How do you get a good "crust" on a steak?

[SaltyNuts]

Went to a steakhouse the other night, and the steak was great. I noticed it had an awesome "crust" on it, far better than I have ever made at home. What do they do to get such a great crust on it? My technique has always been to sear it in a skillet, add salt, pepper and some butter when done, then finish in the oven. I read (I think on this site) that you don't add the salt/pepper/butter before searing as that will burn it/foul it up.

Anything else I can do to make my steaks have a thicker "crust"?

Thanks for any serious replies.

 

[deadlyapp]

A hotter surface

 

[Snarf Snarf]

^^ Hotter surface, and one other thing my chef buddies taught me. Dry your steak for 5-10 minutes, wrap it in paper towel or a towel you don't care for anymore. This removes most of the surface moisture that will prevent you from getting a decent sear on the steak. I used to oil my steaks directly before, and while that worked to a certain extent I found out it was in spite of my knowledge, mostly due to the heat of the pan. Ever since switching to drying them, the crust is noticeable now. We're talking solid, crispy, brown, rich with flavor, the kind of sear you dream about.

Also I was told to salt the steak after drying and let the salt sit for another 5 minutes until you can't see the crystals anymore and to do ground pepper when you finish with butter. For personal taste when doing the butter finish I use a sprig of fresh rosemary and a crushed garlic clove. I do this when I pull the skillet from the stove, before putting in the oven at 450.

 

[JM Aggie08]

Salt + Pepper before cooking it. Make sure it's at room temp, and the pan screaming hot. Only rotate the steak once per side.

Profit.

 

[SaltyNuts]

Thanks guys. Snarf, got it on the drying part, and the salt part. But as for the pepper, butter, rosemary and garlic - when in the timeline to you put those on? I would guess it is after the sear, before you put it in the oven, so that you don't burn those things doing the sear?

K, gonna try a super high heat sear tonight, will let yall know how it goes!

 

[SaltyNuts]

Whoa JM Aggie08, the sear doesn't burn the pepper?

 

[JM Aggie08]

Whoa JM Aggie08, the sear doesn't burn the pepper?

Not in my experience.

 

[NetWareHead]

Whoa JM Aggie08, the sear doesn't burn the pepper?

Yes it is wise to add aromatics (like pepper) after the searing part. Pepper will burn and impart a taste. If you are cooking at typical home temperatures, pepper away before. If you are cooking at steak house temps, pepper after.

 

[NetWareHead]

Went to a steakhouse the other night, and the steak was great. I noticed it had an awesome "crust" on it, far better than I have ever made at home. What do they do to get such a great crust on it? My technique has always been to sear it in a skillet, add salt, pepper and some butter when done, then finish in the oven. I read (I think on this site) that you don't add the salt/pepper/butter before searing as that will burn it/foul it up.

Anything else I can do to make my steaks have a thicker "crust"?

Thanks for any serious replies.

You need heat, no shortcut around that.

Use cast iron as you have done. I have an outdoor propane burner rated at 65 thousand BTUs and an old cast iron pan that I dont care for. Let the pan sit on high heat for at least 5 minutes and then drop the steak in. I can get the pan so hot that the handle burns the oven mitt. I have to use a set of pliers to remove it.

Or, if you have a charcoal chimney, I fill 3/4 with charcoal and light it. When the flames are burning up through the top, I put a grate on it and cook the steak directly on top of the searing charcoal. IMO, its the best and cheapest way for a home cook to replicate searing steakhouse temps

 

[Phynaz]

Get a pan surface thermometer, heat pan to 425 and hold it there. Sear steak 2 minutes on each side, finish in 450 oven. LET MEAT REST 8 MINUTES PER POUND.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdepEspMLEY

 

[ra1nman]

You need heat, no shortcut around that.
Or, if you have a charcoal chimney, I fill 3/4 with charcoal and light it. When the flames are burning up through the top, I put a grate on it and cook the steak directly on top of the searing charcoal. IMO, its the best and cheapest way for a home cook to replicate searing steakhouse temps

That is an interesting thought. Never considered doing that.

 

[NetWareHead]

That is an interesting thought. Never considered doing that.

Its the absolute best way to make skirt steak. So thin and so easy to overcook. When overcooked it comes out like shoe leather. One of the harder steaks to make IMO. Get the chimney roaring and it only needs about 30-45 seconds on each side. Crusty sear on the outside and rare inside.

Or if cooking steaks for a large crowd, I use the chimney to sear all the steaks first. The transfer them to an oven cooked to the desired doneness. It also makes a great reverse searer after sous-vide. Its one of my faviroite steak tools because you get nuances of smokey deliciousness. Cooking with solid fuel rocks!

 

[JM Aggie08]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZcoTQuYUqQ

Just do this.

 

[SketchMaster]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZcoTQuYUqQ

Just do this.

Was just about to post that.

 

[Snarf Snarf]

^^ Yeah Gordon Ramsey is where I got the rosemary and garlic idea from. I've been told you can burn the pepper with a hot enough sear, my burner at home doesn't get hot enough to do this so I can't say that I know what burnt pepper tastes like to know the difference. The rosemary and garlic are after the second flip when you're about to put the steak in the oven. Spoon the butter over the steak when you serve, and as a bonus you can put some of the excess on some mashed potatoes or veggies to really ruin all benefit of eating veggies, but we aren't discussing frying steaks for its healthy qualities

 

[Ns1]

Butter + heat

 

[Darwin333]

You need heat, no shortcut around that.

Use cast iron as you have done. I have an outdoor propane burner rated at 65 thousand BTUs and an old cast iron pan that I dont care for. Let the pan sit on high heat for at least 5 minutes and then drop the steak in. I can get the pan so hot that the handle burns the oven mitt. I have to use a set of pliers to remove it.

Or, if you have a charcoal chimney, I fill 3/4 with charcoal and light it. When the flames are burning up through the top, I put a grate on it and cook the steak directly on top of the searing charcoal. IMO, its the best and cheapest way for a home cook to replicate searing steakhouse temps

What kind of oil do you use?

 

[NetWareHead]

What kind of oil do you use?

Refined avocado oil with a supposed smoke point of over 500 degrees. I like it because it is neutral flavored too. It can still catch fire if I am not quick; the oil starts smoking in seconds when using my outdoor propane burner. Instead of drizzling into the pan, I just lightly coat the steaks with oil then salt and then place into the pan.

 

[UNCjigga]

Ground coffee in your steak rub. Does wonders for the crust crispness and flavor.

 

[smackababy]

Lol, cast iron. I remember when I was a pleb that used such shit methods to get that half inch gradient! Get a blow torch and sear it like a boss.

 

[Ancalagon44]

Read the seriouseats.com article on steak.

Salt it at least an hour before cooking.

Make sure it is properly dry.

Turn it as often as you need to - frequent turning leads to more even doneness.

If you want to take up another level, you can do beer cooler sous vide cooking. Read the article on serious eats on this, it is quite easy to do although you need a thick piece of steak, probably 2 inches thick.

Sous vide first and then brown.

 

[Jeeebus]

Ground coffee in your steak rub. Does wonders for the crust crispness and flavor.

This. I use a commercial coffee-based rub that is delicious (though I add salt also). That said, for thicker steaks I usually do them reverse sear in a kamado, on cast iron grates, at 600 - 700 degrees.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Was just about to post that.

Was that olive oil he used? Seriously low smoke point...I'd use peanut oil or something with a higher smoke point.

I prefer the Longhorn Steakhouse flavor and don't typically go for a real crust because I finish the steak with butter...
I basically make a rub out of unsmoked Paprika around 4 tsp...then add 1/4 tsp cayanne, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tsp tumeric.

I typically get thick cut ribeyes....Angus or Prime cuts only.
Take the steaks out of refrigeration for 45 minutes or more to room temp unless trying to achieve rare.
Pat the steaks dry and sprinkle rub liberally on both sides....grill on high to sear the steaks.
Watch for flare ups. Once the steaks have been on for 3-5 minutes, flip them with tongs to avoid tough spots in the meat.
Cook another 3-5 minutes. I usually go for medium rare to medium....every grill is different and has hot spots. If you know your grill, that's key to everything.

After the steaks are done, pull them off and let them rest. Put a tablespoon or two of butter on top of each one. The butter will mix with the rub and make a sauce.

 

[Thebobo]

In a toaster of course

 

[Darwin333]

I have found that using paper towels to remove all the moisture you can and then salting them and letting them sit in the fridge on a rack uncovered for a day to let the moisture evaporate from the surface gives great results. The dryer the surface is the better you can sear it.