A New Way to Cook Steaks - no smoke or splatter
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The way I’ve learned to cook steaks involves turning things up to 11.
I prefer rib eye, a cut of beef with maximum marbling. I give it a generous dash or three of seasoning salt. Then I stick my cast-iron skillet in a 550-degree oven to get it rip-roaring hot and transfer it to the stovetop with a high flame underneath. The result? A gorgeous charred steak with a flavorful crust and a rosy medium-rare interior.
This is a beautiful way of cooking steaks, except for one problem.
When the steaks go in the skillet (a tablespoon of vegetable oil goes in first), it instantaneously smokes out my kitchen. There’s a crazy amount of oil splatter, turning my stovetop surface and knobs into a greasy mess. The steak comes out delicious, but cleanup becomes a real pain.
Fortunately, there’s a way to solve this issue.
In a recent episode of America’s Test Kitchen, we teach a new, unorthodox, foolproof way of pan-searing strip steaks. The secret: Placing the steaks in a cold nonstick skillet with no oil. This counterintuitive technique was developed by former Cook’s Illustrated staffer Andrew Janjigian, who discovered a well-marbled cut doesn’t need extra oil; enough fat comes out during cooking to help brown the beef.
Andrew offers a few rules for his technique:
- Use a nonstick or carbon-steel skillet, not stainless steel. (That's right, a nonstick is OK for this!)
- Don’t add oil.
- Start in a cold pan (no need to preheat).
- Flip the steaks every 2 minutes.
- Start with high heat, and then after a few flips, turn it down to medium.
- Cook until the exterior is well browned and the interior registers 120 degrees Fahrenheit (for medium-rare).
Andrew goes into more detail here, or you can also watch Bridget demonstrate the technique below.
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@Mik said in A New Way to Cook Steaks - no smoke or splatter:
I’ve done the flip. It’s ok.
It's better than OK, honey.
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Could do 'em caveman style...
Link to video -
Could do 'em caveman style...
Link to video -
I made the steak this way tonight.
I used a strip steak from Costco, about 1 ¼" thick. Seasoned with salt and pepper on both sides, and set in the refrigerator for about 8 hours.
I took it out of the fridge about 45 minutes before cooking. I followed the instructions, and after two flips, I had a nice sear on the steak.
I ended up cooking it for about 12 minutes. The internal temperature was 120 degrees.
I did set it on its edges for a few moments to char them.
First of all, it was certainly medium rare and it was juicy. There was zero spatter and no mess to clean up.
It's important to turn the heat down after the second sear, otherwise you'll start smoking.
My only criticism was that it was not quite as flavorful as a sous-vide steak would have been. I assume that's because a) there was no time to allow aromatics and other flavors to penetrate the meat and b) I only used salt and pepper. Perhaps some steak rub would have changed that.
I'll try it again, next time using a rub to season it up.
It was certainly good, but it wasn't great.
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I made the steak this way tonight.
I used a strip steak from Costco, about 1 ¼" thick. Seasoned with salt and pepper on both sides, and set in the refrigerator for about 8 hours.
I took it out of the fridge about 45 minutes before cooking. I followed the instructions, and after two flips, I had a nice sear on the steak.
I ended up cooking it for about 12 minutes. The internal temperature was 120 degrees.
I did set it on its edges for a few moments to char them.
First of all, it was certainly medium rare and it was juicy. There was zero spatter and no mess to clean up.
It's important to turn the heat down after the second sear, otherwise you'll start smoking.
My only criticism was that it was not quite as flavorful as a sous-vide steak would have been. I assume that's because a) there was no time to allow aromatics and other flavors to penetrate the meat and b) I only used salt and pepper. Perhaps some steak rub would have changed that.
I'll try it again, next time using a rub to season it up.
It was certainly good, but it wasn't great.
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I’ve been reading the many methods of creating the perfect TNCR steak for years, often thinking, “Is my method so wrong?” My family loves my high heat sear flip sear, then turn it down a notch, then wait a tad, then flip, then another tad, then poke for doneness steak. We do medium rare and I can tell doneness just by poking it with my finger. Anyway, reading this thread made me think
… Hmm, yup .., it’s just so darn cold here in my kitchen .. my no stick electric fry pans always start out cold. And .. 9/10 times, my oh so awesome, perfectly bred & marbled Alberta beef comes basically straight from the fridge to my electric fry pan. I don’t use oil. No mess or splatter. No cover on the fry pan. I just season with pepper, sometimes a whiff of salt.Note to @Renauda .. For special occasions I look for beef from Crossfield ->Innisfail.
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When I do it again, I'm going to marinate the steak for a few hours in whatever seasoned liquid I come up with for more flavor.
Then, dry it off and proceed with the method above.
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@George-K Just a question .. what flavour do you strive for, .. like over & above the beef?
@blondie said in A New Way to Cook Steaks - no smoke or splatter:
@George-K Just a question .. what flavour do you strive for, .. like over & above the beef?
Yeah.
When making steaks sous-vide, I throw some rosemary, olive oil and garlic into the bag. Then, when searing, I do it in a mixture of butter and canola oil with a sprig of rosemary. Baste, baste, baste...
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@blondie said in A New Way to Cook Steaks - no smoke or splatter:
@George-K Just a question .. what flavour do you strive for, .. like over & above the beef?
Yeah.
When making steaks sous-vide, I throw some rosemary, olive oil and garlic into the bag. Then, when searing, I do it in a mixture of butter and canola oil with a sprig of rosemary. Baste, baste, baste...
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@George-K Do you do this in order to taste the rosemary, or does the oil-fat make the beef taste, (excuse the grammar) .. “beefier”?
@blondie said in A New Way to Cook Steaks - no smoke or splatter:
@George-K Do you do this in order to taste the rosemary, or does the oil-fat make the beef taste, (excuse the grammar) .. “beefier”?
Beefier. But it comes out "beefier" without the rosemary. I use it if I have some fresh on hand. Otherwise, salt, pepper, garlic and EVOO.
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@blondie said in A New Way to Cook Steaks - no smoke or splatter:
@George-K Do you do this in order to taste the rosemary, or does the oil-fat make the beef taste, (excuse the grammar) .. “beefier”?
Beefier. But it comes out "beefier" without the rosemary. I use it if I have some fresh on hand. Otherwise, salt, pepper, garlic and EVOO.
@George-K I avoid pre seasoning good cuts of beef with salt. Maybe it’s the nurse (or former runner) in me … but I think muscle breakdown, dehydration …-> less juicy beef taste. The older I get the more EVOO I use over canola. I don’t use these for beef though. I just really look & choose my cuts carefully for what type of meal I’m making.
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@George-K I avoid pre seasoning good cuts of beef with salt. Maybe it’s the nurse (or former runner) in me … but I think muscle breakdown, dehydration …-> less juicy beef taste. The older I get the more EVOO I use over canola. I don’t use these for beef though. I just really look & choose my cuts carefully for what type of meal I’m making.
@George-K I’m about to start the ‘hunt’ for Christmas dinner . It’ll be a 3 rib roast, but it needs to be perfect (& affordable). With this I’ll use garlic & rosemary, because, yum I love the taste too. The veggies will have it as well. If I find it this week I’ll freeze it then thaw near the 24th. I don’t really notice a difference with our beef using fresh vs thawed.
