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Cooking Steak with Simple Implements

post #1 of 61
3/17/09 at 6:17pm
Thread Starter 
So I have an average frying pan with plastic handles and an electric stove. God I hate dorms. Besides that I can shop for seasonings and most ingredients.

Under these circumstances, what is the best way to cook steak? Any suggestions for special techniques/ingredients I should use?
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post #2 of 61
3/17/09 at 6:26pm
salt and pepper and get a good sear going, hot as you can, before turning it down to medium heat to finish cooking. flame control is tough with electric though.
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post #3 of 61
3/17/09 at 6:34pm
Try the opposite, long cooking over low to m-low heat. Really makes a nice steak. Works best with thick steaks.
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post #4 of 61
3/17/09 at 6:37pm
wouldn't he get that awful grey colored steak by that method potentially?
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post #5 of 61
3/17/09 at 6:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by thekunk07 View Post
wouldn't he get that awful grey colored steak by that method potentially?

Agreed, I always sear before turning down the heat.
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post #6 of 61
3/17/09 at 6:40pm
Sear, rest under foil, finish in oven
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post #7 of 61
3/17/09 at 6:41pm
There was a technique posted on egullet where they cooked a steak over medium heat in a bunch of butter and spooned butter over it as it cooked.

Or at least I think thats what they did.

Most important I think is to get a good cut of meat. Do that and you are 70% there.

K
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post #8 of 61
3/17/09 at 6:44pm
What you have is perfectly fine for making a steak. The electric range will get more than hot enough, the pan is not ideal but it doesn't really matter. It's more about timing than equipment.

What you want is a crust browned to oblivion, and still soft to the touch on the inside (med rare). For me, this is about 4 minutes on the first side and another 2-3 on the other. a proper 5-10 min rest will also work wonders.

and open your windows. a properly cooked steak produces a lot of smoke
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post #9 of 61
3/17/09 at 6:49pm
Is our frying pan non-stick?
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post #10 of 61
3/17/09 at 6:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by thekunk07 View Post
wouldn't he get that awful grey colored steak by that method potentially?

No, I have done this many times. The outside gets nicely browned without any carbonization, and the inside is pink. Indeed, this method avoids the inevitable gray band caused by searing.
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post #11 of 61
3/17/09 at 7:32pm
Thread Starter 
awesome guys, thanks for all the help. I'm going to try both manton's and kunk's techniques - heat control indeed is spotty when you're talking electric but I feel that with multiple burners I could have one on super hot for a sear, then just move to a burner that's set on medium-low to finish it off.
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post #12 of 61
3/17/09 at 7:40pm
What would be the exact temp for M-low, and about how long at m-low for the steak?
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post #13 of 61
3/17/09 at 8:08pm
I do this rather frequently. I like to salt my steak about an hour before I cook it. Get the frying pan as hot as you can and sear each side to lock in the juices and minimize their loss. Once it's seared I place it on an alumnium foil-lined baking shit and coat it with olive oil and bake it in the oven for a few minutes. I realize it's not grilling but it can work rather well and you gen get a pretty good piece of meat out of it.
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post #14 of 61
3/17/09 at 8:19pm
Searing meat does not lock in juices. It actually results in greater net loss of moisture versus other cooking methods that achieve the same internal temperature. That said, it's still important to sear b/c the browning (aka maillard reaction) makes the meat taste hella good, the appearance is improved, and the contrast in texture between the rough crust and the softer interior makes the food more interesting to the mouth. Anyway, much more important to moisture/juiciness is allowing the meat to rest after cooking before cutting it.
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post #15 of 61
3/17/09 at 8:32pm
Don't cook steak in the dorms... if it's anything like mine, the kitchenettes have no/very little ventilation. I am ashamed to admit that I set off the fire alarm in the middle of the day and two entire floors had to evacuate. EDIT: No, nothing was burnt either, just cooked steak like one normally would and produced a substantial amount of smoke (nothing compared to what I would at home though).
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