YAST: Yet Another Steak Thread

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: FlashG

Originally posted by: spidey07
Use canola oil - NOT VERY MUCH, like maybe a teaspoon.

You should be able to get a Lodge pre-seasoned cast iron skillet at target, walmart, etc. Read up on how to care for one and keep it seasoned. I clean with only kosher salt, warm water and a paper towel.

Pre-seasoned Lodge cast iron is a lifetime investment. We are using my wife?s great grandma's skillet with great success. They also easily convert to a lethal bullet proof weapon that doesn?t require a license

lol! I've got 4.

I ruined one and let it get rusted. A little steel wool, through cleaning and reseason - good as new.

 

[Howard]

Buying preseasoned saves a bit of work but sometimes you end up with a few pieces flaking off. No biggie; just coat and use as normal.

If there's food stuck to the pan, I just soak it right away for a few minutes which should loosen it all up to be scraped away with basically anything. Occasionally I'll go over it with a soft Scotchbrite pad, but never soap.

 

[effowe]

Well the meal was a great success. I had initial problems flipping the steak the first time due to it not being seasoned well. After it got flipped, all was golden and me and my roommate ended up with perfect medium rare steaks.

I also whipped up some homemade garlic mashed potatoes, using small red potatoes with the skin on. Added some grilled asparagus with a glass of red wine. That had to have been the most epic meal I have cooked, considering it was my first try on all the dishes.

Now for the pics..

Steak
Sides
Meal

Crappy pics taken with my phone, but you get the idea.

 

[spidey07]

You're well on your way...keep practicing and you'll have it mastered in no time.

oh - and when picking out a ribeye, look for ones with more "eye of the rib" and nice marbling. That's the top part in your steak picture surrounded by a ring of fat. If you look close you can find some really nice looking ribeyes, but you got to know what to look for.

 

[effowe]

Originally posted by: spidey07
You're well on your way...keep practicing and you'll have it mastered in no time.

oh - and when picking out a ribeye, look for ones with more "eye of the rib" and nice marbling. That's the top part in your steak picture surrounded by a ring of fat. If you look close you can find some really nice looking ribeyes, but you got to know what to look for.

Yeah I went to Jewel to get the steaks (bad choice, but last minute sort of thing.) I went to the butcher and looked for ribeye, nothing there. I asked if he could go to the back to check and no dice. I ended up getting some packaged ribeye steaks that were off to the side. I will definitely be going to a real butcher to get a choice cut of meat next time, but it was still oh so delicious.

 

[spidey07]

Start learning your cuts and where they come from. You'll be a master in no time flat. You can see 20 ribeye steaks presented to you at the store and there are probably 2-3 REALLY nice ones in there, the rest are "meh".

Again congrats, you're well on your way and practice makes perfect.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: spidey07
You're well on your way...keep practicing and you'll have it mastered in no time.

oh - and when picking out a ribeye, look for ones with more "eye of the rib" and nice marbling. That's the top part in your steak picture surrounded by a ring of fat. If you look close you can find some really nice looking ribeyes, but you got to know what to look for.

Strange, FT didn't end up word-wrapping this post. I actually get a scroll bar here.

effowe, what recipe did you use for the steaks?

 

[Born2bwire]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Howard
Yep. Cook some bacon on it, pour out the excess lard, and smear around the fat until you get an extremely thin layer coating the whole pan (make sure you use something lint-free, or your fingers). Then up the heat on your grill to about 375F, flip the pan so the bottom is up, close the hood, and forget about it.

Actually, you can do it with Crisco or vegetable oil or supermarket lard or whatever.

If you've got the time, wait for the pan to cool and apply another layer. You'll probably have some marks on the rim from the grille, so just rotate it a bit to get even application.

but he shouldnt have to do that if its pre-seasoned.


(i would still do it though)

Yeah I would too. I bought a Lodge skillet and when I reseasoned it using vegetable shortening (Crisco), the seasoning was vastly superior to what was applied at the factory. Slick as teflon.

 

[Howard]

reworded (damn you spidey)

There's a school of thought that encourages seasoning at a temperature at least above the smoke point of the fat you use. If the temperature is lower than the smoke point, the seasoning layer may not be as non-stick or as durable than if the temperature was higher.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: FlashG

Originally posted by: spidey07
Use canola oil - NOT VERY MUCH, like maybe a teaspoon.

You should be able to get a Lodge pre-seasoned cast iron skillet at target, walmart, etc. Read up on how to care for one and keep it seasoned. I clean with only kosher salt, warm water and a paper towel.

Pre-seasoned Lodge cast iron is a lifetime investment. We are using my wife?s great grandma's skillet with great success. They also easily convert to a lethal bullet proof weapon that doesn?t require a license

lol! I've got 4.

I ruined one and let it get rusted. A little steel wool, through cleaning and reseason - good as new.

oh yeah. i picked up a few at a garage sale. a old couple were moving and wanted to get rid of everything they can.

got a 14, 12 8 and think a 6 for $5. they are all very well used. the old lady was just happy someone wanted them and knew what they were lol.

have one i use only for steak and another i use for eggs/bacon

 

[amoeba]

remember that resting is very important.

 

[spidey07]

Howard, when I season pans there is a good wisp of smoke. Don't know if that is a good thing or not but that's what my great grandma told me, and I'll take her word on it.

-edit-
Oh, and I always use pork fat.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: spidey07
Howard, when I season pans there is a good wisp of smoke. Don't know if that is a good thing or not but that's what my great grandma told me, and I'll take her word on it.

-edit-
Oh, and I always use pork fat.

Originally posted by: spidey07
Use canola oil - NOT VERY MUCH, like maybe a teaspoon.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: spidey07
Howard, when I season pans there is a good wisp of smoke. Don't know if that is a good thing or not but that's what my great grandma told me, and I'll take her word on it.

-edit-
Oh, and I always use pork fat.

Originally posted by: spidey07
Use canola oil - NOT VERY MUCH, like maybe a teaspoon.

Pork fat to season, high smoke point oil when making fast cook meats. Who doesn't have a big mason jar of bacon/pork grease right next to their stove?

 

[effowe]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: spidey07
You're well on your way...keep practicing and you'll have it mastered in no time.

oh - and when picking out a ribeye, look for ones with more "eye of the rib" and nice marbling. That's the top part in your steak picture surrounded by a ring of fat. If you look close you can find some really nice looking ribeyes, but you got to know what to look for.

Strange, FT didn't end up word-wrapping this post. I actually get a scroll bar here.

effowe, what recipe did you use for the steaks?

I used the first one posted.

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: dbk
http://www.foodnetwork.com/rec...seared-rib-eye-recipe/ <---really good

Will smoke up your whole house, however. Open the windows.

Hell yeah they will. I got one of those wire mesh screens to go over the skillet. That helps some.

 

[Rudee]

Grill it outdoors. The cast iron pan method that others are mentioning causes too much smoke in the house.

 

[Asparagus]

Originally posted by: dbk
http://www.foodnetwork.com/rec...seared-rib-eye-recipe/ <---really good

Will smoke up your whole house, however. Open the windows.

I've used this recipe several times - the steaks always turn out great. Man...now I'm hungry again! Your pictures looked great.

Oh - and the tip about the pepper burning is a good one...burnt pepper is not exactly a good taste.

 

[LordSnailz]

Do you guys get a bunch of juice with the steak when you take it out of the oven? Sometimes the juice 'washes' away all the salt and flavor I'm guessing I didn't sear it well enough to keep the juices in?

 

[Born2bwire]

Originally posted by: LordSnailz
Do you guys get a bunch of juice with the steak when you take it out of the oven? Sometimes the juice 'washes' away all the salt and flavor I'm guessing I didn't sear it well enough to keep the juices in?

Searing won't keep the juices in, if anything you'll lose more juice. You do get a lot of grease and juice that comes out but resting the steak before cutting into it should be sufficient to ensure that it is still juicy when you eat it.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

:thumbsup:

 

[brxndxn]

Originally posted by: Born2bwire

Originally posted by: LordSnailz
Do you guys get a bunch of juice with the steak when you take it out of the oven? Sometimes the juice 'washes' away all the salt and flavor I'm guessing I didn't sear it well enough to keep the juices in?

Searing won't keep the juices in, if anything you'll lose more juice. You do get a lot of grease and juice that comes out but resting the steak before cutting into it should be sufficient to ensure that it is still juicy when you eat it.

I disagree.. You gotta form a crust on the outside of the steak. You do that by searing it - that's why Alton Brown's method calls for a cast iron skillet on high on the stove first..

From the picture, it looks like the steak was cooked - but not seared at all.

Though, I do agree with 'resting' the steak..

 

[Born2bwire]

Originally posted by: brxndxn

Originally posted by: Born2bwire

Originally posted by: LordSnailz
Do you guys get a bunch of juice with the steak when you take it out of the oven? Sometimes the juice 'washes' away all the salt and flavor I'm guessing I didn't sear it well enough to keep the juices in?

Searing won't keep the juices in, if anything you'll lose more juice. You do get a lot of grease and juice that comes out but resting the steak before cutting into it should be sufficient to ensure that it is still juicy when you eat it.

I disagree.. You gotta form a crust on the outside of the steak. You do that by searing it - that's why Alton Brown's method calls for a cast iron skillet on high on the stove first..

From the picture, it looks like the steak was cooked - but not seared at all.

Though, I do agree with 'resting' the steak..

Searing adds flavor, but it can only damage the cells of the meat. Alton Brown did this on his show.