Making steaks on a cheapo fry pan?

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Bryant

Assistant Cook
Joined
Aug 1, 2007
Messages
2
Location
Kobe, Japan
Hi, all. New poster here. :chef:

Honestly, I'm not a great cook - so I apologize in advance if this question is a little amateurish. Anyway, I wanted to make some steaks or possibly a rack of lamb - but all I have in my kitchen is a cheap non-stick fry pan. It's not a cast iron pan, which I thought you needed to make a decent steak... ? Though, I'm not too sure.

Any help appreciated!
 
You might get away with panfrying the steaks in a small amount of fat, but I'd definitely nix the rack of lamb. That's not going to work in non-stick fry pan - cheap or otherwise.
 
You can do it (with the steak), but it is not idea. The problem is that with a cheap non stick pan you will very possibly have uneven heating so parts of the steak could burn. Also, non stick pans are not supposed to be used on high heat (although I do use them that way sometimes). If all you have is a non stick and and you are dying for a steak then go for it. Better yet, but a cast iron pan. The pan will cost you less than the cost of a good steak and you will get a lifetime of use out of it.
 
You could do what I've done in the past and use the pan to sear the steak, then pop it in the oven (if you've got one) to finish cooking. All I've used to do the searing is just your run of the mill non-stick skillets.

What I usually do (as I'm doing tonight) when I do this is get some nice thick steaks (3/4"+, Porterhouse or Strip steaks work good) some EVOO (extra virgin olive oil, to the neophyte. I know, cause I are one...) and one of the many commercial steak seasoning rubs (This is what I used tonight) out there, you might try a few to find out which you prefer...

Anway, preheat your oven to 350*F (you can do this by starting off with some baked potatoes... scrub, rub with EVOO, lightly salt, and pop those in on a rack Let em cook while you do the rest of this, which could take about a half hour). Grab a cookie sheet (sheet pan, whatever, as long as it's shallow and has a raised edge to catch drippings), some foil or parchment (simplifies cleanup immensely) and a metal rack. The ones I use are cooling racks, just make sure that they're safe at high temps. You want the rack on top of the parchment (or foil) in the cookie sheet.

While your oven is preheating (or cooking your potatoes) rub your steaks with EVOO. Then liberally apply your spice rub. You want enough on that what you lose during searing doesn't matter. Preheat your pan over medium high to high heat. Make sure if you have a sensitive smoke detector to get some ventilation to the kitchen, this tends to smoke a little bit.

Then sear your steak. I usually go for the sides first (metal tongs, are HIGHLY reccommended) and then the flats, giving it about 20 seconds for each contact on the edges (again, metal tongs are HIGHLY recommended) and 40 seconds to a minute on the flats.

The goal isn't to cook the steak completely on the stovetop, but rather to just sear the outside so that the juices are retained while you cook it in the oven. Once you're done searing your steak(s), put them on your prepared rack and toss em in the oven (your potatoes should be close to about halfway done, about 30 minutes to go if you've got them on). Let the whole thing cook till your potatoes are done, 30-40 minutes, perhaps more, depending on how done you like your steak, how thick they started, and such. Use a meat thermometer to check temps, or just guestimate. I usually go for about 35 when I pop them in, which is usually the rare side of medium.

When they come out, let em rest on top of the stove (make sure it's still off) for a little while before serving.
 
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:) Sure, I dont have an exact timing on steaks but its pretty basic just heat up oven to heat up broiler its always good to line the broiler pan with some foil on the bottom saves major cleanup then season steaks as you wish put in broiler broil a minute or more on one side it really depends on the thickness of steaks and how well you want them cooked then turn meat over and broil the other side.The broiler acts somewhat like a grill but the heat is contained so it will be hotter you need to pay attention.The other thing is if the broiler is on the bottom of stove or in the stove you want to keep door open whether its the bottom or in the stove other wise you will just be baking steaks at a high temperature.Im sure some one will chime in on this subject.Just try it and you will get the feel of it.Expect some smoking from the fat burning off of steaks.Im sure someone here is an expert on broiling.
 
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jpmcgrew said:
:) Sure, I dont have an exact timing on steaks but its pretty basic just heat up oven to heat up broiler its always good to line the broiler pan with some foil on the bottom saves major cleanup then season steaks as you wish put in broiler broil a minute or more on one side it really depends on the thickness of steaks and how well you want them cooked then turn meat over and broil the other side.The broiler acts somewhat like a grill but the heat is contained so it will be hotter you need to pay attention.The other thing is if the broiler is on the bottom of stove or in the stove you want to keep door open whether its the bottom or in the stove other wise you will just be baking steaks at a high temperature.Im sure some one will chime in on this subject.Just try it and you will get the feel of it.Expect some smoking from the fat burning off of steaks.Im sure someone here is an expert on broiling.
Thanks JP. I've never done a steak in the broiler but I'm going to try it now. I sure am glad you mentioned keeping the broiler door open because this is something a lot of people don't know. (Or maybe I was the only one.) Do you do the "touch" thing to tell if the steak is done to your liking?
 
:) I used to be able to do the touch thing when I worked a mesquite grill in colorado since then I have kinda lost my skills I was able to grill numerous steaks,burgers,salmon,chicken and various other items all at once including getting the right temps on the beef at the same time feeding grill with mesquite charcoal with no complaints.Now I just grill at home with a gas grill and it turns out great.Im sure I could regain those skills but I just dont want to.
 
FishersMom, how do you like your steaks? Medium rare? From room temp to medium rare, a good rule of thumb is 4 minutes per side and don’t fidget with them. Heat the pan up, brush the steak with EVOO and seasonings, and drop in the pan. Wait 4 minutes, flip for another four minutes, and then set aside to rest 5 minutes before plating. For a 1 inch steak at room temp, this is darn near impossible to mess up as long as you watch the clock.

I’ve not used a broiler, but I do follow the same timing scheme for grilling (gas or charcoal). My brother baked some beautiful 1.5 inch thick black angus rib eyes once……..BAKED………..I cried all night and went to bed red-eyed. Such a travesty!
 
keltin said:
FishersMom, how do you like your steaks? Medium rare? From room temp to medium rare, a good rule of thumb is 4 minutes per side and don’t fidget with them. Heat the pan up, brush the steak with EVOO and seasonings, and drop in the pan. Wait 4 minutes, flip for another four minutes, and then set aside to rest 5 minutes before plating. For a 1 inch steak at room temp, this is darn near impossible to mess up as long as you watch the clock.

I’ve not used a broiler, but I do follow the same timing scheme for grilling (gas or charcoal). My brother baked some beautiful 1.5 inch thick black angus rib eyes once……..BAKED………..I cried all night and went to bed red-eyed. Such a travesty!
Oh man, I don't even wanna say this because ya'll are gonna smack me around but...I really like my meat well done.

That said, I made 2 T-bone steaks again tonight after really over-cooking 2 of them last night. I was following the pan-frying method in the Julia Child book called Mastering French Cooking, or something like that. It called for butter and olive oil heated to very hot in a frying pan and then searing/cooking them for about 4 minutes a side. I don't think I had the pan hot enough yesterday so it didn't sear right (I thought) and I over-cooked them. Tonight, I did the same thing but with a hotter pan and took them off earlier. They were still a little pink in the middle and tasted wonderful but still a little too chewy (OK, tough) and a little dry.

I know from everything I've been reading and all the dirty looks I've gotten over the years that well done is not the tastiest steak. Sooo I'm going to try and learn to eat it more rare.

Anyway, since I have no live person here that knows how to do this stuff properly, it's all trial and error for me. BUT, I did make a lovely red wine and butter sauce with the pan drippings and that was heavenly!!! So it was definitely progress. But I'd like to try some other methods, too, like broiling, to see if I'm better at that. (I know that sounds like magical thinking.)
 
Fisher's Mom said:
Oh man, I don't even wanna say this because ya'll are gonna smack me around but...I really like my meat well done.

That said, I made 2 T-bone steaks again tonight after really over-cooking 2 of them last night. I was following the pan-frying method in the Julia Child book called Mastering French Cooking, or something like that. It called for butter and olive oil heated to very hot in a frying pan and then searing/cooking them for about 4 minutes a side. I don't think I had the pan hot enough yesterday so it didn't sear right (I thought) and I over-cooked them. Tonight, I did the same thing but with a hotter pan and took them off earlier. They were still a little pink in the middle and tasted wonderful but still a little too chewy (OK, tough) and a little dry.

I know from everything I've been reading and all the dirty looks I've gotten over the years that well done is not the tastiest steak. Sooo I'm going to try and learn to eat it more rare.

Anyway, since I have no live person here that knows how to do this stuff properly, it's all trial and error for me. BUT, I did make a lovely red wine and butter sauce with the pan drippings and that was heavenly!!! So it was definitely progress. But I'd like to try some other methods, too, like broiling, to see if I'm better at that. (I know that sounds like magical thinking.)

Well done huh? You’ve got a nice gas stove (according to the pics that you posted) which makes pan frying much easier. Try this, start your pan on one “eye” with high heat. Get the pan rather hot. Add a tablespoon of oil (a splash form the bottle is fine), swirl the pan (or just brush the steaks with oil and skip this part) then drop your room temp steaks in. There will be a lot of commotion. Using tongs, gently push at the edges of the steak after 2 minutes. If it slides and begins to move a bit, it’s seared properly (the meat has “let go” of the pan) …..if after 3 minutes it’s not moving, the temp was too low and you’ll have to flip it anyway and tear the meat (no big deal, don’t fret, just pull it up off the pan and flip it, but turn the heat up a bit for this last part).

When room temp or cold meat hits a hot surface, it “grabs hold” and sticks. Once it has seared properly and caramelized (the Maillard reaction), it “lets go” and moves. Many a grill enthusiast looks for this grabbing, holding, and letting go, to know when the sear is done.

Pan fry another 2 minutes on high (up to 3 if you had to increase the heat), then move the pan to another eye that is set on medium (on a very responsive gas stove top though, you can usually get by with just turning the heat down). Let it cook there 4 minutes on one side, then flip and cook another 3 minutes. Take off and rest. After resting 5 minutes, it should be well done. To rest, an easy thing that ensures well done is to simply move the pan to a trivet and cover the pan. The residual heat in the pan as well as in the meat ensures a well done steak, and for a T-Bone (nice cut) it should be juicy.
 
keltin said:
Well done huh? You’ve got a nice gas stove (according to the pics that you posted) which makes pan frying much easier. Try this, start your pan on one “eye” with high heat. Get the pan rather hot. Add a tablespoon of oil (a splash form the bottle is fine), swirl the pan (or just brush the steaks with oil and skip this part) then drop your room temp steaks in. There will be a lot of commotion. Using tongs, gently push at the edges of the steak after 2 minutes. If it slides and begins to move a bit, it’s seared properly (the meat has “let go” of the pan) …..if after 3 minutes it’s not moving, the temp was too low and you’ll have to flip it anyway and tear the meat (no big deal, don’t fret, just pull it up off the pan and flip it, but turn the heat up a bit for this last part).

When room temp or cold meat hits a hot surface, it “grabs hold” and sticks. Once it has seared properly and caramelized (the Maillard reaction), it “lets go” and moves. Many a grill enthusiast looks for this grabbing, holding, and letting go, to know when the sear is done.

Pan fry another 2 minutes on high (up to 3 if you had to increase the heat), then move the pan to another eye that is set on medium (on a very responsive gas stove top though, you can usually get by with just turning the heat down). Let it cook there 4 minutes on one side, then flip and cook another 3 minutes. Take off and rest. After resting 5 minutes, it should be well done. To rest, an easy thing that ensures well done is to simply move the pan to a trivet and cover the pan. The residual heat in the pan as well as in the meat ensures a well done steak, and for a T-Bone (nice cut) it should be juicy.
Thank you, thank you, keltin. I didn't know about the "letting go" thing but that will really help me figure out when to turn it. And I never thought about taking it off the stove but leaving it in the pan to rest while it finishes cooking to well done. I have copied your post will print it to have in the kitchen with me when I try this. You da man!

Ahh, do you like my "new" stove? I got it from Craig's list a few months ago. There's a funny story behind it but the bottom line is that I got such a good deal on that and the vent hood that I was able to keep the entire kitchen renovation under $3000. And if you saw the pics, you know I ripped it down to the bare walls and everything except the dishwasher and the microwave is "new". Now, I just need to learn to cook! Thank heaven for DC.

Terry
 
Fisher's Mom said:
Thank you, thank you, keltin. I didn't know about the "letting go" thing but that will really help me figure out when to turn it. And I never thought about taking it off the stove but leaving it in the pan to rest while it finishes cooking to well done. I have copied your post will print it to have in the kitchen with me when I try this. You da man!

Ahh, do you like my "new" stove? I got it from Craig's list a few months ago. There's a funny story behind it but the bottom line is that I got such a good deal on that and the vent hood that I was able to keep the entire kitchen renovation under $3000. And if you saw the pics, you know I ripped it down to the bare walls and everything except the dishwasher and the microwave is "new". Now, I just need to learn to cook! Thank heaven for DC.

Terry

No problem. But be careful with letting it rest in the pan. It can be done, especially since you’re shooting for well done, but personally, I’d take it out to a plate with foil and let rest on the counter. And for the grab and release, if it hasn’t let go after 3 minutes, then flip it anyway and adjust your heat. When it lets go, it may still be holding on lightly, so don’t worry about that, but there is a big difference between the grip it has when you start the sear and how it holds on when it’s ready to flip.

You said your steak was still a bit pink the other night but dry? Are you seasoning the steaks, especially with salt, before you cook them? Are you marinating them in something? A lot of people won’t salt their steaks until after it has cooked which ensures you aren’t pulling any moisture out of the meat. I typically salt mine right when it’s time to go in the pan, but never salt it as it sits out and rises to room temp!

And yes, I like your stove! It looks really good. The overhead vent is really cool as well and will come in handy for this searing task. Nice set up!
 
keltin, you should really try salting your steaks much earlier than just before they go into the pan. You will get a much better result. I generally salt mine when I pull them out of the fridge to come up to room temp, but there are others who even salt them while they are still in the fridge. It will not dry them out.
 
GB said:
keltin, you should really try salting your steaks much earlier than just before they go into the pan. You will get a much better result. I generally salt mine when I pull them out of the fridge to come up to room temp, but there are others who even salt them while they are still in the fridge. It will not dry them out.

Really? For years it’s been beat in my head to not “mess” with a good steak. No marinades, light seasoning, and not too early. It made sense as salt is often used to dry and cure meat so I just avoided using it early. I’ve heard of people using spices and then wrapping their steaks in plastic wrap and then set them on the counter to come to room temp. I might try that and see how it works.

Hmmmm...TGIF and all that, perhaps steaks on the grill tonight! Thanks!
 
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