yeah i am from england i was just wondering. thanks.

So don't cook it for 2 minutes each side. Reduce the time. Alton Brown recommends only 30 seconds each side. I think that's too short, so I've been increasing the time. Or just keep doing what you're doing with the range on 8. I think this is more art than science.

fwiw i cooked some ribeyes the other day while under the impression that you couldn't get the pan too hot.

i had the cast iron in the oven at 500 then on full blast heat on the hob for a bit. it was starting to turn pretty white when i threw the steaks on. i did 30s a side and there was a ton of smoke, i was pretty amazed the fire alarm didn't go off. even when i pulled them out of the oven to flip it was still smoking kinda bad haha. it came out a hair blacker than i would have liked but nothing awful. i will likely go lower for a bit longer next time.

I made a post about searing steaks on an electric range using a cast iron. Oh my range I put the knob on 4 and sear for 1-2 mins. Any higher and the olive oil will start to smoke and smell like ****. Any longer and the steak will cook on the pan, which I don't like to do. If you're gonna sear on hotter than that, use grape seed oil or vegetable oil.

I usually use olive oil but this time didn't use any oil at all just a little butter basted over the top as soon as it goes in then again when I turn it, worked perfect and got a nice texture on the outside.

I've never tried butter to be honest, but if I sear for a very short time, I can see it turning out well. I'll try it next time.

All,

Used the method from cit's eGullet link early in the thread on a 1.15lb bone-in ribeye ($9.99/lb for the summer) from whole foods.

Here's a ribeye I cooked using the sous vide technique from seriouseats.com, finished on the grill. It came out slightly overcooked. It tasted OK, but I like it grilled all the way better. (Can't remember if I already posted this; sorry if I did).

El Diablo, it looks like you used too much oil. The meat looks a little bit boiled. Nootka, cooking steak using sous vid is something I have to try. I'm guessing you made the steak to the degree you wanted using sous vid, but it came to medium on the grill?

Yeah, I cooked it sous vide until it was 125. I'd aim for 120, or keep it on the grill for less time.

I think even lower than 120. Probably 110 and then an extremely hot grill/pan for 30 seconds a side? Don't feel bad though, some guy on Top Chef overcooked his meat last week in exactly the same way.

Heh. If the flavor or texture was better, I'd try to find the right formula. But I just liked the flavor of the usual grilling and pan/oven techniques better.

It's pretty disappointing to me that you liked the flavor less. I always thought this would be a good idea for a restaurant, to sous vid steak and only have to sear it before bringing it to a customer. Would be a unique way to increase efficiency and give people something new at the same time. Also, details on how exactly you made it? Vacuum seal + lobster pot full of hot water + thermostat?

It's probably very useful for restaurants. The flavor wasn't bad by any stretch. It just seemed a little less beefy than the pan/oven-roasted, and less smoky than the 100% grilled.

I used a cooler and standard ziploc (sealed by submerging most of the bag to push out all of the air), as described here.

hahaha

Based on the method El Diablo used - http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?...a-thick-steak/ - there is no oil. But I agree the color/charring looks off, perhaps it's the camera.

-Al

Al, iggy:

It's an iPhone pic w/ crappy kitchen lighting, so the color is a bit off. The steak looked incredible.

This is the second time I've tried this method and my thoughts are:

1) Beefier/meatier taste - the taste of the steak itself really shines through
2) A little richer - duh, butter
3) More tender - definitely more tender than standard grilling technique
4) Putting a few cloves of garlic in the butter while cooking imparts a ton of delicious flavor

However, both times the steak cooked through closer to medium than I prefer. Delicious steak, but I think I'll only do this w/ super thick 2in+ steaks and stick to more traditional grilling methods otherwise. Or maybe I'll try a little lower heat than medium w/ this method?

Overall, still pretty delighted w/ the results.

That's how I usually cook steaks when I'm not grilling. I think the lack of crust is due to not having the butter hot/browned enough. I add the butter at the end when the pan is as hot as it's going to get, and it almost immediately turns dark brown. When you spoon it over the meat, the butter should sizzle. It create a ton of smoke, though, so I don't recommend it for small apartments.

You either used to much butter or seared the steak at too low a temp for too long. Just sayin... you mad?

iggy,

Um, not sure I understand the point of your comment. Cooking at low temp for a long time w/ a lot of butter is basically what the Ducasse Method is.

When pan cooking I add the butter just after I have seared both sides of the steak and then regularly spoon the hot oil/butter over the steak to create a nice crust. Sometimes I throw a squashed clove of garlic and a fresh sprig of rosemary in the pan to add some nice flavor.

bought a grass fed steak and a grain fed steak, throwing them on the grill in a few. gonna compare, will post some pics.

I'm going to a restaurant on Tuesday that offers that Kobe steak, it's £55 as opposed to £20 for regular fillet, is it worth the extra money getting it?

no one can really answer that question for you. if you have the money and want to spend it on a steak, you should try it for yourself someplace you trust to actually cook the steak well. then you'll have done it and see if it's something you'd like to do again in the future.

On another forum I read there was a cooking thread.

I present this post without comment

Especially to filet mignon. I cringed a little when I read that.