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Dinner last night - or, an ode to lost arm hair

Had a quick dinner last night ... NY Strips pan seared in extra virgin olive oil in the cast iron skillet.  Everything went well - until I turned one of the steaks and splashed a little but of oil into the flame.  It's ok ... arm hair is highly overrated.

Here's a couple of quick pics.  Nothing terribly special about the cook (from lighting the egg to sitting down was less than a half hour), but sure did taste good.  And yes, before anyone asks, they were overcooked - this was completely my fault.  I'd forgotten just how quickly things cook when seared in oil and using cast iron.  I still need to work myself back into the groove. 

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StlScott

Comments

  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 9,795

    Looks awfully good to me.

     

     

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
    You can overcook it for me anytime.
  • FLbobecu
    FLbobecu Posts: 309
    Might be overcooked to you, but looks fantastic to me. 

    I used to be a "Rare" type guy - but have been finishing steaks around 132-136 recently. I guess it's just a "texture" thing.. 

    If I were to guess - I'd guess it looks to have an IT of about that temp range; ~135 or so. 
  • tamu2009
    tamu2009 Posts: 387
    God that looks good. Wish SWMBO liked steaks so I could cook more of them.
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    LBGE 2013 - MiniMax 2015 - Seemingly every accessory the fine folks at CGS sell - Fightin' Texas Aggie till I die - Gig 'Em - Located in the bright lights of Dallas
  • Gogogordy
    Gogogordy Posts: 460
    Tasty! Your grill....looks brand spankin' new in contrast to the seasoned inside of your egg. Do you use a CI or some other grill for direct to food cooking?
    When I'm not Eggin', I'm scootin'   Eggin' and 'cueing from Temecula Ca; an hour from San Diego, an hour and five minutes from Palm Springs, and an hour and a half from Los Angeles (yeah, right. With THAT traffic?)
  • Griffin
    Griffin Posts: 8,200
    Looks pretty darn tasty to me and not overdone, might be the picture and lighting, but I'd take some of that right about now. Good job.

    Rowlett, Texas

    Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook

    The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings

     

  • bbqlearner
    bbqlearner Posts: 760
    Looks good. Didn't look overcooked to me.

    Houston, TX - Buddy LBGE, Don SBGE, Tiny Mini & Shiny Momma Pitts n Spitts

  • SaltySam
    SaltySam Posts: 887

    Your missing arm hair pic didn't load.  You did take one, didn't you?  HA!

    LBGE since June 2012

    Omaha, NE

  • bbqlearner
    bbqlearner Posts: 760
    Pics or it didn't happen  :D

    Houston, TX - Buddy LBGE, Don SBGE, Tiny Mini & Shiny Momma Pitts n Spitts

  • What was the dome temp and how long did you allow the CI and oil to heat up before searing the steaks?
  • CPARKTX
    CPARKTX Posts: 2,095
    Looks great...what size cast iron pan is that?  
    LBGE & SBGE.  Central Texas.  
  • StlScott
    StlScott Posts: 77

    Guys,

    Thanks for the comments - much appreciated.

    @FLbobecu - you are spot on ... it was slightly above 135 at 137.

    @Gogogordy- you have EXCELLENT eyes, my friend.  This was the first cook on my brand spanking new grid  :)  Over the years, I've replaced the gasket twice, the firebox once ... and the grid three times. 

    For those asking for pics of my arm ... you guys are more than a little twisted  ;)  Smooth as a baby's bottom right now on the underside of my right arm ... no pics, though.  :)

    @FriscoFrog - I put the skillet in the egg as it was heating, and I opened it around 700 - 725.  The CI was smoking hot, so much so that I closed down the bottom vent by all but just a hair and then took the skillet out and was waving it around to bring it back down in temperature.  I know the smoke point of EVOO is in the low 400s, so I didn't want to put it in ... and immediately scorch it.  Could only handle the grill in my fireplace glove for 30 seconds before it had to go back on.  That short amount of time allowed the temp to at least clock in closer to 600 in the dome when I put the oil on.  No popping or bubbling - just lots of fluid movement.  I guess, to answer your other question - the skillet was in there for a good ten minutes.  Put the oil in and let it go for about 30 seconds so it was good and hot ... before putting the steaks on.

    @CPartx - that's a 10" skillet.  99% sure it's from Lodge ...

    So ... I'd modify a couple of things for my next cook.  First and foremost, there needs to be more mustard on it.  I was trying to do it Tuscan-style, with no mustard ... but as you can tell, most of the salt/pepper adhered to the skillet and not my steak.  The mustard asks as an emsulifier of sorts, holding the rub onto the steak at high temps.  I wanted more of that on my meat - so, I'll have to have a do-over.  I've seen other folks using other items as a binder, and that's cool.  I use mustard simply because an old-timer shared that "secret" with me on some long slow cooks ... and it seemed to work well on steaks.  Other items tended to release my rubs at such high temps.

    I'm also going to put some shims or something under the back of my table.  Right now, it's not level.  I used to have the Egg and a six foot offset OK Joe cooker out there (and have since gotten rid of the OK Joe).  However, the weight of the two grills put hairline cracks in my patio (since it's a bit wet back there when it rains) and over the years has developed a slight slope.  Hoping to keep it more level will keep the oil out of the fire next time ... and will also allow a more even sear of the meat (instead of having the majority of the oil towards the back of the skillet).

    Oh, and I might have a little Knob Creek next time to go with it.  :)

    StlScott