When you can’t grill
Chris tells you how to pan fry a steak. On occasions when I cannot grill, I’ve found that a broiler pan and the broil setting on the oven works quite well.
While we’re discussing food, Loubie Bzeit looks very good though unpronounceable.
March 20th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
The ever-indulgent wife and I recently picked up a wonderous device – the Sunbeam Rocket Grill, AKA “The Meat Toaster”. Bass Pro was selling them for $50 instead of $150 so we took a chance.
You put your meat into a parchment pouch (yeah, it’s a consumable, but it’s cheap), hang the pouch inside the grill, select Fresh or ‘Frozen / bone in’ and set the timer. The grill pads clamp against the pouch and it cooks. Time is pretty quick (5 minute warm up of the unit, then about 10 minutes for a steak). When it’s done it dings and the plates release. You can either pull the meat out of the pouch while it’s hanging or take the pouch out first. Only problem with removal is that the meat is generally falling-apart-tender. Excess juices are captured in the bottom part of the pouch which you toss in the trash. So far our total cleanup has been one bit of near-ash on the pull-out cleanup tray – everything else has stayed in the disposable pouch and been tossed.
Only drawback is that the pouches are only big enough for one ‘full-sized’ steak at a time.
The other night she took frozen chicken breasts, rubbed them with spices and cooked them up. About 10 minutes (+ the 5 minute warmup during which she was getting the chicken out and prepping it). Nicely done, tender and flavorful.
March 20th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Get a Copco grill pan or the like. We don’t go for the great cuts in the Winter. I usually do pepper sauce with hangar steak and switch out the cognac finish for some Bulleit. Another tip: If you have a halal market around where you live, buy your beef there. The Muslim rules require extreme cleanliness (at least at our market) and they do not value the cuts the same way you and I might. I get whole Choice tenderloins for $2.99 a lb. But that’s supporting terror, I know.
March 21st, 2008 at 9:54 am
Any Steakhouse worth their salt cooks steaks in cast iron pans, not on a grill. Often, you will see them seared on a grill, then baked (or broiled) in the pre-warmed cast iron pan, but cooking a steak the entire time on a grill is a great way to ruin a good piece of meat, IMHO.
I heat a skillet to 450*F, then pre-heat a range burner. Pull the skillet out of the oven and place on the burner. Sear the steak for 45-60 seconds all sides, then put back in the oven at 450*F. 8-12 minutes is the range for rare to medium rare, 14 minutes is medium well, and anyone that wants to cook a steak more than that should go get prok rinds or something and leave the good meat for the rest of us. Let the steak stand on the range top (burner off) in the skillet for a minute or two after pulling it out of the oven, and throw it on a plate. You know, I think I’ll post a recipe on my blog for Filet with a stewed pepper sauce.
March 21st, 2008 at 1:07 pm
I use a cast iron grill pan with ridges that leave tasty looking sear lines, like from a charcoal grill. I don’t use the oven, instead I put a small pot lid that fits into the pan over the meat while it cooks – kind of like having it’s own little oven. I turn the burner off before it’s done cooking because the thick cast iron really holds the heat.
I just made a salmon burger that way. Very tasty. Good for chicken breasts, boneless pork chops, hot dogs and steaks too. Beef burgers get a little too smoky though because of the fat, so I like to save them for outside on the hibachi in the summer time.
March 25th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Mike,
I live in a condo and cannot legally grill (unless I use electric). I had been broiling the whole time, but I’m gonna try your method tonight. Sounds like it’d turrn out well (but not well done.)