Pan seared steak?

[elaine l]

I was hoping to fire up the grill and cook a couple of steaks (filets) but it is just too chilly (freezing I mean.) I would like to still cook them in the house. I do not have a grill pan. I was thinking about pan searing and finishing in the oven. I have never done this so I am not sure how to go about it. I would like the steak to turn out med-rare. Help!

 

[Andy M.]

That is my favorite way to do filet. I sear them on both sides in a combination of butter and oil then put them into a 350 F oven to finish. If the filets are 1.5 to 2 inches thick, leave them in the oven for 8-9 minutes. Then remove them and let them rest, covered loosely with foil, for 10 minutes. While they are resting you can make a pan sauce from the drippings or just have some bearnaise standing by to serve with them.

 

[elaine l]

Thank you for your speedy reply. That is exactly what I will do.

 

[pacanis]

I've never made them that way either and was just thinking about it the other night just for something different, probably because it's freezing here too, (but I'm still firing up the grill shortly for my chicken )
Does it make a difference what kind of oil? I seared my chuck roast yesterday in EVOO and the oil didn't burn......

 

[jpmcgrew]

A cast iron skillet is great for cooking steaks.

 

[Katie H]

I do not have a grill pan.

Dear Santa,

I have been a very good girl this year. I would love to get a cast-iron grill pan for Christmas.

Love,

elaine

P.S. If I get the pan, I'll leave a nice grilled steak for you next year.


PROBLEM SOLVED!!!

 

[elaine l]

Well I followed the directions to the letter and guess what? The steak turned out perfect.
Thanks again Andy.

Katie E. I like that letter to Santa. After all, I have been a very good girl this year.

 

[jpmcgrew]

Cast Iron grill is great but I meant a straight cast iron skillet also works well

 

[Katie H]

Cast Iron grill is great but I meant a straight cast iron skillet also works well

Yes, jp, I knew that's what you meant, but I was just giving Santa a nudge.

 

[Bilby]

I always just throw my steak into a flat bottome fry pan in a little olive oil or butter if I am in the mood. Normally there is also garlic and Worcestershire sauce in my pan. Make the pan hot before you put the meat in the pan, season with pepper and salt (if you feel the need). Turn down the heat to slow down the cooking. Turn the steak only once when you can see the cooking line on the meat at about the halfway mark.

It is cooked when:

Bleu - very soft to the touch, red-raw inside, edge lightly cooked (red juice)
Rare - soft to touch, red centre, thin edge of cooked meat
Med-rare - springy to touch, moise, pale red centre (juice will be pink)
Medium - firm to touch, pink in centre and crisp, brown edges
Well done - very firm to touch, brown outside and evenly cooked (no juice or juice clear).

 

[fireweaver]

ok, you guys finally convinced me. due in part to the heinously cold weather (we're having 50mph gusts of icy knives blown at us here in the dc 'burbs), and in part to the fact that the gas tank is empty on my grill, it was time to finally test-drive the pan-sear & finish in the oven method.

well, you've sold me. the flavor was ***incredible***. though i did overcook it a little (the ribeye was a hair under 1 inch), to medium instead of rare, it was super tasty. and i generally pride myself on the deliciousness of my marinade. oh, bring on that wonderful malliard rxn. finished by cooking up some mushrooms & red onion in a reserve zinfandel in the frond left on the pan. i'm in heaven here, thanks guys.

 

[sattie]

Cast iron is the next best thing to out door grilling imo. This coming from someone that has meager or basic cooking gear... no Wolf range, just a GE Electric stove, if you can call it that! Cast iron is great for pan searing/frying any type of steak cut when weather does not permit outdoor grilling.

 

[sattie]

ok, you guys finally convinced me. due in part to the heinously cold weather (we're having 50mph gusts of icy knives blown at us here in the dc 'burbs), and in part to the fact that the gas tank is empty on my grill, it was time to finally test-drive the pan-sear & finish in the oven method.

well, you've sold me. the flavor was ***incredible***. though i did overcook it a little (the ribeye was a hair under 1 inch), to medium instead of rare, it was super tasty. and i generally pride myself on the deliciousness of my marinade. oh, bring on that wonderful malliard rxn. finished by cooking up some mushrooms & red onion in a reserve zinfandel in the frond left on the pan. i'm in heaven here, thanks guys.

I am so glad you tried it!!! I would suggest that you keep working with it and perfect those pan searing techniques!

 

[fireweaver]

oh, don't worry Sattie, i will keep trying. like i said, the flavor was **amazing**! easily overcame the over-done-ness, so i'm gonna keep working on this method.

amusingly enough, the (also amazing) guy i've been dating for a few months now cooked me prime rib at his apt a few weeks ago. i've never had prime rib outside of a restaurant, and i was v.v.v. impressed with how it came out. he was oven-roasting it, with cloves of garlic stuck just under the surface, and a thick crust of pepper & herbs on the outside. it had a similar caramelized-charred-deliciousness as what i pulled out of the oven this evening.

 

[sattie]

OH WOW!!! I can't say that I have ever had prime rib outside of a restaurant myself! This guy sounds like a keeper for sure! I have to admire your guy cuz my guy can't cook unless it comes frozen out of a box.... LOL! OK, I will give him some credit, he can do a mean grilled peanut butter... oh yea!

 

[fireweaver]

yep, sattie, that was exactly my take on it: never had prime rib except at a restaurant, either. and don't even let me start about his chanterelle mushroom & smoked cheddar quiche...

 

[pacanis]

Can you pan sear and bake a steak with a bone in it, or will the meat shrink to where only the bone contacts the pan and it won't come out quite right?

 

[Andy M.]

Pan searing is pretty quick. You should be able to do it with a bone-in steak then pop it into the oven.

 

[pacanis]

Thanks.
I'm probably confusing it with frying chops at a lower temp. Sometimes I don't get that nice coloration, especially on the second side, where the meat has shrunk up some and only the bone and a smaller portion of meat contacts the pan.
I'm sure I'll figure it out after I give it a try.

 

[Bilby]

I bake chops when I want the flavours of a roast without the large quantity of meat. I turn the chops over half way thru the roasting, and I never have a problem with colour. And I don't pan sear first.