Hey Veeky Forums

hey Veeky Forums

i can't fucking pan fry a steak on the stove properly, but i can do it every time on the barbecue super easily. what am i doing wrong?

i looked up a how-to and it said to cook it over high heat and cook for 3 minutes on each side. it ended up just getting burnt and was blue rare in the middle

if it helps, i have the unfortunate predicament of having an electric stove (not even the coils, just glass and it heats up. i guess there are coils under it but it doesn't make direct contact with them) and not a gas one.

I have an electric stove too. I can make fairly good steaks on it. How thick are your steaks? Are you resting them to room temperature first? (I'm thinking you might be missing this, if you're getting burned with blue rare). Outline your overall technique.

i.e.: "pan, nice and hot. Olive oil, in. Steak, room temperature, seasoned. Steak, in." etc.

i take them and leave them out for 15 minutes, perhaps they are too thick or maybe im just autistic

remove steak from fridge, add salt and pepper. wait 15 minutes
pan hot, high heat. add olive oil.
add steak. cook for like 3 minutes
flip it and cook for another 3 minutes

result: steak is burnt on the sides and blue in the middle

what is your technique?

Honestly, I follow the Ramsay technique to solid effect, with a couple personal changes

>Steaks seasoned with salt and pepper, and rested for an hour at room temperature
>pan heated, olive oil added
>steak added in
>flip, depending on thickness
>add a couple tablespoons worth of butter, a couple cloves of garlic, thyme under the steak, and some minced white onion
>remove
>remove, drizzle the liquid over the top and rest before eating

Very similar to yours, with some personal choices on flavor. Again, how thick are your steaks?

thanks user

perhaps the thickness is the issue then, or maybe im not letting them sit out at room temperature for long enough. im still chalking it up to my autism though.

i dont have any more on me right now but next time i will literally measure it out and see how long i should cook it for. if it's like an inch thick, high heat is still probably ok right? what should i do if they are thicker?

oh! does the kind of cut matter? i usually buy top sirloin if that makes a difference

Bruh if you're throwing them on a pan straight from the fridge, you're going to have problems. Cook it at room temp. I've never actually cooked it at high either, more mid-high

Honestly man, the best advice I can give you is to do what I did. Each week your local grocery store has strip steaks on sale, get those. Supermarkets tend to cut those thicker than usual, so you have more control on done-ness. Each week, document in a little book what you did, and how it came out, and alter your technique accordingly, until you start getting the feel.

Personally, i hate cooking Sirloin, because it's always so thin in my area, and it makes it hard. Plus, less fat content.

Really, the thickness shouldn't affect your stove heat *all* that much. It's time on the stove that does it. I think resting longer before cooking is going to do wonders for you. In addition, make sure you rest it a little bit after cooking and before plating, as well.

Adding on, 15 minutes out of the fridge simply isn't long enough for a steak cut to a thickness that's good for real cooking. An hour is going to give you better results. I've done a 15 minute out of the fridge with really thin sirloins from supermarkets just fine, but those are exceptions to the norm, and were just a way to dump protein in my body after lifting, desu.

much appreciated guys, thanks a lot

No problem. I'm no professional, but blue-rare with burning outside isn't something I've had in my experience making steaks, so I'm doing something that will counter what you're doing!

It's not long enough. Lower the heat to med high, 2 minutes a side, then finish in the oven for 5 at 425.

heres my problem

i make steak 2-3 times a week and im trying to perfect light medium rare (more on the rare side)
today for instance i cooked it for 2 minutes on each side
took it out
let it rest

and it was fucking medium

if your steaks are coming out burned without being cooked, and you're certain they're room temperature, your heat is too high.
I have an electric stove and find that on one burner, high heat is the same as another burner's medium-high heat. Electric stoves are really shit. Try lowering the heat by a little next time. Your pan might be too thin/cheap as well and not distribute heat effectively.

>it keep's burning, wut do?

turn the fucking heat down you god damn mongloid

Doesn't high heat make olive oil smoke up like a bitch? How do you deal? (I don't have a vent hood over my stove)

>olive oil

Steak was too thin and/or you didn't get a sear fast enough. You could try increasing the temp of your pan or just get a thicker steak.

>Heat pan
>Throw steak
>Wait until it's ready to flip
>Flip, salt and turn stove off
>Wait until it finished cooking and enjoy
Since the pan is already hot enough to finish cooking it it's best to do it this way since it gradually cools down and makes the window between medium rare and we'll done whider, it's pretty fucking hard to make it past medium well if you do this, at that point you are fucking up on purpose

literally this.

set oven to 180 F. cast iron pan. season 1.5" room temperature, patted dry filet with salt. pour olive oil onto pan. set stove heat to 8. just as the oil begins to smoke, lay your beef in the pan. leave it in 4 minutes. turn. leave another 4 mintues. it should have a nice sear on both sides by this time. remove pan and insert into oven for 8 minutes. remove steak, place onto a foil on plate, lay pad of butter on top. close foil, let sit 10 minutes.

fucking delicious.

pro cook here. your pan is just too hot. dont let your oil smoke and use canola opposed to olive oil. its cheaper, has a higher smoke point, and is generally better. Also, I wouldn't time it too much because your steak will always be different than the how to. just use a thermometer or the palm firmness method.

why does the outer layer look so gross? what cut of beef is this?

Maybe try making soux vide steak first then heating your skillet up in the oven, heating butter or olive oil on it, some salt on your steak maybe a crushed Clove of garlic in your oil and then putting the seat on all sides once the oil is good and hot. Maybe try baking the steak first and then searing if you don't have the ability to make soux vide

>he ruins top sirloin

Why are so many people recommending olive oil for a steak sear?

That shit has such a low smoke point and will make your steak taste rancid and is going to be loaded with free radicals.

Use peanut or grapeseed oil, something with a high smoke point. You don't want anything burning in the pain.

just use palm oil senpai, it's safe and used in every artificial food.

just do a reverse sear on thick steaks

Get a good heavy pan with lots of oil. Make sure it's nearly at the smoke point when you start. DRAIN THE STEAK FIRST. Last time I did this I had flames two feet high.

Cook time is actually pretty short. Maybe 3-4 minutes on one side, 3-4 on the other with a lid.

Remove and let rest for maybe 5 minutes. You can finish in the oven if you want something more done in the middle but most of the time I'm aiming for medium-rare.

Also, consider marinades for tougher cuts like London Broil. 6 hours in undistilled vinegar does wonders and it's a good time to add seasonings.

Canola oil works in a pinch but yeah, only use olive oil if it's not going to cook.