Cooking a Steak [No Grill]

Use the stainless. Preheat on medium for a good while, several minutes, until you can really feel the pan hot when placing your hand flat 2 inches above the bottom of the pan. Then turn the heat up to high for a few seconds, add the oil to the pan, and if it smokes right away (it should if the pan is hot enough), add your steak right away. Sear for about 2 minutes, flip, sear for about 2 more minutes. For medium-rare, take the steak to a wooden cutting board right away and losely cover with foil for 3 minutes or so. For medium, lower the heat to medium and continue cooking about 1 more minute on either side, depending on the thickness of the steak. 

Make sure to first take the steak off the fridge about 1Hr before cooking so the meat is tempered. 

Your rub sounds like too much: your steak won't taste like rib-eye, it will taste like cumin/paprika/garlic/onion. Personally I'd recommend a simpler rub of only salt and pepper. Keep your spices for another cut of meat. So S & P rub and immediately add to the pan - don't let stand or the salt will pull the moisture out of the steak, making it less juicy and wet on the surface, preventing a good sear. In fact I recommend patting all sides real well with paper towel so the steak is perfectly dry when it hits the pan. 

I don't use a meat thermometer. 

For a simple jus, while your steak is resting, add a bit of white wine (or even simply water) to the pan while the pan is still hot, and with a spoon or a spatula, deglaze the bits stuck at the bottom so they infuse the water/wine. When the steaks are rested, pour any juices on the wooden board back into the pan to complete the jus, taste the jus for seasoning (it's most likely seasoned well from the salt at the bottom of the pan, but adjust if necessary), and drizzle over the steaks. 

Get a wooden cutting board! 

If you have a wire rack, place it on top of a plate (to keep the juices) and rest the steak on the rack. 

Otherwise just put an upside down bowl/plate on top of a plate, and place your steak on top. 

The idea is not to have the steak rest in its own juices, which would ruin the beautiful crispy golden brown crust you've created when searing. 

Yeah some of the juices get absorbed by the wood... not all but some... maybe I'm wrong but it feels better to me to have a steak rest on wood. The recommendation is usually a wire rack, but I usually can't be bothered. 

I bought a Boo's cutting board a few years ago, and I never regretted the purchase. 

I don't think your rub sounds wrong, although the cumin might take it a little over board.  Use a really light hand here.  Personally I love paprika and garlic on my steak and it doesn't take away from the flavor of a steak. 

Depending on the thickness of the steak I prefer to cook on the stove top rather than do a transfer.  Make sure your steak is really dry, no wet spots.  Pat it dry, let it stand in between paper towels for a while before you season it with oil and seasonings.  Even a drop of moisture will just create steam and thus "boil" your steak rather than sear it.  When you put it in your screaming hot pan, don't poke it with a forks or prod it too much.  Let it sear before you turn it over.  Once I turn over the steak I add a good pat of butter and then just baste it and keep basting it until it comes out of the pan.

I would also suggest to steer clear of cast iron here and opt for aluminum.  The reason is that if you use aluminum you have the option to make a quick pan sauce while your steak rests.  Have your sauce ingredients on stand by, the sauce only takes a few minutes to make, long enough for your steak to rest adequately.  Directly into the pan juices I like putting in a bit of garlic, shallot, dijon, a tsp of flour, and some beef stock.  You could also put wine.  Reduce by half, add a pat of butter and a shot of cream.  Strain and serve along side the steak.

Preheated real hot s/s pan(teflon pans cannott take extremely high heat for that long it will break down) Spray pan with pam or vege spray. Sear then turn heat down a bit or pull pan off fire. Touch meat with fingers to determine doneness. Keep in mind rib eye contains fat so watch out for flarups when you think done take out of pan let sit a minute and serve. As far as seasoning or rub do it to your taste

One other warning. Cover your smoke detector in plastic. Open a window. All the good stovetop methods produce a fair amount of smoke.

When you're done eating, remember to remove the plastic from the smoke detector.

Please, please, for the next time buy a cast-iron grill pan. After seasoning it use the same grease of the steak instead of oil. A final touch of black vinegar or balsamic gives some added flavour to any steak. And of course a maitre d'hotel cold butter is always exquisite.

I have a square cast iron grill pan with the ridges. It is almost as good as a grill, but it is a pain to clean.

I heat it up in the oven, and turn my burner up to one notch under high(electric unfortunately), and when the pan has been warming up about a half hour, I place it on the burner, rub some oil on it, and add the steaks. 

I am also a believer in salt and pepper only on steaks. Other cuts may need more seasonings, but a good cut of ribeye, strip, or porterhouse doesn't need anything else, in my opinion. Now I will occasionally make a compound butter to put on the steak, depending on what sides I am going to have. A chipotle butter is nice when you're serving beer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnePiece 

 

Cooked some of the meats before this reply came in, and sure enough a smoke alarm did go off.

What is the general opinion on Grill pans?

I had a couple of cast iron grill pans, they were such a pain to clean I ended up giving them away. Also they produced even more smoke than a regular pan. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by French Fries 

 

I had a couple of cast iron grill pans, they were such a pain to clean I ended up giving them away. Also they produced even more smoke than a regular pan. 

You do not 'clean' a cast-iron grill pan.  It's like rubing a wok with a metal sponge. You ruin it. You season a grill pan to create a nice carbon layer which will give flavour to your steaks. 

ordo, the problem (MY? problem) with the grill cast iron is that bits of fat, juices, seasoning etc... fall in between the ridges, and quickly start burning, creating a stench in the whole house, smoke like there's no tomorrow, etc. After cooking, just trying to use a chop stick or some paper towel/newspaper to clean in between the ridges wasn't enough, so I'd revert to trying to clean it with a sponge - big nightmare right there. 

It's possible I just don't know how to use a cast iron grill pan. I now use a carbon steel pan, which has developed a great seasoning, and have zero problems cleaning it (with or without a sponge). 

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnePiece 

So a relative picked up some Rib-eyes and a few other cuts of meat for dinner tonight, 

and I wondered what the best way to cook a steak is.

 

All info is appreciated.  

     I'd simply build a wood fire, get it good and hot...and throw the steak right in the white hot embers.  Then after little bit give it a turn and pull it off at rare/med.rare.  With a good thick ribeye...this method actually works quite well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by phatch 

One other warning. Cover your smoke detector in plastic. Open a window. All the good stovetop methods produce a fair amount of smoke.

 

When you're done eating, remember to remove the plastic from the smoke detector.

I also go through the trouble of closing all the bedroom and bathroom doors in the house, I hate it when the smell of cook fire seeps into my bedding!

Quote:

Originally Posted by French Fries 

ordo, the problem (MY? problem) with the grill cast iron is that bits of fat, juices, seasoning etc... fall in between the ridges, and quickly start burning, creating a stench in the whole house, smoke like there's no tomorrow, etc. After cooking, just trying to use a chop stick or some paper towel/newspaper to clean in between the ridges wasn't enough, so I'd revert to trying to clean it with a sponge - big nightmare right there. 

 

It's possible I just don't know how to use a cast iron grill pan. I now use a carbon steel pan, which has developed a great seasoning, and have zero problems cleaning it (with or without a sponge). 

FF: truth, the smoke problem is unavoidable. That’s the reason many people in Argentina are building specific stoves outside the house, believe or not. But the use of the ridges is important for two reasons:

1. To avoid the steak to fry in its own grease. A flat pan will fry the steak. A grill will permit the grease to flow to the border of the pan. If the grease content is too much you pour it out while cocking. Our grill pans are prepared for that, as you can see in this picture (not my pick):

2. It gives that nice grill marcs presentation.

I use a heavy cast iron flat pan only for fish. ¡Salud!

Cast iron grill pans are best for steaks on the stove hands down. WS has these pans (forget the name) for maybe $30.00 and they last a LONG time. I never have a big smoke issue but I also have a big hood vent and prefer leaner cuts. A fatty Delmonico is definitely going to smoke much more than a trimmed strip steak.

I also prefer to use different rubs with no matter what the cut. Just salt and pepper on steak is ho hum, boring and outdated to me. Coffee, Ancho Chile Powder, Cumin, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder and Paprika all make great rubs for steak. I even did fillet with a hint of 5 spice that was fantastic. The right rub makes a major difference and I promise you'll never reach for that disgusting store bought steak sauce again after using a good steak rub.

This isn’t my method but a super-hot pan with a touch of oil brushed on the pan after it's hot. Grill 1" steaks, 2 minutes per side, (electric stove will require longer) then finish in a 350 stove for another 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Remove from oven, loosely tent with foil and serve after a 5 minute rest. I rarely fire up the outdoor grill for steaks because this is so easy and gives better results.

When steaks are more than an inch thick, it's usually better not to cook them start to finish on the stove top -- grill pan or no.  The restaurant style is often called "sear and blast." 

Use a a good, heavy pan (stainless is fine), preferably non-stick.

Preheat the oven to 400F for at least 15 minutes.  Alternatively, if you have a convection oven, preheat to 350F with the fan on.

Note the weight of your largest steak.  If the steaks were not separately wrapped and weighed you'll have to estimate.

When you're ready to cook, preheat the pan over medium-high heat until you think it's hot enough, add a tiny bit of oil, swirl the pan so the oil completely covers the bottom, and continue pre-heating until the oil shimmers.  Shimmer is the low end of "hot enough," and just starting to smoke is the high end.   

Add the seasoned, "temped" (to room temperature) steaks to the pan, and sear them.  Do not try and move the steaks, or lift them to check on their progress.  

After about 90 seconds, shake the pan.  If the steaks slide around, they're ready to to turn.  If not, check again in 30 seconds and keep checking every 30 seconds; but do not let your steaks go longer than 3 minutes total on the first side.  There are two reasons you want the steaks to "release" on their own.  First you don't want to disturb the delicious crystalized juices on the outside; and second, the release point is a never-fail indication of the perfect sear.

After the steaks move (or after 3 minutes), turn the steaks.  Allow them to cook for 30 seconds, no more no less.   Then place the pan in the oven.  The reason you only allow thirty seconds on the second side is that the pan carries residual heat and the steaks continue to sear for a couple of minutes after going into the oven.

Once the steaks are in the oven, roast for 10 minutes per pound for rare, or 12 minutes per pound for mid-rare, basing your estimated cooking time on the weight of the largest individual steak.  It doesn't matter how many steaks you  have in the pan, calculate your time by the largest individual steak.  Don't forget to subtract the amount of time the steaks spent searing from the total time. 

So, if you have two one pound steaks which took 2min 30sec to sear, and you want to cook to medium rare, you have 9min 30sec in the oven. 

After roasting for two minutes less than the calculate time, "press test" the steaks.  If you don't know how to press test accurately, just cook to your calculated time and hope for the best.  When the steaks are done, remove them from the pan and let them rest -- preferably on a rack -- for no less than five and no more than seven minutes. 

While the steak seared on the stove top and roasted in the oven, fond developed on the bottom of the pan.  It would be a sin to waste it, use it for a pan sauce.

That's it!

BDL

I agree with BDL except for the time allocated in the oven. It not only is based on the thickness or weight of the steak, it is also based on the cut of meat the steak comes from.