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Cast Iron Steaks...and advice needed

I usually do steaks reverse sear finishing on a CI grid, but I've read so much about "restaurant style" in a pan I tried it tonight and was disappointed. I did usual reverse, pulled at 100 IT, got CI pan hot, added butter, shallots and rosemary. I thought the butter added too strong and slightly unpleasant taste, and the steaks didn't brown like they do on the CI grate alone. Suggestions?

Steaks:


Salad and kale/spinach: 



LBGE & SBGE.  Central Texas.  

Comments

  • Tinyfish
    Tinyfish Posts: 1,755
    Not that I have done it my self but was the cast iron hot enough and maybe too much butter for a good char.
  • jeffwit
    jeffwit Posts: 1,348
    I've done steaks in a CI pan a grand total of once, so I'm no expert. But I agree with @Tinyfish. I made sure my pan was smoking hot, added just a little oil to it, and added a small pat of butter on top of the steak at the very end. I got the best crust I've ever had on a steak.
    Jefferson, GA
    XL BGE, MM, Things to flip meat over and stuff
    Wife, 3 kids, 5 dogs, 4 cats, 12 chickens, 2 goats, 2 pigs. 
    “Honey, we bought a farm.”
  • Dry steaks (as in, air dry in the fridge overnight).  Minimal butter, and clarified if you can

    not too hot or the butter burns 

    best thing for a sear is a dry steak. 
    [social media disclaimer: irony and sarcasm may be used in some or all of user's posts; emoticon usage is intended to indicate moderately jocular social interaction; the comments toward users, their usernames, and the real people (living or dead) that they refer to are not intended to be adversarial in nature; those replying to this user are entering into a tacit agreement that they are real-life or social-media acquaintances and/or have agreed to or tacitly agreed to perpetrate occasional good-natured ribbing between and among themselves and others]

  • bgebrent
    bgebrent Posts: 19,636
    They are correct.  Heat you need in CI to seer steaks will burn butter.  I'd use grape seed oil, canola or vegetable oil. Finish the steaks with butter/compound butter during the rest.  CI should be screaming hot.
    Sandy Springs & Dawsonville Ga
  • Legume
    Legume Posts: 14,602
    When I do this, I put the ci pan on when I start cooking the steaks - pan over the coals, steaks off to the side.  Then I pull the steaks, open the vents and let it get really hot.

    It does look like you may have too much butter and the pan was probably not hot enough.  When I drop the butter in, it spits and flares up.  If your pan was hot enough, the rosemary and shallots would've burned.

    Suggest you make a compound butter with those herbs for after you pull the steaks and just go with a little butter in a really hot pan.
  • A31unit
    A31unit Posts: 199
    edited October 2015
    Did the reverse sear recipe on this recipe page on the meat church website and my 1.5-1.75" ribeyes came out phenominal.
    http://www.meatchurch.com/blogs/recipes


    After reading and seeing your pics I would agree in saying that your skillet may not have been hot enough. It needs to come up to temp and be blazing hot.

    Btw the meat church rubs are excellent!
    LBGE. Plate setter, PS Woo2, Flame Boss 200.  Moorestown, South Jersey (about 15 min outside of Philly, Don't hold it against me.  I would most likely rather live where you are)
  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
    Classic suggestion, oil for heat, butter for taste. Clarified is ideal, try Desi Ghee if you have a South Asian market. 
    After the reverse sear low heat part of the cook, make sure the surface of the steak is dry before it hits the CI pan, crust cannot form until the moisture is gone. I like to drop the steak in the pan, after 20 seconds or so, flip and then brush with clarified. flip and repeat at least twice per side - great crust. 

    BTW, the rib looks very nice. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
  • Butter is mostly water. It needs to boil off the water before the steak hits it

    a steak will sear perfectly at medium high. No need to go ballistic. You run the risk of burning the butter

    i would seriously recommend very little butter or oil. You aren't deep frying. All the oil is for is increasing surface contact
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  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
    Butter is mostly water. It needs to boil off the water before the steak hits it

    a steak will sear perfectly at medium high. No need to go ballistic. You run the risk of burning the butter

    i would seriously recommend very little butter or oil. You aren't deep frying. All the oil is for is increasing surface contact
    Agreed, that's why you want clarified (you can make your own), little if any water and no acrid burning milk solids, just a very easy to use high temp tolerant butter. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!