Yeah, biggest problem there looks like wet steak. Anything I cook that I want to get a little maillard action on gets taken out of its packaging the night before and left uncovered on a wire rack in the fridge.
1 Like
A steak that thin should probably never see an oven, or only for a minute under the broiler to finish. The shade of brown says it was a little damp going in - the flesh never really “stuck” to the pan. With that pan I’d try tripling the amount of butter/fat you’re using and really patting it dry with some paper towel or just a towel you’re willing to wash.
1 Like
funny, in Hebrew Ikra refers to various versions of this dish. My mom loved it so i had that stuff in my fridge all the time growing up:
2 Likes
I think it was a combination of both. I probably need a cast iron skillet. How do you deal with moisture?
This is really helpful, thanks.
One issue I have is getting the pan hot enough for the sear. How do you make the transition from the low temp to the sear? Use two different pans?
Thanks, y’all! Flavor wasn’t bad, had a duck horn cab with it that was tasty. I’m going to try again next week. Hopefully there will be improvement. 
Use more fat. The fat will get hotter and touch more of the meat transferring more heat faster. Not swimming in it but more.
Dry steak with paper towels before cooking
4 Likes
Check out some YouTube videos before you pick up a skillet. I watched one where the guy took a power sander with fine grit paper to his before seasoning. I wish I had done that to mine.
Yep exactly what I was going to say.
2nd paper towels. You can also stick the steak on a wire rack over a plate or pan in the freezer for a bit to help dehydrate things too. I’ll sometimes do that for sous vide steak when I’m feeling like a tryhard.
@ViridianDreams most of us who spent some time in the twopeetoo steak thread have abandoned the reverse sear in favor of doing the whole thing in a frying pan start to finish. It’s just easier, and that’s how I got the results in this post:
That was about a 1.75" thick rib eye, took it out of the freezer the night before and left it in the fridge on the wire rack in the first pic.
Salted the crap out of it about 2 hours prior to cooking.
Put ~3 tablespoons of gee in a cast iron pan and heated just below the smoke point.
Put the steak in the pan and left it on med-high. Personally I don’t think it’s necessary or desirable to heat the oil past its smoke point.
Flipped the steak every 60 seconds for about 12 minutes total. Liberally applied black pepper for the last two flips.
Removed from pan and rested for 10 minutes.
1 Like
100% this. It’s critical to a good steak.
Echo the others, too thin and wet. Something this thin you’ll never get a good sear before it’s overdone. That said, it can be edible. For something like this I like hot Skillet + butter and baste. You can kinda get a bit of sear on one side. Dry the steak first, then maldon salt & cracked pepper.
Yes, you need a cast iron skillet. Everybody does and not just for steak, it’s the most versatile thing in your kitchen.
Especially if Billy Crystal shows up.
1 Like
Seasoning liberally and evenly with kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper also helps promote a good crust.
2nd’ing sufficient volume of grape seed oil in pan.
Rest for 10m if you can.
1 Like
FYP
1 Like
My steaks get cooked in safflower oil and butter.
You dont need two pans you can either turn the heat up slowly while you’re cooking the steak or cook it on medium heat until it is near the desired internal temp, take it out for 5-10 minutes and let the pan heat up before putting it back in. Dry the surface with paper towels before the final search using that method. You also don’t need a super hot pan for a great crust, no need to smoke out your kitchen.
you guys take your steaks remarkably serious. i’m impressed.
its like ‘i swapped the foie gras for flaming hot cheetos i think its okay’
also 'you only rested your steak for 9 minutes?!? you filthy animal"
Looks good. I’ve taken to ignoring the rules and blasting the broiler for a minute at the end to get that crust extra crusty.