The right pan, wrong stove.

[Conager]

I decided to finally try out my "new" 60s-70s unmarked Lodge #10 cast iron skillet. I've got a glass-top range. I hate them.

This has the stove ring as is traditional from the old holes in wood stoves. It sits nice and flat, but I wasn't sure if this stove would "read" the pan sitting up 3/8 " on that ring. I decided to try.

The stove heats it fine, got it smoking. It warped a bit. I was pretty bummed out about that. Let it cool a bit and it flattened right out. Yay girl material memory.

Got a salted ribeye achieving room temperature, then I'll heat that pan up again and get a nice sear.

Gotta eat my end-of-the-world stash before it gets freezer burned.

I've a Seal-a-Meal again for the replacement steaks.

 

[Conager]

Deboned, Salted with coarse, Himalayan Salt, rested 30 minutes, then seared in a searing-hot, dry, cast iron pan.

Once seared, basted continually with about a half stick of Butter and a Clove of Garlic. I wish my Rosenary plant had survived.

Nice crust, dripping with juice despite having brushed off ice crystals and defrosted in the microwave.

Pan didn't warp this time. Made some wedge-cut fries in the drippings. Delicious, but ugly blackened.

 

[InternationalFunboy]

I switched to doing steaks in the cast iron from using an electric indoor grill. I got great results with the grill but the cast iron is so satisfying. I will usually toss a pat of butter in after the steak is done and drizzle the steak with butter and garlic. Lately I've been using a toasted garlic and horseradish sauce. For years I ate my steaks with wasabi and if I was really making a thing of it, sliced onions and avocado.

 

[Conager]

I thought I would just bump it when I used the pan, or cussed out the stove. I'd have bumped it quicker than 40 minutes, but it took that long to sear, baste, and eat the steak and clean up the above.

 

[Conager]

I switched to doing steaks in the cast iron from using an electric indoor grill. I got great results with the grill but the cast iron is so satisfying. I will usually toss a pat of butter in after the steak is done and drizzle the steak with butter and garlic. Lately I've been using a toasted garlic and horseradish sauce. For years I ate my steaks with wasabi and if I was really making a thing of it, sliced onions and avocado.

I've got a couple of vintage electric countertop grills I have used. I've used my panini press at times as well like a Foreman grill.

Flavor-wise, I think your method would have been just as tasty. The basting in butter method is supposed to make it more tender. What it made was some really dirty looking blackened butter. I found about 4 kinds of thermometers but not a meat thermometer so I just went by "give."

When you do it start to finish and cast-iron do you turn the heat down or what do you do once you've got the sear on?

 

[Brains_N_Boobs]

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/...-stovetop-in-3-steps?utm_source=pocket-newtab

 

[Conager]

Exactly!

 

[InternationalFunboy]

I've got a couple of vintage electric countertop grills I have used. I've used my panini press at times as well like a Foreman grill.

Flavor-wise, I think your method would have been just as tasty. The basting in butter method is supposed to make it more tender. What it made was some really dirty looking blackened butter. I found about 4 kinds of thermometers but not a meat thermometer so I just went by "give."

When you do it start to finish and cast-iron do you turn the heat down or what do you do once you've got the sear on?

Foreman grill. ugh. *shivers* It can't be bargained with, it can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear.

What I find that makes a tender steak is curing it. People call this dry brining. I moderately salt the whole thing then let it sit in the fridge 3-4 hours, more or less, before cooking.
I heat up the pan to reasonable temp, not ripping hot, just to get a good strong sizzle. I leave the heat on the whole time unless I see it getting too hot. I do 4-ish minutes per side. A proper 1 inch fattie slab will probably need ~5 minutes. I use the palm method to judge a rare-to-medium-rare doneness. After a few you get the timing down though. I end up with just slightly less browning than your pics.
I plate the steak and let the skillet cool just a bit to avoid scorching the butter, you just want it clarified. I apply the garlic, then pour the clarified butter over. *chef's kiss*

 

[thør]

Foreman grill. ugh. *shivers* It can't be bargained with, it can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear.

What I find that makes a tender steak is curing it. People call this dry brining. I moderately salt the whole thing then let it sit in the fridge 3-4 hours, more or less, before cooking.
I heat up the pan to reasonable temp, not ripping hot, just to get a good strong sizzle. I leave the heat on the whole time unless I see it getting too hot. I do 4-ish minutes per side. A proper 1 inch fattie slab will probably need ~5 minutes. I use the palm method to judge a rare-to-medium-rare doneness. After a few you get the timing down though. I end up with just slightly less browning than your pics.
I plate the steak and let the skillet cool just a bit to avoid scorching the butter, you just want it clarified. I apply the garlic, then pour the clarified butter over. *chef's kiss*

Up your dry brine period for the meat to be 12 to 24 hours in the fridge. You'll like it.

 

[SpeareChucker]

I don't have any problems with my glass top and cast iron.



Maybe mine is just thicker...



:shrug:

 

[SpeareChucker]

I have one of George's grills...




It occupies a corner of the cabinet above the fridge.
It hasn't been moved since the first time that it was used.

I found it to be a pain in the assume
nothing you see in a commercial
is even close to true...


A hot iron and a cutting board
work a lot better, just
turn off the steam.

 

[Conager]

I don't have any problems with my glass top and cast iron.



Maybe mine is just thicker...



:shrug:

Oddly, the second time I heated it up, no warpage at all. Maybe I got carried away on my test run

 

[Adre]

Looks overdone.

 

[Jada59]

Foreman grill. ugh. *shivers* It can't be bargained with, it can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear.

What I find that makes a tender steak is curing it. People call this dry brining. I moderately salt the whole thing then let it sit in the fridge 3-4 hours, more or less, before cooking.
I heat up the pan to reasonable temp, not ripping hot, just to get a good strong sizzle. I leave the heat on the whole time unless I see it getting too hot. I do 4-ish minutes per side. A proper 1 inch fattie slab will probably need ~5 minutes. I use the palm method to judge a rare-to-medium-rare doneness. After a few you get the timing down though. I end up with just slightly less browning than your pics.
I plate the steak and let the skillet cool just a bit to avoid scorching the butter, you just want it clarified. I apply the garlic, then pour the clarified butter over. *chef's kiss*

I was given a Foreman as a gift. Didn't cook right at all and was a pain to clean.

 

[DeluxAuto]

I have one of George's grills...




It occupies a corner of the cabinet above the fridge.
It hasn't been moved since the first time that it was used.

I found it to be a pain in the assume
nothing you see in a commercial
is even close to true...


A hot iron and a cutting board
work a lot better, just
turn off the steam.

Only you could fuck up a Foreman.

Looks overdone.

By a lot.

 

[Conager]

Looks overdone.

Bit bloodier than the picture conveys, but I wouldn't have minded it a little more blue. The crusting was great.

The other problem was this was a funky cut with it kind of tapered down on one end. Iy needed to be very consistent for this kind of treatment.

But agree, I need more practice with this technique.

 

[SpeareChucker]

Oddly, the second time I heated it up, no warpage at all. Maybe I got carried away on my test run

You do have to overheat them the first time to season them.

But, still I've never warped one.

 

[SpeareChucker]

I was given a Foreman as a gift. Didn't cook right at all and was a pain to clean.

Only you could fuck up a Foreman.



...

Only me...



You're a fucking hateful moron.

 

[Conager]

You do have to overheat them the first time to season them.

But, still I've never warped one.

This one's about my age. . .

It came fairly nicely seasoned. I'm thinking of stripping it all the way down and starting over though because there are some (minor) scratches in the seasoning.

 

[SpeareChucker]

I wouldn't.



Just sayin', if it ain't broke, don't 'fix' it.

 

[Conager]

Yeah, it's probably safe. I procrastinate a lot of whimsy into beneficent inaction.

I do want to make a project out of them but probably not for nothing I haven't found a well used one that wasn't usable.

That roommate of mine up in the mining town had thrown a charge Dutch oven in 2 the yard in abandoned it to rain water. I didn't know anything about cast iron at the time but in hindsight I think it's a real Griswold. I had time on my hands and I wanted to see what I could do with it and I got it really nicely restored and re-easoned. I didn't even know what I was doing at the time I was just re-treating it the way I treat a Chinese wok.

He had written it off and I seriously considered 'acquiring' it but I knew it had some kind of family connection for him and it came out beautifully so I gifted it back to him.

You really can't kill the good stuff. You're not going to find one with internal flaws that survived a decade or two.

 

[SpeareChucker]

I learned to make peach cobbler in a cast iron stove (Boy Scouts).

Dig a pit, put the ingredients in and then build a small fire over it.
Let it sit for an hour or so and then dig it up and
it comes out all golden and tasty.

Now, I just use the oven...

 

[Conager]

I scored a. 8' oak pallet. If it doesn't become woodworking I'm thinking of trying that cook a steak directly on the coals technique. I still haven't tried it and I've wanted to do it for years

 

[SpeareChucker]

I have several stacks of pallets.

I doubt if any of them are oak.

Just junk wood.

Every eight years or so, I have this place logged.
I see lots of pallets going out with the oak.

That way, I get paid for quality and volume.

 

[DeluxAuto]

Only me...



You're a fucking hateful moron.

At least I can navigate a Foreman.