Cooking Steak in a Cast Iron Skillet
You’ll never grill steak again!
I’m afraid I’ve been spoiled by cooking my steak in a cast iron skillet. So much so that I can’t even remember the last time I threw one on the grill. The cast iron skillet allows a steak to be seared and then cooked in its own juices under the broiler.
There are two key parts to the equation; preparing the pan and seasoning the meat. First, the pan. Heat your oven to its highest temperature (usually 500 degrees F) with the cast iron pan inside. It may take a while until the pan is completely heated. When the pan has reached the temperature of the oven, remove it place over a lit burner (this works best with a gas range) for a few minutes to let the pan soak up more heat.
While you are heating the pan, make sure your steak has been taken out of the refrigerator and allowed to warm up to room temperature. Season the steak with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, garlic powder and cayenne pepper (this is my steak rub). Rub in the seasonings to make sure the steak is evenly coated on both sides. Be careful not over season, as the seasonings are there to enhance the flavor of the meat, not cover it up. On one side of the steak, rub (or spray) a little olive oil in to cover the surface. This will be the first side placed down the heated pan.
Place your steak, oiled side down, in the heated pan while still on the burner. DO NOT touch the steak for at least 1 1/2 to 2 minutes while it is searing. The meat and seasonings will form a crust and the steak with slightly separate from the pan. With a pair of tongs, flip the steak once and allow the other side to sear. After searing the second side for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, remove the pan from the stovetop and place under the broiler. The time you leave it under the broiler depends on how well done you want your steak. Five to six minutes should be adequate for a 1 1/2 inch steak to be cooked medium rare. Cook it longer or shorter to your liking.
The drippings in the pan make a great base for a red wine sauce, but I tend to enjoy my steaks plain or with my bleu cheese butter. A close second is chimi churri sauce.
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I tried your recipe for the S in a CIS. Being an improvisational cook I modified slightly (marinated steak in EVOO and spices while bringing it to room temp), plus my steaks were about 1″ thick so I cut the time a bit. I got a very tender medium steak, I like med rare, but hey for a first try, not bad at all!
I have only tried searing really thick lamb chops prior to broiling prior to this searing and broiling technique in a CIS.
OMG!
This is so good!
I am emailing you as my husband and I eat this delicious meal.
Thank you so much for the inspiration.
It is good to hear you have landed in a good spot outside the devastation of Katrina.
I stumbled across your site yesterday when I was looking for a good Steak Recipe. I never have heard of using the cast iron skillet to cook a steak. I will admit that I will be using your method from here on out. It was beyond words and the wife and kids loved it.
Thanks again,
Aaron
Hey Kevin,
I happened on your site while looking for instructions on cooking a steak on top of the stove. I tried your recommendations, and the steak was fabulous!!
Thanks for the site. Becky
My wife bought me a iron skillet today and I tried out your recipe. It will be the last time I grill a steak ever. It came out better than I expected. Thanks so much for your posting.
Hi,
I’ve tried your method a few times but I get a lot of smoke when I do it (I’ve set off the smoke detectors every time) Do you have any tips?
Thanks,
Alex
Hey, I’ve got a lot of smoke in my apartment as well! One time the whole building was set off. The first time I did it was my brand new cast iron p[an it was fine, but then after that it was very very very smokey and the steak burnt, any advice?
SOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOD!!!! Yes, smokey, but definitely worth it. You can clean your cast iron skillet with oil and salt while it’s warm. How do I facebook this article?!??!?!
Followed your instructions to a “T”. Hot skillet, steak rub, olive oil spray. Steak was great. Did not return to oven as I like mine on the rare side. The only problem was when I tossed that slab of cow into the skillet. Holly Molley. Alabama wild fire. No fire but enought smoke to supply the whole neighborhood with bug spray for a year. Turned the attic fan on super high and yanked the battery out of the smoke detector. Didn’t really mind the smoke that much but will be washing curtains for days. What itty bitty fact did I overlook?
This is a great recipe! Both I and my boyfriend (who’s family is originally from Chalmette) love this recipe. I’m from the Midwest, and we like our steaks there. BUT this is the easiest and tastiest way to prepare a steak.
We also tried a similar technique with chicken and got an amazing result.
Hey guys, unfortunately the smoke is a necessary side effect of the process and cannot be prevented. I guess it means you did it right. When I lived in a shotgun house uptown, it was easy – open the front and back doors and let nature take its course. In my home now, it means opening doors and windows.
The other option is to use a propane burner and do it outside, which will keep the smoke out of your house (like the burner you use for your turkey fryer or crawfish pot). Just heat up the cast iron skillet on the burner, sear your steak and then transfer it to a sheet pan and finish in the oven or under the broiler. That’s it!
-Kevin
Love this recipe! And you’re right about the smoke in a shotgun- works perfectly!! Anyway, I was just wondering if you’d mind posting the recipe for your rub? I can’t consistently get a good mix, and was hoping you’d share yours…
Beef steak has always been my all time favorite dish and i am always looking for some new recipes that has steak as the main ingredient.::~
Your recipe is right on. I have been cooking steaks in a CIS for sometime and they are so good. I too, have not used my grill in a long time. I add a stick of butter to the skillet just as I put it in the oven. After the steaks are done, I add a little garlic powder to the melted butter and meat drippings to make a great sauce for the steak. I never knew what I was missing until I started cooking steaks using the CIS.
One of the best steak I have ever cooked !!!!!
I have been cooking steaks on a cast iron skillet for a while but I have a little different twist that I’ve added. I cook on my Weber Grill. Initially I place my skillet directly over hot charcoal during the searing stage. Then I move the skillet to the side of the grill (away from the direct charcoal flame) and place the cover on the grill so the steak is able to “bake” and get smoked by the charcoal until it is done.
The advantages would be that you don’t have to suffer from smoke in your house plus that steak has that great charcoal flavor (without getting burned, as they usually would when cooking on a charcoal grill)
The steak is flavorful and much more moist than I’ve ever experienced. If your standard of a good steak is Ruth Chris, I think this is better (just add butter).
I just made this with an electric stove! We just moved and wil be replacing it with a gas stove eventually, but this worked fine. Thanks for the recipe! I put a bit of Worcestershire sauce on the steak for a marinade, then used sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder and some Creole seasoning for a rub. Used olive oil and butter in the pan; it was delicious! A bit smoky, but that’s what the fan is for…nice alternative for when the grill is not an option (it is pouring rain out). Thanks again.
I also made this tonight using an electric stove – first time I’ve ever tried cooking a steak in a skillet. Marvelous; I may never order one out again. Thanks so much!
Very good steak as the searing locks in juices and flavor. Careful not to salt too soon as salt will draw moisture out of the meat. As far as the smoke, try using peanut oil as it has a higher tolerance for heat. LIGHTLY coat the pan before and after each use to keep it fairly non-stick as the oil “soaks” into the iron making it “seasoned”. Hope this helps. Thanks for the recipe and keep in mind that once that skillet is hot and has all those juicy flavors it is a great place to sear vegetables or wilt some greens.
I’ve always wanted to grill steaks since I came from Ruth Chris & this works great… The only problem is the smoke, but I make sure I remove the smoke detector, open the sliding door, & turn on all my fans…
What’s the distance between your broiler and the steak? Mine is pretty close so I’m concerned about it being crisped while under.