What’s your favorite cooking method for steaks?

[jyl]

I sous vide, then reduce the bag liquid for a red wine reduction or other sauce, finally get my cast iron pan roaring hot, add oil, sear a minute per side - the “down” side doesn’t need much, the “up” side gets a bit more, finish with butter then the sauce or reduction. I usually go for 120-125F internal. Depends on cut. Gran Marnier makes a nice sauce.

Grill is okay, but I prefer the control of SV/CI.

[Jonathan1998]

I’m a big fan of the cast iron skillet method—high heat, quick sear on both sides, and then finish it off in the oven if needed. You get that perfect crust outside and juicy center. Nothing too fancy, just quality meat, salt, pepper, and some garlic butter at the end. Not long ago, I came across a site called https://betterme.world/articles/20-hour-intermittent-fasting/. It got me thinking more about what I eat and how I balance those heavier meals with lighter ones during the week. I’m not cutting steak out or anything, just being a bit more mindful—and honestly, it feels good.

[Paul T]

This thread is making me hungry, think I’ll head out and get some steak and eggs for brunch - best meal you can eat, IMO. My doc tells me to eat less red meat, I’m trying to eat more. As to the OP, I usually just grill, a few mins on each side for a nice med rare temp. NY Strip usually. I have to try sous vide, never done it but I see it mentioned frequently….enjoy the weekend everyone!

[DavidI]

Sous vide - Guga is the king of steaks!

[Kraftwerk]

last night:
Butter heated in iron skillet 'till smoking, throw the steak in ( an overpriced New York Prime Strip $34.79) lightly salted and peppered, sear, render the fat, then flip.
Uncork a 2010 Barolo, which belonged to the ex-wife.
Only mistake: bottle should've been opened and allowed to breathe at least 1/2 hour before cooking began, my bad.
Served with baked-potatoes and fresh asparagus. Yum.


Gratuitous pop-culture reference mentioning steak:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzTel_W6V8E

[vash]

hot grill grate over an open fire, of course. arguably the most challenging method.

[Brian 162]

The rental that we’re staying at in St. Pete’s has an electric bbq. It actually cooks a pretty good steak. I was surprised how good the steak tasted, it just took a little longer than when I use the natural gas bbq at home

[aigel]

Reverse sear. Put in oven at 250F on a rack until internal temp reaches 115, then finish on grill or in pan.

With this method you get the same uniformly as sous vide but you have a dry steak that is much crispier than sous vide which comes out of the bag sloppy wet. It also requires no additional machinery and you aren’t cooking in a plastic bag.

[The Synergizer]

My problem with a pan sear is when I did it with a choice porterhouse and had the cast iron pan heated appropriately, the moment I set the steak in the pan the smoke filled the room, and my smoke alarms all went off. Then the neighbor came over thinking I had a fire... I was expecting the fire department...

I do like pan seared occasionally though.

[911 Rod]

Infrared side burner. 3 minutes for rare. Let it sit for 5 before digging in.

[cabmandone]

I found out a 3 burner Weber isn't one of my favorite ways to do steak! I ended up having to pan sear AFTER cooking on the grill. Darn thing just wouldn't produce a good sear.

[ryans65]

Preheat oven to 250.

Let steaks get up to room temp, pat them dry, heavily salt and pepper. Get my seasoned stainless pan pretty hot, add olive oil. When oil begins to smoke I place the steak in the center of the pan and listen. After about 1-2 min I will flip it, making sure there is a nice sear. After another 1-2 min I move it around making sure all sides are seared. I turn off the heat, throw in a huge chunk of butter, smashed garlic clove and rosemary. I leave the steak in the pan, tilt the pan and make a little pond of melted butter that I baste the steak with.

I remove the steak from the pan, place it on a different cold pan, and put it in the oven for approx 5-8 min depending on the thickness. This is the only way I have ever gotten repeatable results cooking a steak. I just adjust the time for different thicknesses. The crucial part about finishing in the oven is the cold pan. If you simply take your stainless pan and stick it in the oven it will continue to cook whatever side was still facing down.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by cabmandone

I found out a 3 burner Weber isn't one of my favorite ways to do steak! I ended up having to pan sear AFTER cooking on the grill. Darn thing just wouldn't produce a good sear.

Try coating the steak with rice bran oil, then it sizzles in the oil. And have the weber very hot.

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

Try coating the steak with rice bran oil, then it sizzles in the oil. And have the weber very hot.

I had that poor little Weber as screaming hot as it would get. It was a Weber Spirit that just doesn't hold a candle to my Weber Summit with a dedicated sear station in the middle. With my Weber kettle and charcoal I just pull the steak once it's within about 20 degrees of finished, cover, remove the cooking grate, add some screaming hot charcoal, put the cooking grate on with the steaks, leave the top off, flip the steaks to the "cold" side when the first side is seared, and rotate the cold side over the charcoals. (Oh! I put the charcoal all to one side of the grill when reverse searing) On a side note, I just bought a cast iron griddle that covers half of the grill so it should be interesting to see what I can produce with it once I've seasoned it.

https://www.amazon.com/Weber-7404-Cast-Iron-Griddle/dp/B0036OQK2Y/ref=asc_df_B0036OQK2Y?mcid=dea197f7e9d83fed9f0f09c ce92f1944&hvocijid=7919357074755313768-B0036OQK2Y-&hvexpln=73&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=721245378154&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7919357074755313768&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9015981&hvtargid=pla-2281435180058&psc=1

[Bill Douglas]

Yeah that cast iron Weber brand griddle will be interesting. Good luck.

I have an old aluminium one - well seasoned. I don't know what it is about it but it blasts the heat into whatever is on it.

[TimT]

One pretty cool trick is to sear the steak on your charcoal starter chimney..

https://www.americastestkitchen.com/articles/3473-for-the-ultimate-char-sear-your-steaks-over-your-chimney-starter

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by TimT

One pretty cool trick is to sear the steak on you charcoal starter chimney..

https://www.americastestkitchen.com/articles/3473-for-the-ultimate-char-sear-your-steaks-over-your-chimney-starter

that's how I grill octopus. takes seconds for great char and isn't overcooked, still tender and sweet.

[berettafan]

Au Poivre, stainless pan.

[Otter74]

Sunday night I didn't have time to roast lamb or anything else, and I remembered I had some filet mignon in the freezer. Thawed, patted dry, S&P, seared for 60-80 seconds or so in a cast iron pan preheated in a 400F oven, flip and sear on the other side and baste with butter as I do, then in the oven for three minutes, rest for ten. Came out perfect.

[wilnj]

Reverse sear for me.

Just did a very large rib eye on Sunday. 75-80 minutes at 225 in the grill which i was able to maintain using 2 of the 4 burners and keeping the meat on the unlit side.

Then cranked up the heat and put it directly over the 2 lit burners. It got great crust and a perfect mid-rare.

Then I turned my back on the thing. Even with the burners off, flare ups continued while I ran inside for a platter and the steak ended about a little more than medium and the perfect sear went to full char on one side.