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NFT: $50 + Aged Steak Disaster - Burnt to a Crisp

Grey Pilgrim : 6/1/2019 9:51 pm
Followed the advice of my butcher. Sear over very high heat in a cast iron skillet.

4 min on each side.(2 and 1/2 inch ribeye steak.)

WTF? did I do wrong?

TIA
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130` -135` temp  
George from PA : 6/1/2019 10:14 pm : link
Time might vary....
You cooked it based on time instead of temperature  
Jim in Fairfax : 6/1/2019 10:45 pm : link
Too many variables to base it on time. Get yourself a good instant read thermometer.
Reverse sear it next time  
CromartiesKid21 : 6/1/2019 10:47 pm : link
You won't go wrong
should not have been a problem based on the info you provided but  
Del Shofner : 6/1/2019 10:56 pm : link
the reverse sear suggestion is a good one.
thats a big ribeye to burn the inside  
mattlawson : 6/1/2019 11:03 pm : link
are you saying you burnt the outside?
Don’t tell Bluelou  
bradshaw44 : 6/1/2019 11:05 pm : link
He will not think highly of you!
his advice  
huygens20 : 6/2/2019 1:11 am : link
is generally correct.

you let the pan start smoking and then you put the steak in.


but 4 minutes is prolly too long for the temperature you had it on. The sear is important, but when i started cooking steaks the trick isnt actually worrying about the sear.


get good at cooking it into medium rare.


you probably had the temp on way too high for too long.


next time go to 2min, high heat, each side, and then lower the temperature as you constantly flip (post 2 min per side) until medium rare.

mistake 1 is buying an expensive steak before youre good at cooking it. search on youtube, there are tons of videos on that basic method.
RE: Don’t tell Bluelou  
BlueLou'sBack : 6/2/2019 3:40 am : link
In comment 14460597 bradshaw44 said:
Quote:
He will not think highly of you!


Ha! I don't blame the Pilgrim, I blame the instructions.

Who said too many variables? That's exactly right. The temperature of the steak to start, most importantly, the mass of the pan vs the mass of the steak(s). The heavier the pan the less time needed, vs the more total mass of the steaks.

The fact is a steak in a massive heavyweight cast iron pan heated to rapid seating heat might take 3 minutes or even less on each side. You need to watch and use the touch test, and remove from the pan a bit still undercooked and allow recirculation finish the job.
"WTF did I do wrong ....?"  
short lease : 6/2/2019 5:10 am : link

You followed the advice of your butcher. You should have followed the advice of your favorite Chef.

Your butcher doesn't cook the cow. He carves it ....
Thanks guys!  
Grey Pilgrim : 6/2/2019 7:09 am : link
It burned on the outside. The inside was rare - the way I like it.

Please keep the recs coming.

TIA
RE: Thanks guys!  
section125 : 6/2/2019 7:26 am : link
In comment 14460668 Grey Pilgrim said:
Quote:
It burned on the outside. The inside was rare - the way I like it.

Please keep the recs coming.

TIA


Not for nothing, but once you flipped it and it was a bit to "seared" you should have lessened the time on the other side.
RE: Reverse sear it next time  
Mattman : 6/2/2019 7:32 am : link
In comment 14460589 CromartiesKid21 said:
Quote:
You won't go wrong


This

cook low and slow to get up to temp you want depending on doneness, allowing for a little bit of delta from the sear. You then sear it just for the Maillard reaction to get that nice crust. Let it rest afterword to allow the juices to redistribute.
Second this  
robbieballs2003 : 6/2/2019 7:48 am : link
I always hear how lamb chops are difficult to make. But searing shouldn't be timed. Searing should be done by using your eyes and searing to your liking. After that it is about temp. With the ribeye, I agree with getting the temp close to where you want it and then searing at the end to your liking.
Sorry, I meant rack of lamb not a lamb chop  
robbieballs2003 : 6/2/2019 7:49 am : link
.
You could have  
XBRONX : 6/2/2019 7:55 am : link
gone to Chili's and had their classic ribeye.
RE: his advice  
Beer Man : 6/2/2019 8:10 am : link
In comment 14460644 huygens20 said:
Quote:
is generally correct.

you let the pan start smoking and then you put the steak in.


but 4 minutes is prolly too long for the temperature you had it on. The sear is important, but when i started cooking steaks the trick isnt actually worrying about the sear.
Agree, 4 minutes of searing per side is way too much. 2-minutes per side is all that is needed. I do them one of two ways:

1. Sous Vide at 125 to 130 for 45 minutes to an hour, then sear in a hot skillet 2-min per side

2. Sear 2-minutes each side, then place over indirect heat on a closed grill for 14 minutes.

Either way they generally come out a perfect color.
Finish in the oven  
armstead98 : 6/2/2019 8:38 am : link
Watch the steak and when it's seared perfectly (brown just right), toss the whole skillet in the oven until the middle is cooked to your liking.

Oven can be any temp, I usually do around 300 for 5-10 minutes, but my wife likes them closer to medium so you can probably do 5.
RE:  
LakeGeorgeGiant : 6/2/2019 9:13 am : link
In comment 14460655 short lease said:
Quote:

You followed the advice of your butcher. You should have followed the advice of your favorite Chef.

Your butcher doesn't cook the cow. He carves it ....


As a butcher, thank you.
You can get a good look at a t-bone  
robbieballs2003 : 6/2/2019 9:17 am : link
by sticking your head up a butcher's ass ...
I would like to see someone  
BCD : 6/2/2019 10:14 am : link
stick a head up abdullah's ass..
RE: RE: Don’t tell Bluelou  
smshmth8690 : 6/2/2019 10:26 am : link
In comment 14460652 BlueLou'sBack said:
Quote:
In comment 14460597 bradshaw44 said:


Quote:


He will not think highly of you!



Ha! I don't blame the Pilgrim, I blame the instructions.

Who said too many variables? That's exactly right. The temperature of the steak to start, most importantly, the mass of the pan vs the mass of the steak(s). The heavier the pan the less time needed, vs the more total mass of the steaks.

The fact is a steak in a massive heavyweight cast iron pan heated to rapid seating heat might take 3 minutes or even less on each side. You need to watch and use the touch test, and remove from the pan a bit still undercooked and allow recirculation finish the job.


Sounds like the bitcher likes his steak 'Pittsburg'.
I meant Butcher.  
smshmth8690 : 6/2/2019 10:27 am : link
.
Temp v time  
Joey from GlenCove : 6/2/2019 10:50 am : link
Time is a measure. Only good for approximation.

Temp is the only true steak cooking measure.

I think you’re fine otherwise.

Steak to room temp. Pat dry
Salt pepper. Generous amount
Regular sear(pan as hot as possible)

Oven at 425

Cook to 135
Sit for 10/15 min

A fun sauce. Use the pan you cooked the steak. Add butter, parsley, sweet bourbon like basil Hayden. Cook on stove top.
Can I see a picture of this burnt  
pjcas18 : 6/2/2019 11:02 am : link
to a crisp

Because when you cook steak in a cast iron skillet I imagine you're not leaving it there and walking away from the stove right? At most it's a couple minutes.

So were you watching it burn to a crisp?

I really don't believe almost anything about what anyone claims about their steak adventures, it is literally the one food I don't mind paying a premium for to have cooked at a restaurant. The materials they cook with, the equipment they cook on, and the experience is just not comparable to the average home cooker.

just my opinion. I've tried a ton of different methods and people say how much they like it and sure it's edible, and then I go to Delmonico's or Sparks, or Peter Lugar's and I say - not close to restaurant quality.

So, don't be so hard on yourself. Especially if it was medium in the middle, think of it as you just put a nice bark on it.

Thermapen  
trueblueinpw : 6/2/2019 11:10 am : link
You need one of these expensive instant read thermometers. But the process is pretty easy. I seer for at least two minutes per side but it’s something that you eye ball more than time. So, as an example, when cooking inside, I preheat the over to 350 with the cast iron skillet in the oven (this is key as cast iron heats unevenly) them I set a high heat setting on my stove top, but not the highest, put the preheated cast iron skillet on the burner. My cast iron skillet is seasoned so I don’t oil it before putting the steak in it but some people recommend a high temp smoking oil. I set the steak in the skillet for two minutes, at which point I look to see if I have the seer I want and then flip it for the seer on the other side. Check that, it’s good, I flip again and put in to the 350 oven to finish to medium rare temp. I check the temp with my Thermapen.

Tasty!
RE: Don’t tell Bluelou  
Klaatu : 6/2/2019 11:21 am : link
In comment 14460597 bradshaw44 said:
Quote:
He will not think highly of you!


BlueLou is like the Gordon Ramsey of BBI.
No offense  
GiantJake : 6/2/2019 11:39 am : link
but it sounds like you burned the steak because you are not very good at cooking steaks. Practice makes perfect. Maybe you should perfect your technique before buying more expensive steaks.
RE: RE: Don’t tell Bluelou  
eric2425ny : 6/2/2019 12:13 pm : link
In comment 14460782 Klaatu said:
Quote:
In comment 14460597 bradshaw44 said:


Quote:


He will not think highly of you!





BlueLou is like the Gordon Ramsey of BBI.


RE: Thanks guys!  
sb from NYT Forum : 6/2/2019 12:36 pm : link
In comment 14460668 Grey Pilgrim said:
Quote:
It burned on the outside. The inside was rare - the way I like it.

Please keep the recs coming.

TIA


LOL, it's supposed to be burnt on the outside. That's what "sear" means.
RE: RE: Thanks guys!  
Grey Pilgrim : 6/2/2019 1:17 pm : link
In comment 14460805 sb from NYT Forum said:
Quote:
In comment 14460668 Grey Pilgrim said:


Quote:


It burned on the outside. The inside was rare - the way I like it.

Please keep the recs coming.

TIA



LOL, it's supposed to be burnt on the outside. That's what "sear" means.


Not when it's burnt to a crisp. The burnt flavor overtakes the rest of the meat.

RE: Can I see a picture of this burnt  
Chris in Philly : 6/2/2019 2:43 pm : link
In comment 14460769 pjcas18 said:
Quote:
to a crisp

Because when you cook steak in a cast iron skillet I imagine you're not leaving it there and walking away from the stove right? At most it's a couple minutes.

So were you watching it burn to a crisp?

I really don't believe almost anything about what anyone claims about their steak adventures, it is literally the one food I don't mind paying a premium for to have cooked at a restaurant. The materials they cook with, the equipment they cook on, and the experience is just not comparable to the average home cooker.

just my opinion. I've tried a ton of different methods and people say how much they like it and sure it's edible, and then I go to Delmonico's or Sparks, or Peter Lugar's and I say - not close to restaurant quality.

So, don't be so hard on yourself. Especially if it was medium in the middle, think of it as you just put a nice bark on it.


That has very little to do with the materials they cook with or the equipment they cook on or even their experience. It has to do with the highest grade quality of beef they get. They get way better meat than they sell in most markets.
You have to know how your cast-iron and your stove cook,  
mattlawson : 6/2/2019 2:55 pm : link
Sear doesn’t mean all the way high red hot. And some people stoves it may not be powerful enough to get to a medium hot with sustained temperature in the pan once you start adding your food, so increasing to medium high or even high maybe necessary depending on how hot your range gets.

However I never have to go beyond seven out of 10 for anything on my burners to get a nice sear. Next time if you went to nine or 10, try backing it off to six or seven and dry a dry cast iron pan where you season the steak, dip in oil - and flip in 3-4 minutes. That should give you a nice crust, finish in the oven to just before desired doneness and let rest for 5 minutes.
Burnt like this?  
sb from NYT Forum : 6/2/2019 3:37 pm : link
This is from Peter Luger. Looks good to me.

RE: Burnt like this?  
Klaatu : 6/2/2019 3:54 pm : link
In comment 14460869 sb from NYT Forum said:
Quote:
This is from Peter Luger. Looks good to me.



I think he meant something more like this:

Clearly, 4 minutes a side is way too long.  
Marty in Albany : 6/2/2019 7:53 pm : link
Don't be afraid to turn the meat over to check the sear after a minute of so. Once you have a sear, you can put it in the oven or grill with indirect heat and depending on the thickness, continue to cook until it the meat is done.
RE: Clearly, 4 minutes a side is way too long.  
Bill in UT : 6/2/2019 9:17 pm : link
In comment 14461000 Marty in Albany said:
Quote:
Don't be afraid to turn the meat over to check the sear after a minute of so. Once you have a sear, you can put it in the oven or grill with indirect heat and depending on the thickness, continue to cook until it the meat is done.


Unless you sear at the start of the process, there should be no need for indirect heat because you should already have reached your internal temperature before searing. If you sear at the start, the entire rest of the cooking should be done with indirect heat.
RE: RE: his advice  
haper : 6/3/2019 11:32 am : link
Quote:
2. Sear 2-minutes each side, then place over indirect heat on a closed grill for 14 minutes.

I've always used the direct / indirect heat approach but I use touch or temp (not time). Direct high heat until the outside is to your liking, then indirect heat until the inside is to your liking. This works whether you are using pan (direct) and oven (indirect) or if grilling (pile charcoal for direct then move food to non-charcoal area and cover for indirect).

A friend told me abt a trick (I'm sure its online) where various parts of your hand have the same feel as a cooked steak. I think it was the area of your hand between the thumb knuckle and the wrist feels like a rare steak, the palm is well done, etc.
RE: RE: RE: his advice  
Beer Man : 6/4/2019 10:40 am : link
In comment 14461491 haper said:
Quote:


Quote:


2. Sear 2-minutes each side, then place over indirect heat on a closed grill for 14 minutes.



I've always used the direct / indirect heat approach but I use touch or temp (not time). Direct high heat until the outside is to your liking, then indirect heat until the inside is to your liking. This works whether you are using pan (direct) and oven (indirect) or if grilling (pile charcoal for direct then move food to non-charcoal area and cover for indirect).

A friend told me abt a trick (I'm sure its online) where various parts of your hand have the same feel as a cooked steak. I think it was the area of your hand between the thumb knuckle and the wrist feels like a rare steak, the palm is well done, etc.
Use the touch test all the time. Here is an image
Well done should just have a single finger sticking up  
Bill L : 6/4/2019 11:26 am : link
(The Middle one).

Those people should be banned by law form eating steak. Or any kind of beef for that matter.
why would you want  
pjcas18 : 6/4/2019 11:31 am : link
someone touching your steak before you eat it?

fingerprints add texture  
Sneakers O'toole : 6/4/2019 11:43 am : link
.
I'm late to the thread but 4 minutes  
Metnut : 6/4/2019 11:56 am : link
on each side with a super hot cast iron skillet is bigtime overkill from my experience. I've had the best luck doing reverse sear method, with super hot cast iron skillet for about 90-120 seconds per side.
Im a charcoal grill guy  
Sneakers O'toole : 6/4/2019 11:59 am : link
Direct heat/indirect heat done by how you pile the coals.
You can use the touch method. But a really good thermometer is better  
Heisenberg : 6/4/2019 12:22 pm : link
Get a thermapen and never worry about this again.
Thermometers and touch tests won’t help  
Jim in Fairfax : 6/4/2019 1:14 pm : link
Not in this situation. As the OP stated several times, the inside of the steak was fine. The problem was he over-seared the outside and burned it.
RE: You can use the touch method. But a really good thermometer is better  
Beer Man : 6/4/2019 7:17 pm : link
In comment 14462615 Heisenberg said:
Quote:
Get a thermapen and never worry about this again.
thermometers are certainly more accurate. However, you are piercing the meat and allowing juices to escape.
I cook steak twice a week. Unless you have a trained eye and  
Zeke's Alibi : 6/4/2019 7:22 pm : link
understanding of cooking temps a thermometer is probably your best bet
RE: RE: You can use the touch method. But a really good thermometer is better  
Bill L : 6/4/2019 7:45 pm : link
In comment 14463114 Beer Man said:
Quote:
In comment 14462615 Heisenberg said:


Quote:


Get a thermapen and never worry about this again.

thermometers are certainly more accurate. However, you are piercing the meat and allowing juices to escape.

Unless you’re using a drill from an oil rig, I’m pretty sure that’s a myth.
RE: RE: You can use the touch method. But a really good thermometer is better  
Chris in Philly : 6/4/2019 7:46 pm : link
In comment 14463114 Beer Man said:
Quote:
In comment 14462615 Heisenberg said:


Quote:


Get a thermapen and never worry about this again.

thermometers are certainly more accurate. However, you are piercing the meat and allowing juices to escape.


Nope.
Link - ( New Window )
Are you a white-collar guy  
Bill in UT : 6/4/2019 9:15 pm : link
who spends all his time in the office? Do you have a little girlie handshake? Do you do manual labor? Do you practice martial arts? Do you often choke the chicken? Very few people have the same degree of texture in their hands. Buy a thermometer
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