. Then check for "release" by shaking the pan. If the burgers don't move, let them cook another 60 seconds. If they still don't move, try and get them to release by tapping them on the side with your spatula. It's not exactly never-fail, but the "first shake, then tap" technique is how chef's preserve a seared crust on meat. It's not something we think about, and consequently don't think much about mentioning it.

If they still won't move, you'll have to pry them lose with your spatula. Real chef's might use s**t pans, but they use good spatulas.


BDL

[RPMcMurphy]

thanks, check out my blog for some pics of how they turned out.