c/fully-cooked-or-raw

The cast iron trick my neighbor swore by, 30 seconds per side

I always thought searing at max heat was the only way, but my neighbor in Phoenix said to let the pan warm up on medium for 5 minutes first. Tried it with a ribeye last Tuesday and the crust came out way better without the smoke detector going off. Anyone else ease off the high heat and get a better sear?

1 comments

caseym48•14d ago

Warning: my cast iron skillet ruined my blue rare habit after 14 years

Last Tuesday in Austin, I seared a filet for 90 seconds a side, let it rest, and still ended up with a gray band thicker than my thumb because my pan was smoking hotter than my old grill ever got. I used to swear by raw centers, but that crust came out so deep and beefy that the middle tasted like wet sponge by comparison. Has anyone else had a high-heat sear kill their love for rare, or am I the only one who switched sides after one perfect crust?

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david_rivera4•14d ago

Tried a reverse sear on a 2-inch ribeye, ended up with a torch and a fire alarm at 2 AM

So I finally caved and tried the reverse sear method people keep raving about. I got a thick 2-inch ribeye from the butcher in Portland last weekend. Followed every step, low oven at 250 until it hit 125 inside. Then I pulled it out to sear in a cast iron. My apartment kitchen has zero ventilation, so the smoke detector went off instantly. I panicked, grabbed a kitchen torch I had for creme brulee, and finished the sear outside on the balcony in 35 degree weather. The steak came out medium rare with a crust that honestly beat any grill I've used. But now I'm wondering if the torch method is cheating or if it counts as a legit technique. Anyone else done something desperate like this and ended up liking it more than the real deal?

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kevin_dixon•15d ago

Went from rare to medium rare after a steak in Austin, still conflicted

So I've been a rare guy my whole life. Medium rare was for people who liked their meat chewy. Last month I'm at this place in Austin, buddy orders a ribeye medium rare, I order rare. We swap bites halfway through and I gotta say, his had way more flavor coming through. The fat rendered better, the seasoning actually came through. Mine was good but tasted more like raw beef than steak. I've tried medium rare twice since then at home and it's growing on me, but part of me feels like a traitor to the blue rare crowd. Has anyone else switched sides after one specific meal, or am I just getting old?

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