Olive oil will smoke at a touch over 400F. Just curious, steak will catch fire at around 500F. What temperature are you cooking your steak at?

Lot of good suggestions already posted.

Here's a down and dirty method I have used......

Leave steak out at room temperature for a half hour before cooking. Season both sides with salt and pepper as desired.

Add a little cooking oil and then heat frying pan up with high setting. When very hot lay your steak in - leave for 3 minutes. Flip over and leave for another 3. Burner setting stays on high the whole time plus make sure you use a splatter screen.

You'll want your exhaust fan on while doing this, BTW. Maybe even turn your thermostat down so your central AC runs too.

And that's it.

I like to saute mushrooms and onions for my steak ahead of time too.

Enjoy!

Leaving it out for 30 minutes to warm up does little to nothing. I have measured it once. Here is a test - a bit lengthy and guy can't even plot his data, but you can scroll ahead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q8Av2DmDVo

Especially when going sear fist, I'd leave it out for a couple hours to help it cook more uniformly.

I'm going to try the 'reverse sear' method next time I partake.
I always wondered why they turned out under-cooked and/or chewy and grey. Stuck on stupid here.

The presence of water makes proteins shrink and coagulate, and unless conditions were perfect my steaks always ended up a bit 'off'.

If you are up in WI give me a shout. We will throw some ribs in and then smoke them, some steak, smoked salmon so you can get a variety of flavors. Need 48 hours notice on the ribs but they will be tender and juicy and you will never eat ribs out at a restaurant again.

Cooks country says preheat the cast iron in the oven so it is even heat as cast does not heat evenly quickly.

Oh, make sure it is dried with a paper towel before dropping on the pan.

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I love the sous vide but

I've also really enjoyed the thing that may have been mentioned in that Alton video

where you season it and put it in the fridge uncovered overnight or even longer to tighten up.

then remove and let it get to room temp and pat dry before you hammer it on the grill or in a pan.

It might not sound proper but it works well!

I am telling you guys, sous vide is a waste, make it sloppy wet and add an extra layer of complication with plastic bags and another device where you can just use your oven (or your grill if we want to include grilling) for better results. Your crust will always be better on a reverse sear. How do you do sous vide while camping???

I am done with this thread! IDIOTS! ;)

^^^ Tell us how a sous vide steak can get sloppy wet.

You bring the meat up to temperature in a plastic bag. It just sits there in its juice and comes out of the bag wet. Even if you pat it dry, it still is very wet, compared to a reverse sear. When searing moisture is your enemy, because it creates steam and limits your searing temperature. You will not get a good crust.

As opposed to reverse sear, where at low temp, you will dry out just the surface of the meat, forming a skin and creating a dry surface that will immediately sear in oil or on the open flame instead of causing a steam explosion.

Does this make sense? I am starting to feel like tabs having to explain this over and over! ;)

I'm just saying that I've never had a sous vide steak that was sloppy wet.

I have had reverse seared steaks that were not done to my liking. (well done on the outside...rare in the middle)

Try sous vide sometime...you will be surprised. :)

Oh, I see the misunderstanding. The steak is wet before it is seared. Not when served!

I have had sous vide and I think it does very well, but so does reverse sear without the extra hassle. I you had a reverse sear steak that was not uniformly cooked then the cook messed up. You want to bring it up to temp slowly, 200F is my go-to temperature. And yes, then it takes a while too.

^^^ I'm getting hungry now for a good thick rib-eye!

One last thing...a sous vide steak never touches the water.

I need to try a crazy Vegas thing...sous vide in a butter bath ( in a hotel pan,not a bag) then seared...

There are three ways to make a steak taste great (four if you include filet*)

Fat
Crust/bark
Visually

You can buy fat, just need to pick up USDA prime or wagyu. That's easy. But there's only one way to get amazing crust. And that dovetails with the fact that you eat with your eyes. And your nose.

The only way to get the best, and tastiest, crust/bark is sear your steak in cast iron and throw it in a 400-425ºF oven. You can see it. You can smell it. No other technique can duplicate the results. Yes it requires technique and knowing what you are doing but it delivers the best results and well worth the effort to learn IMHO. And it looks the best on the plate completing the trifecta making it the best way to cook a steak indoors.

* filet is just a sauce delivery vehicle, bordelaise being one possibility

olive oil on steaks is really good too.


for a marinade i found this korean BBQ sauce (for ribs). marinate for about an hour.
THE BEST flavor. also good for chicken.
i can only get it at korean/ chinese grocery stores.

Some of these methods are too complicated. While the cast iron is getting hot I salt and pepper the steak, then slap it onto the cast iron and cook it until both sides are charred/burned. Done.

Infrared propane Caveman

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