Quick Help! Steaks = Broil or in Steel Skillet?

[Mylegsbig]

Hey guys sorry for emergency. girl comin home need help with steaks

should i sear on each side in steel skillet then move to oven and finish under broiler

or should i just leave them in the skillet

it is two 12 oz sirloin *prime* steaks

Also, i have fresh garlic should i put some in a garlic press and smear the surface of the steak with garlic or when i sear steaks on very high temp will it burn it thanks!! ANY TIPS?

 

[marmalady]

Depends on how well done you like your steaks, and how thick they are; my rule is if they're over about 1 1/2 inches, they get finished in the oven at 450, even for medium rare, and even if it's just for 5 minutes or so (I don't do the broiler; if you've already seared them, they don't need the broiler, just the oven at high heat). If you do like well done, even if they're thinner, then finish them in the oven; they'll be juicier. If you like them to 'moo', then just do stovetop.


I wouldn't do the garlic smear, as you guessed right; it'll burn.

Happy Cooking!

 

[Andy M.]

Marm is right on.

As with stir-frys, the key is very high heat. Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes before cutting into them.

Also, if you want to use the garlic, make garlic butter and put a pat on the finished steak just before bringing it to the table.

 

[Mylegsbig]

i burnt them and they turned black on one side... i dont know how it happened.. i preheated a steel skillet to medium high heat and let it get hot then i put the steak on there that i had rubbed with some steak seasoning salt pepper and olive oil and i set it down..... i let it cook for 4 minutes or so the whole bottom of it had turned black and it was ruined.. i had to cut all in to the skin and cut it off..adn they were like expensive prime steak... i was pretty **** pissed off... im only using the broiler from now on, a bunch of BS... i followed the directions from thsi book perfectly and it turned black and ruined

 

[HanArt]

Sorry things didn't work out. I know how pissed you must be.

I don't care for stainless steel pans. Even with a layer of aluminum, I don't think they cook as evenly as heavy aluminum or cast iron. You're right ... the broiler would probably have been a better idea.

IMO, good beef (prime & choice) doesn't need anything more than salt & pepper.

 

[jennyema]

Buy a cast iron skillet. A Lodge brand. It'll run you maybe $25 bucks at a camping store.

You will never regret it.

Staeks cooked Marmalady's way (it's called the sear and blast method) are usually foolpoof and incredibly tasty and tender. Much better than broiling, IMO, unless you have a commercial salamander with which to work.

What was in your steak seasoning? That might have had something to do with it burning, esp. if it had any sugar in it.

I made steaks the marm way 2 nights ago and they were fantastic. I like my outsides seared very well but I have never burned them. I use cast iron and just salt, pepper and oil.

 

[Mylegsbig]

the steak seasoning was called Paul Homedusidau or something, it is some famous chef in new orleans, and it has a fat man on the picture , the recipe called to get a cast iron skillet as hot as you possibly can and then throw the steaks on there, so i don't imagine it's a rub that would burn and turn black like that.....

as for cast iron skillet, i have one, but unfortunately i bought some stupid one with ridges in it and i havent used it much i want a flat one now

 

[GB]

I am in the minority here when it comes to cooking steaks in cast iron pans. I don't like to get my pan as hot as hades. I usually end up with steaks like you had last night legs if I get it too hot. I find that if I put the pan on the burner and set it at med-high (or maybe a little higher) then my steaks come out perfect. I do not finish them in the oven. I just cook the whole thing on the stove top. The steaks I buy are usually not very thick so I am guessing that has something to do with it.
I will usually opt to make them outside on the grill though so I don't use the cast iron for steaks all that often.

 

[HanArt]

the steak seasoning was called Paul Homedusidau or something, it is some famous chef in new orleans, and it has a fat man on the picture , the recipe called to get a cast iron skillet as hot as you possibly can and then throw the steaks on there, so i don't imagine it's a rub that would burn and turn black like that.....

as for cast iron skillet, i have one, but unfortunately i bought some stupid one with ridges in it and i havent used it much i want a flat one now

Is this the guy? http://www.chefpaul.com/ Blackened redfish and steak are his creations. Unless you have great ventilation in your kitchen it's better to blacken outdoors. BTW, that "stupid one with ridges" is great for roasting a chicken in the oven ... although it's a pain to clean.

 

[Mylegsbig]

hey what about roasting chicken breasts in the oven with it do you have any ideas

yeah chef paul is the guy

and no BS about the blackening thing..my whole house was a big smoke cloud and we had to keep all the doors and windows open..and the steaks were black..it was miserable

 

[HanArt]

Boneless or bone in? I prefer roasting whole chickens. Add some herbs, maybe some seasoned butter under the skin, S&P, and roast at 450° (or up to 500° if you have the ventilation) for about 13-14 minutes per pound (10 minutes per at 500°). You're looking for an internal temp of 180°. I swear, you get a perfect chicken every time!

 

[PolishedTopaz]

I am a stove top gal with steaks too. For me, it is easier to control the doneness of beef. I tend to use my ss/copper All Clad pan as it is heavier than my all ss All Clad. I do think that any sugar at all in the rub would burn and smoke something awful. Sorry about the loss of food and the embarassment that you surely must have felt. But....chalk it up to a lesson learned and you won't make the same mistake again. And worry not.........we ALL have failed at one time or another.

 

[Otter]

I never blast the steaks on high heat - medium high (7-8) is hot enough for me. I give them about 3 minutes on each side to sear (I successfully use both All-Clad stainless and Lodge cast iron pans). I usually use peanut oil because it has a high smoke point, but I also use canola oil or olive oil on occasion. I typically keep seasonings simple with just salt and pepper. Butter will tend to burn on higher heats, but sometimes I throw in a pat near the finish of each side for flavor. Then I put them in the oven, not on broil, but at whatever temperature another item is cooking at, typically 350-400*. After taking out of the oven and removing the steaks to rest, I make a pan sauce in the pan (remember that the pan including the handle will be hot) and drizzle it over the steaks. Part of your burning problem was probably due to there being sugar in the steak sauce that you used. Some steak sauces are best put on late in the cooking process or even after cooking.

 

[HanArt]

mylegsbig, is there sugar in the steak magic? There's none in the blackened redfish magic.

Blackened is actually a misnomer. You want them dark, but not burnt. Here's a few shots I took one time when dh blackened some redfish ... outdoors.

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=5715175&uid=997963&members=1

He has his own method for prepping the fish. It's actually easier than Prudhomme's. This is the recipe he uses for tuna.



BLACKENED TUNA STEAKS

1 pound tuna cut into ½-inch thick steaks
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Paul Prudhomme’s Blackened Redfish Magic
1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

CUT tuna into ½-inch thick steaks. Place in shallow dish (like pie plate).

MELT butter in small saucepan over low heat; add olive oil and seasonings. Stir well. Pour over tuna. Flip tuna after covering with marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

HEAT a cast iron skillet for approximately 10 minutes till smoking hot. (This can be done outdoors over a propane burner or indoors with adequate ventilation.) When pan is hot, add tuna and marinade. Cook, turning once, a total of 1 ¾ - 2 minutes for rare, 3 minutes for medium-well done.

 

[jennyema]

I think your point is that you didnt want a blackened steak, right?

Then I'd skip the PP seasoning. Good meat really needs only salt and pepper. Make sure you salt the meat right before, not after cooking.

Why don't you try a variety of methods and see whicj\h one works best for you? As you can see, people who have posted all have favorite ways of cooking steak that come out well for them consistently.

For me, it's outside on the charcoal grill or sear and blast inside. See: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_99,00.html

Others like the stove top or broiler.

REgarding roasting chicken on high heat. IT WORKS GREAT!! If you slice up a potato or two reall thin and completely cover the bottom of the roasting pan with sliced potatoes it will greatly reduce the amount of smoking fromthe drippings.

 

[Mylegsbig]

yeah the steak shouldn't have blackened..and it wasnt blackened ina good way, it was AWFUL had to cut crust off top. I didnt even go high high heat like he said with cast iron and on HIGH. I used stainless steel and it was on 7, like med high.

no sugar in mix, i followed directions, shouldnt have ruined it

the steaks were coated in olive oil do u think that is what ruined it

 

[GB]

No the oil would not have ruined it. My advice is try it again the same way, except for the spice mixture you used. Try it with just salt and pepper. Since you set the heat to 7, maybe try 5 this time. It could be that your stove just runs a little hotter.

Of course my real advice is to cook it on a grill, but that is another thread altogether

 

[RPCookin]

Of course my real advice is to cook it on a grill, but that is another thread altogether

Bingo. I get good steaks in the oven broiler using a method I saw on a Food Network show a while back, but although they come out very good, they aren't seared. For my taste there is a very fine line between seared and burned, so I am less of a fan of searing than most here seem to be. But I get excellent results on my Weber gas grill, and do 90% of all my steak cooking on it.

 

[marmalady]

What kind of stainless steel pain do you have? I'm thinking maybe it wasn't heavy enough to insulate against the heat.


Oh - and that 'pan with the ridges' you have - also great to do steaks with stovetop!

Or maybe it's just time to get the grill out!

I do know how you feel - it's awful to ruin good, expensive product. What book did you say you were using for the instructions?

 

[Mylegsbig]

just some basic cookbook my girlfriends mom had... just said for one inch thick steak set heat to medium high and cook on 5 minutes one side, then 3-5 minutes on other side... i did that exactly and mys teak was black

yeah, im gonna just do broiler in the future unless im using a grill.