(Part 2) Top products from r/steak

To expand on this a bit...

Definitely check out Craigslist and/or call Goodwill/SA/thrift shops in your area. Many times they have cast iron stock for next to nothing. Cast iron is cast iron... Unless it's cracked, it's fine. Nothing some oven cleaner and lard/shortening won't turn back to brand new.

I've got quite a few sizes, but I find that I use my behemoth Lodge:

http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L14SK3-Pre-Seasoned-Cast-Iron-Skillet/dp/B00063RWUM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395461461&sr=8-1&keywords=lodge+skillet+16

More than anything. Great size for two ribeyes, big enough to brown 8# pork butt before going into the slow cooker, and you can cook an entire breakfast (bacon, eggs and hash) in one pan. It also keeps stovetop spatter to a minimum when doing burgers due to it's size.

It also doubles as a formidable weapon. :)

For cooking steaks... My way is a bit different than /u/AliasHandler, and more like Alton Brown's. Kosher salt steaks 45m-1h before and keep on wire rack. Toss pan in 500 degree oven. Oil steaks with canola oil. Pull pan, set on hot burner. Toss in steaks, sear for 1.5 minutes or so. Flip, add a pat of butter on top, shove back in oven. Cook another 2-5 minutes depending on thickness and doneness desired. Rest 7-10 minutes.

You want that pan HOT. In the summer I'll put the cast in the grill, as I can get it up to 600+ degrees, and get even better sear/caramelization on the outside. After doing it in cast iron, you'll never want a gas-grill-grate cooked steak again. :)

Edit - And please understand that rare doesn't equal raw. Don't be afraid of the pink. ;)

Flipping multiple times will help that issue with burnt edges but no crust in certain spots - as will adding more oil. I use avocado oil. The oil helps to transfer heat; if part of your steak has no crust it's probably because it was not exposed to the same heat as other areas, ie it wasn't touching oil.

Unfortunately it's tough to make 4 steaks at once with one cast iron. If you have access to a grill; I'd suggest a reverse sear finishing on the grill OR I like to use a cast iron pizza pan for multiple steaks.

As for the temperature take several readings from different areas and defer to the lowest. If the issue persists, get a new thermometer.

If you need to get 4 steaks ready, you can always reverse sear in the oven (lowest possible setting for 1-2 hrs depending on thickness), bring them to like 115-120, take them out, sear them quick (one by one), and back in the oven all together to warm them slightly (monitoring temp). Could even broil them for a couple mins right before serving. Regardless, if you're searing them separately, the steaks will be slightly different - but you can minimize that by a super hot, super quick sear while relying on slow heat to cook the inside.

Solid job! Definitely better than my first steak-cooking experience. A few recommendations, echoing the other ones here:

1. Try and cook at a higher heat. You started to develop a nice crust, but getting the cast iron scorching hot will give it a complete, brown, and crispy exterior. While you're prepping, stick your pan in the oven at 400 degrees to get it hot and then throw it on a high burner just before cooking.
   
   
2. If you're pan searing, adding a few knobs of butter + garlic + thyme about halfway through cooking will add a lot of flavor. If you choose just one of those though, make it the butter. Basting it [Gordon Ramsay style] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEx9gPhtjzs) will really complete what you've got.
   
   Again, nice work - happy cooking!
   
   EDIT: Took a second look and I noticed it was a nonstick. I can't recommend highly enough investing the $30 in a [Lodge cast iron skillet] (http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L10SK3-Pre-Seasoned-Skillet-12-Inch/dp/B00006JSUB). It'll last you a lifetime and cook considerably better than anything else!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0096K1ZDG/ $60

No idea what kind of knifes you need. I like this set. I avoid serrated knives as they tear the meat.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00008GKDJ/ $15
Lodge is pretty much the go to cast iron pan. It's relatively cheap, but it is a pretty simple design after all.

You have 75 bucks left in your budget, I would get this:

https://www.amazon.com/Lavatools-Javelin-Limited-Ambidextrous-Thermometer/dp/B01F59K0KA/

Resist the urge to go cheap on instant read thermometer, it was the single best thing I purchased that drastically improved nearly all the food I cooked - especially steaks.

any kind of Borsari


http://www.amazon.com/Borsari-Seasoned-Salt-Original-Blend/dp/B000144GWS

Stuff is absolutely incredible tasting.

Edit:

http://www.amazon.com/Borsari-Cracked-Peppercorn-Blend/dp/B00JOPIODC

This is the best kind for steaks, I have it right now and completely coat my steaks in it because I love peppercorn

I love my Hawaiian lava salt. I got it on Amazon for a really good price. A little goes along way.

However, you can buy cheaper cuts of steak and do this at home with a jaccard. It's not going to be as tasty as a better cut of meat, but it works in a pinch. It's also great for making chicken fried steaks.

It's a Camerons smoker. It uses the smaller smoking chips, sometimes called sawdust. It's no good for low & slow barbecue, but it's great for a lot of other uses. I use it mainly for vegetables such as onions and garlic, but you can also season and smoke burgers, steaks, chops or chicken breasts for 10 minutes, then finish in a pan.

I have this torch and use MAPP fuel. I would recommend:

• Pat all of the surface dry; as dry as you can get it,
  
• Brush a thin layer of butter to cover the entire surface (for bonus points, throw some goodies into the butter (shallots, garlic, thyme, etc.) while melting it),
  
• Keep the flame moving at all times,
  
• Hold the flame such that the very tip is touching the surface of the food,
  
• Do multiple passes, instead of trying to get it dark the first time you visit a spot.

This price is directly lower down from $25 to $15.99. The price will back to $25 soon. Now is new product period. Hurry up guys.😂😂

It is super simple. Anova even has an app so you can monitor your cooker while you are in another room. They are on sale right now which is why I pulled the trigger.

anova precision $155 w the code SPRING25

12 qt container $24.95

container lid $11.08

apparently you can also just float ping pong balls on the top as well - having a lid insulates and slows the water evaporation

cheap adjustable rack to keep the meat in place $13.21

vacuum sealer $69.99

but for this you can just use freezer bags and water displacement to get a similar outcome

I've heard very compelling arguments that flipping more frequently preserves more moisture in the steak. I think I read it in Serious Barbecue by Adam Perry Lang which is an amazing book that I've had in my kitchen for a few years and I've used more than any other.

There's a recipe for Apple BBQ sauce that has blown away some chefs I've served it to. But I digress.

I generally do a ton of kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper or this if I'm feeling fiesty and let it sit open, overnight in the fridge so it can dry brine....really the only way to get the flavor to penetrate deeply in these giant cuts of meat.

I think he means a grill pan ala link

Bought this just for tomahawks - https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00008GKDN/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1499816998&sr=8-8&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=cast+iron+skillet+lodge&dpPl=1&dpID=31%2B-Mm1ZI-L&ref=plSrch

What do you guys think about this as a good option?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009JKG9M/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

I'm not familiar with titanium skillets, is this the sort of thing you're referring to?

I believe there's a lot more to flavour than fat - and also, what gives the fat flavour!

This book has a lot to say about it - https://www.amazon.com/Steak-Search-Worlds-Tastiest-Piece/dp/0143119389

My apartment doesn't allow traditional grills but I swear by this

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00005YXC0/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502904004&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=zojirushi+electric+grill&dpPl=1&dpID=417473X41DL&ref=plSrch