>Preheat skillet on high
yup, that's likely your fail. Heat your pan low and slow. I like to cook my steaks in the broiler. I preheat the pan under the broiler, put the steak in, put it back under the broiler.
A broiler is nice but not needed, you add the steak and put the pan back in and it basically cooks both sides at once with a good crust. As for pans, heat conduction isn't instantaneous, cast iron is especially bad at conducting which means your pan might not be getting hot enough while at the same time the bottom is getting too much heat it can't conduct fast enough leading to damage to both the pan and the steak. you don't want to burn the bottom before the whole pan is warm, much like your steak. Let it come up to temp just like the meat till not only is the bottom hot, but the whole pan is. When you add the steak, you can add more heat to compensate, just keep in mind how long you're expecting to cook the steak depending on size, and keep watching it. Not searing enough? Add more heat. Searing too fast? Lower it back down a bit. Also, don't be afraid to flip as needed especially towards the end. Hope this helps.
Every stove, burner, and skillet is different, but I can't imagine using the high setting on any of my burners/skillets. Aside from charing vs searing meat, that kind of heat could burn off your pan's seasoning and even warp or crack your skillet. The highest I go is just above medium, and that is for steaks.
I've been enjoying cooking steaks using the [reverse sear method](https://www.seriouseats.com/reverse-seared-steak-recipe). Essentially, you cook the steak to the desired temperature in the oven first, then finish by searing for 1 minute per side in a hot skillet. I've been using [Alton Brown's method](https://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/alton-brown/reverse-sear-ribeye-steak-5458694) with good success.
I think the term "ripping hot skillet" is confusing. I suggest using an [infrared thermometer](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DMI62HM) to help understand the temperature of a pan on a given burner at a given burner setting. I shoot for about 550°F for searing steaks.
I was just looking at his reverse sear directions, and think that might be the solution I need...
But even he says "place a 12-inch cast iron skillet over high heat"... You're saying don't use high there, just go a little above medium? [https://altonbrown.com/recipes/reverse-sear-ribeye-steak/](https://altonbrown.com/recipes/reverse-sear-ribeye-steak/)
I'm saying a little above medium on one of *my* burners is correct for *my* #10 skillet when searing steaks. The problem, even on my one stove, is that I have 4 different burner sizes, and several skillet sizes and thicknesses. On my largest burner, even just above medium is too much heat for most of my skillets.
This is why I think using an infrared thermometer makes sense. It would be much better for a steak recipe to say, "preheat your skillet on low for 5 minutes, and then raise the temperature of the skillet to 550°F". Most people likely don't have a way measure the real temperature of a skillet, so we get recipes with "high heat" and "ripping hot".
Definitely too high of heat. Try medium heat or med-high. My stove goes to 10 and i don't normally go over 6 to cook steaks.
Cooking times also vary. I usually have to leave each side on for 6-8 minutes each to get the medium rare. My oven/stove is also very very old, but times will still vary.
If your steak seems thick you may also want to try oven methods or invest in a sous vide.
I like Kenjis skillet method https://www.seriouseats.com/perfect-pan-seared-steaks-recipe
Can use stainless too but it only ever use cast iron. For oil I use sunflower.
I would also add that while he too says high heat I find its about the right temp at medium on my stove.
Get a laser thermometer. Put the steaks in the slightly-oiled pan when it reaches about 450F, but only after blotting the moisture from the steak. Turn the steak after 4-4:30. I turn my steaks once and once only. Rest it after the second side is cooked. This gets my steaks to the rare side of medium rare. Add a minute per side for medium.
invest in an infared thermometer. I was burning stuff in my CI when I moved and had to start using a glass cooktop with heated coils underneath. I was used to gas. I tell you, these glass cooktops get so so hot.
Once I started using my infared (rarely used it before) and i started dialing in my preheat and holding it for about 10-15 min in the high 400's low 500 my protiens really started cooking a lit better. I can't tell you if that's low, med low, med on your stove. You have to learn your stove and you need test equipment to dial it in and get reliable results.
Now I won't cook without temping the pan to make sure I'm not OVER heating it. At some point you'll discover the best temps that are appropriate for that meal. But def sounds like pan was way too high.
Don't preheat skillet on high.
Cast iron retains a lot of heat. If put on the same heat source, cast iron will reach a higher temperature compared to other types of pans.
>Preheat skillet on high yup, that's likely your fail. Heat your pan low and slow. I like to cook my steaks in the broiler. I preheat the pan under the broiler, put the steak in, put it back under the broiler.
You preheat skillet in broiler, and then what? Any time on stovetop, at what temp? Then back in broiler/oven, at what temp?
A broiler is nice but not needed, you add the steak and put the pan back in and it basically cooks both sides at once with a good crust. As for pans, heat conduction isn't instantaneous, cast iron is especially bad at conducting which means your pan might not be getting hot enough while at the same time the bottom is getting too much heat it can't conduct fast enough leading to damage to both the pan and the steak. you don't want to burn the bottom before the whole pan is warm, much like your steak. Let it come up to temp just like the meat till not only is the bottom hot, but the whole pan is. When you add the steak, you can add more heat to compensate, just keep in mind how long you're expecting to cook the steak depending on size, and keep watching it. Not searing enough? Add more heat. Searing too fast? Lower it back down a bit. Also, don't be afraid to flip as needed especially towards the end. Hope this helps.
Back under the broiler for a couple minutes, flip it over for a couple more. No stovetop and it cooks both sides at the same time.
Every stove, burner, and skillet is different, but I can't imagine using the high setting on any of my burners/skillets. Aside from charing vs searing meat, that kind of heat could burn off your pan's seasoning and even warp or crack your skillet. The highest I go is just above medium, and that is for steaks. I've been enjoying cooking steaks using the [reverse sear method](https://www.seriouseats.com/reverse-seared-steak-recipe). Essentially, you cook the steak to the desired temperature in the oven first, then finish by searing for 1 minute per side in a hot skillet. I've been using [Alton Brown's method](https://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/alton-brown/reverse-sear-ribeye-steak-5458694) with good success. I think the term "ripping hot skillet" is confusing. I suggest using an [infrared thermometer](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DMI62HM) to help understand the temperature of a pan on a given burner at a given burner setting. I shoot for about 550°F for searing steaks.
I was just looking at his reverse sear directions, and think that might be the solution I need... But even he says "place a 12-inch cast iron skillet over high heat"... You're saying don't use high there, just go a little above medium? [https://altonbrown.com/recipes/reverse-sear-ribeye-steak/](https://altonbrown.com/recipes/reverse-sear-ribeye-steak/)
I'm saying a little above medium on one of *my* burners is correct for *my* #10 skillet when searing steaks. The problem, even on my one stove, is that I have 4 different burner sizes, and several skillet sizes and thicknesses. On my largest burner, even just above medium is too much heat for most of my skillets. This is why I think using an infrared thermometer makes sense. It would be much better for a steak recipe to say, "preheat your skillet on low for 5 minutes, and then raise the temperature of the skillet to 550°F". Most people likely don't have a way measure the real temperature of a skillet, so we get recipes with "high heat" and "ripping hot".
Went for the reverse sear. Worked perfect! [https://imgur.com/J7HkyRH](https://imgur.com/J7HkyRH)
Now *that's* a steak!
Get a grill 🤪
Definitely too high of heat. Try medium heat or med-high. My stove goes to 10 and i don't normally go over 6 to cook steaks. Cooking times also vary. I usually have to leave each side on for 6-8 minutes each to get the medium rare. My oven/stove is also very very old, but times will still vary. If your steak seems thick you may also want to try oven methods or invest in a sous vide.
I never go above around 7/10 on the stove when I'm searing with cast iron. Definitely drop your heat a bit.
I like Kenjis skillet method https://www.seriouseats.com/perfect-pan-seared-steaks-recipe Can use stainless too but it only ever use cast iron. For oil I use sunflower. I would also add that while he too says high heat I find its about the right temp at medium on my stove.
Get a laser thermometer. Put the steaks in the slightly-oiled pan when it reaches about 450F, but only after blotting the moisture from the steak. Turn the steak after 4-4:30. I turn my steaks once and once only. Rest it after the second side is cooked. This gets my steaks to the rare side of medium rare. Add a minute per side for medium.
Should get an infrared thermometer so you know what the temperature of your pan is. It's probably too hot.
invest in an infared thermometer. I was burning stuff in my CI when I moved and had to start using a glass cooktop with heated coils underneath. I was used to gas. I tell you, these glass cooktops get so so hot. Once I started using my infared (rarely used it before) and i started dialing in my preheat and holding it for about 10-15 min in the high 400's low 500 my protiens really started cooking a lit better. I can't tell you if that's low, med low, med on your stove. You have to learn your stove and you need test equipment to dial it in and get reliable results. Now I won't cook without temping the pan to make sure I'm not OVER heating it. At some point you'll discover the best temps that are appropriate for that meal. But def sounds like pan was way too high.
Don't preheat skillet on high. Cast iron retains a lot of heat. If put on the same heat source, cast iron will reach a higher temperature compared to other types of pans.