How to make a good steak indoors?

[SandrA9810]

I marinate mine for about 4 hours in a mix of Worcestershire Sauce, a sprinkle of garlic powder and black pepper.

Then broil in the oven for 10 minutes each side, about 4 inches from the broiler.

May need more or less time depending on the thickness...ours are usually about 1 inch.

I never had any luck with the Forman grill for steaks. Great for chicken, turkey or beef burgers, but steak comes out grey no matter the timing.

I use a worcestershire sauce with a bit of a balsamic vinegarette to even out the flavor. I love it that way.

 

[RNMOM]

We love them in the iron skillet also. I prefer rib eye but strip is good too. Do start with a hot pan and allow the meat to come up to room temp. before cooking it. When you take them off the heat they will continue to cook inside for a bit and the juices will stay in the meat better. It really helps.

We cook them for about 5-6 min on first side then 3-4 the second then remove to a platter and cover with foil to rest. Deglaze the pan with the red wine of the evening and add a tablespoon of dijon mustard and a little bit of honey and a tablespoon of butter. Yum. No other sauces needed and just little freshly ground pepper and salt as needed.

I love to slice mushrooms and saute them in a tablespoon of butter till they are golden brown. My favorite meal next to a good roast beef.

 

[Straitlover]

I have a cast iron skillet I bought from the Cracker Barrel long ago! But...I've never used it and it's not seasoned.

My cast iron grill pan I got at Cracker Barrel was preseasoned. I didn't think they sod them any other way?

 

[Wishing on a star]

Princess, Buckalew, Rnmom, and some of the others are right on!!!!!!!

1. Buy a GOOD cut of steak... Cheaper beef will be tough.

2. Let it sit out of the fridge for a while, so that it is closer to room temperature. It is never as good to cook ice cold beef or chicken.

3. That cast-iron grill pan looks wonderful!!! Your regular cast-iron skillet would still be great.

4. Preheat your skillet till it is HOT.... HOT enough to immediately begin to 'sear' your steak, like a hot grill would. This is important. If you are trying to cook steak on a George Forman grill, that is your problem... NOT hot enough to sear in the juices... and has to cook for far to long to reach your desired done-ness.

5. Sear/grill the steak on that hot preheated skillet, with just a dab of oil, for just enough time till it looks as done/browned as you like. As one other poster mentioned... You can have the broiler on your oven preheated very hot... Use the skillet for just like a couple of minutes on each side... and then place right under that broiler.

6. Do NOT cut your steak right away... Now, you don't want steak to sit... because that isn't good either... But just make sure it rests/cures for a good full 2-3 minutes before you take a knife to it. This is what lets the steak re-absorb and hold some of those juices that you have seared in!

This is a pet peeve of mine with my husband... he is pretty good at grilling while I prepare the sides in the kitchen... but, he feels like he doesn't know when it is 'done' unless he takes a knife to it right away as he is taking the meat off the grill. Believe me, this DOES make a difference.

It is up to you if you want to add a lot of seasoning or marinade...
But, for me, I like a good, delicious, classic steak. (please don't defile a great cut of meat with a heavy marinade!!!!)

I do a good coating of salt, a little garlic powder (not granulated garlic or garlic salt), and maybe some paparika.

Ohhh, and also don't defile a good cut of beef by cooking until it is mass of grey whit-leather.
Some 'pink' is always good!

Hope this helps!

 

[SandrA9810]

They are sold "preseasoned" but there's a few steps to take prior to using it for the first time. Of course the care and cleaning of it after each use is important too to keep having a great flavor to it.

 

[sweet angel]

We sold our grill because we're moving. I still have a few filets left. No cast iron skillet, no Foreman grill because I hate them. I've tried the broiler a couple times and it's okay, but doesn't blow my hair back. Would like to try the skillet method but do you think it was be awful if I just used my regular non-stick skillet?

 

[Lady Godiva]

Applebee's

Denise in MI

Ohhhh, Hellz No! They serve mystery meat there. If you check with Australia, I'm sure you will find a few dingos missing

 

[Imzadi]

What cut of meat are you using? Some are just tougher than others no matter how you cook them.

First, the cut of steak is more important than anything else.

^ These two above. The cut is extremely important. If you are choosing the cheaper cuts of meat like chuck steak, you are really using meat that is better in a stew, as the water & slow cooking are necessary to break down the tougher tendons. There is no way, no matter how rare one cooks some kinds of cuts, that they will be tender without LONGterm cooking.

Ribeye or NY strip steaks are good grilling/broiling steaks. They are always juicy and tender.

Undercook the steaks slightly by a couple minutes, as they continue to cook from the residual heat inside, even after you take them off the heat source. Let the meats rest for a few minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute and reabsorb inside. If you cut into them too soon, the juices all drip out and you end up with dry, tough meat.

It's a trick infomercials use: to cut into meat when they pull it right out of the cooking gadget they are selling. You see all the juices dripping all over the cutting board. If it's all over the board, it's no longer IN your meat.

 

[shortbun]

First of all, do not put those marinades on it. 2nd, buy a good steak-porterhouse, ribeye, NYstrip and get Angus beef. 3rd, if you're going to overcook it, get chicken. A good steak should not be cooked past medium-ask any real chef. Last, let it sit after it's cooked. If you cut it right away, all the juices run out and your meat becomes tough.
I grew up eating fabulous steaks from my uncle's angus herd. My family made a point of making a really good steak. We occasionally used a spash of Lea and Perrins Worchestershire AFTER the meat had rested if seasoning was desired-just a spash.

 

[Gina]

I have got to get me a cast iron skillet... been wanting one for years, but they're always so expensive. I haven't actively kept an eye out for sales, though -- need to start doing that.

So when y'all say to let the pan get "searing hot," where on the dial is that? (Gas stove) All the way up? Mine goes 1-6. Then if you put it under the broiler for a few minutes, is that on the middle rack or the rack right up under the top?

 

[sweet angel]

Speaking of bad steaks, we were up by DTD the other night and wanted a non-Disney place to eat. Tried Sante Fe Cattle Co (when you get to The Crossings, make a right and keep going) and it was terrible. We went in without expectations and we underwhelmed. WOuld've been better off going to Longhorn up the road.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Now, you don't want to start a grease fire...

But, yes it should be hot.... I'd say med-hi on most stoves???
I wouldn't want to put any stove on full-on high without knowing that stove, and being careful.

I do use a dab of oil... and you don't want that to start smoking too much before your steak hits the pan.
You do want to hear that sizzle when your steak hits that pan.

For me, a steak is not a pot-roast. If I wanted to put it under the broiler, I would put it fairly close.

PS: I have never considered cast iron skillets to be expensive at all.
Look at the cost of nicer, higher end cookware!!!!

And, believe me, it is a lifetime investment.
Just never, ever, wash them with hot soapy water and remove the grease that keeps them 'cured'.... That is SUPPOSED to be there. If you remove that grease, you can actually open the cast iron up to rust.

Man, now I want a really, really, good steak.

Here, Target gets in the BEST name brand, ( I mean Ruth Chris' good), steaks for weekends like fathers day. We don't live near a Target, but we were at one a couple days ago, and I completely did not think about going in a buying some steaks. Darn!!!!

 

[dzorn]

Um, LOL. If you want a really good steak go to Ruth's Chris.

Never heard of it, but I'll keep that in mind when we travel.

Denise in MI

 

[Wishing on a star]

Just be prepared to pay dearly for that wonderful steak!

 

[manning]

. I didn't think they sod them any other way?

They use dirt? Hmmm.

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

After all the talk about cast iron skillets here for steaks I think I'm going to get one. Always wanted one but hated the weight. I hate the nonstick coating pans and the cast irons I know are suppose to be "green". That being said, HOW do you cure and clean it? I've always been confused about that part. Thanks for the info!

 

[Kat77]

I use Alton Brown's method with a cast iron skillet. It starts on the stove for a nice browning then into the oven for finishing it off. It's not as good as I can do on the grill but it's still a good steak. I pretty much only cook ribeyes and I do them medium rare to medium.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pan-seared-rib-eye-recipe/index.html

If Alton Brown goes missing, you should all know I have finally captured him and chained him in my kitchen.

 

[bitohoney]

My cast iron grill pan I got at Cracker Barrel was preseasoned. I didn't think they sod them any other way?

Hmmm...I got it about 15 years ago. It has directions attached on how to season it.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I am sure you could find more info online.
But, I would say to cure a new cast-iron skillet, I would coat it with crisco and then bake it in a hot oven.

I think they now say 'pre-seasoned' (cured) but I would still do this myself.

Once a cast iron skillet is cured, it is more like non-stick, and it will not rust.

Once a cast-iron skillet is cured, you should NOT scrub it with detergent. As mentioned, that baked on grease is supposed to be there.

I am from the South, and there is just no such thing as cornbread if it isn't fresh made, (without sugar), baked in a hot oven in a cast-iron skillet. OMG good!!!!!

Hope this helps!

 

[tiggger1]

I use Alton Brown's method with a cast iron skillet. It starts on the stove for a nice browning then into the oven for finishing it off. It's not as good as I can do on the grill but it's still a good steak. I pretty much only cook ribeyes and I do them medium rare to medium.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pan-seared-rib-eye-recipe/index.html

we also use the alton brown method with the cast iron for our porthouse steaks! I love them this way!!!