The question is: What side - the flat side or the ribbed side? Anything else I should do when using cast iron to keep from ruining the meat? Thank you.

Matt

Ribbed side looks nice but I prefer the flat side leading to a more uniform maillard crust.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Ribbed side looks nice but I prefer the flat side leading to a more uniform maillard crust.

Second on this. Make sure the steak is very dry and then use a very small amount of a high smoke point oil such as avocado.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Flat for me as well. Tried the ribbed deals decades ago... made for a nice look but nope. I want a uniform sear and only a flat can give that.

My NY Strip steak post from the "what did you make for dinner" thread page 70:

Flat side every time for the above reasons. Use ghee instead of oil, because, well.....butter makes everything better, and it has a very high smoke pint.

What they said and season the ghee or oil with herbs and spoon it over the steak as you cook.

Flat side.

@bald1 - I have the same plates.

https://www.amazon.com/photos/...r5dvW_HUZgeJr6OoRINZ

Bring the steak to room temperature before you throw it in the pan.

Flat side it was. I let the steaks come to room temp for about 1-1/2 hours with a little salt and some fresh ground pepper. Thanks for the tips on the butter. The results were great.

Alton Brown has a really good, foolproof recipe for steaks that we've used for years, whenever we don't feel like firing up the grill.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/re...-eye-recipe2-1956777

Prefer the flat, the other just leaves the marks

Also prefer to sous vide the steak cooking it to temp then searing the steak on the cast iron. This insures a nice even cook of the meat to temp, or I'll put it on the Traeger and smoke it low and slow.

Finish in a flat pre heated cast iron skillet, Add real butter to the cast iron and grated garlic, heat, toss in steak and sear, hold pan at a slight angle and spoon hot garlic butter on the meat while it sears. Flip, repeat then eat.

OP, do you mean “griddle” rather than “grill”?

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
OP, do you mean “griddle” rather than “grill”?

Yes, I did. Sorry for any confusion.

I use a 10” cast iron skillet, so flat works for me. Unless that griddle doesn’t”t have a lip around the edges to keep the juices from making a mess.

For thinner steaks the full cook should work just fine, I have a flat bottom cast iron skillet.

I haven’t done an entire cook on a cast Iron skillet but I use it regularly to finish with a reverse sear. That process works best with thick steaks. I like at least 1 1/2” to 2”.

Favorite option is to smoke the steak until the internal temperature is around 120 degrees and then sear a minute or two on each side. I use avocado oil and sometimes add butter at the end so it doesn’t have a chance to burn.

2nd option is to Sous Vide at 130 degrees for a couple hours and finish with a cast Iron sear, same process as above.

I haven’t tried it but I assume you could use an oven for thick steaks at a low temperature of 225 degrees or so until the internal temperature reached 120 degrees and then sear.

quote:

Originally posted by Ironbutt:
Alton Brown has a really good, foolproof recipe for steaks that we've used for years, whenever we don't feel like firing up the grill.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/re...-eye-recipe2-1956777

I had forgotten that I use this method, it does work very well.