Seared steak stuck to cast iron pan??

[paneraica]

So went out and bought a cast iron pan as many said that was the way to sear before finishing in the oven.

Thin coat of oil. Let it get hot. When I went to sear the edges. Stuck to the pan pretty good. Laid steak down and a bugger to lift up. Whole face stuck pretty good also. Managed to lift and after that it was fine.

Can't seem to get that nice crust everyone always shows in the recipes though.

Steak turned out well. Nice and buttery. No chewy areas.

What was the problem with sticking though? Set temp at med high or 6/10 on the temp scale

Thanks

DON

 

[Astralogics]

Mmm, how new is your pan/how well seasoned is it? Usually the meat will release itself when ready to flip.

 

[chilerelleno]

Pan should be properly seasoned.

Pan should be hot enough that a drop of water dances and evaporates quickly.

Oil / grease the steak, not the pan.

The food will release 'after' the sear has formed, not before or during... Let it do it's thing.

 

[Astralogics]

Pan should be hot enough that a drop of water dances and evaporates quickly.

This in mind, there could also be the issue the pan was too hot. CI holds heat very well, so in my experience, I usually need to turn the heat down slightly after preheating.

 

[chilerelleno]

This in mind, there could also be the issue the pan was too hot. CI holds heat very well, so in my experience, I usually need to turn the heat down slightly after preheating.

I honestly don't think I've ever had that problem with it sticking due to too hot.
But for sure with burning the oil, grease, spices and/or food, that wasn't intended to be 'Blackened'.

When I do steaks my preferred method is Reverse Seared.
I smoke them, and then they go onto a screaming hot CI.
If hot enough, care should be taken that the Sear doesn't become a Char.
Unless of course you're like me and like a little Char to go with my Moo.

 

[Astralogics]

If hot enough, care should be taken that the Sear doesn't become a Char.
Unless of course you're like me and like a little Char to go with my Moo.

Those little charred bits are addicting!

 

[chopsaw]

What was the problem with sticking though?

Chile beat me to it .
Any food will release from the pan when it's ready to flip . You have to give it time to get there .

Next time start at an edge up see if it will lift . That will give you an idea of where it's at .

 

[paneraica]

Thanks

Responding to all answers

Pan was brand new. Never used. I did the edge and thats when I noticed it sticking. Didn't water test as pan had a thin oil layer.

Temp on the stove is what I use for breaded chicken or veal cutlets for frying, so hot, but not super hot.

Next time. Just place in the pan, forget edge.

I did the faces for 2 minutes per side. 8 minutes in the stove per side at 425

 

[Redicans]

Yeah brand new pans can take a bit to get nicely seasoned. Just keep cooking in it on med low to med temp and it will get better. Yeah as others have said food will release when seared enough. Do some cornbread in it with butter. Roast veggies in the oven. Fry up some bacon! The more you cook the better it will get. Also in my pans that are really seasoned 2 minutes and Im still getting a little stick. A little longer and it should release nicely.

 

[Fueling Around]

The last "preseasoned" CI skillet we bought was not well seasoned.
It didn't take long before food started sticking.
I scoured it well and reseasoned on the blast furnace gas grill. Be patient, it takes close to an hour to set the seasoning. Let cool and do it again.

...
Oil / grease the steak, not the pan.

The food will release 'after' the sear has formed, not before or during... Let it do it's thing.

Great advice. I always oil the meat.

 

[paneraica]

Odd thing is I checked the temp while in the oven and it said 180. Could be mistaken, but steak was like butter. No hard or chewy areas.

Costco boneless ribeye. Still have 2 others to try out

 

[sandyut]

Never had this issue, i do season CI myself before first cook.

 

[chef k-dude]

Get an infrared thermometer if you dont have one. You want about 425 surface temp. After several cooks you will know what's best for your pan and thermometer temp. Mixed thoughts out there on oiling the meat vs. the pan. Really cant hurt to do a bit of both but you need a high smoke point oil and a good exhaust fan if doing it indoors!

I prefer grilling steaks on nuclear and pulling at 125-130 then rest responsibly. To each their own!

 

[Bumppo]

This is my method for steaks, and I always get what I consider a perfect sear. A dark golden crust with no black. Of course, everyone has they're own tastes, but I made it a hobby for a couple years to learn how to make the perfect steak to match my own tastes. And I'm proud to say that I've been told by enough people that they won't order steaks at a restaurant anymore, because I ruined it for them.

Salt the steak 3-4 hours ahead of time with whatever other seasonings you want to use. I just use salt and black pepper. The salt pulls moisture out, but this amount of time allows it to reabsorb, taking your seasoning back into the meat with it. If you do it early enough there will be no juice puddles left on the steak. It should look dry, but still soft. And then the thinnest layer of olive oil I can do. Just a couple drops on each side.

I've found that prepping that far ahead of time is the most important part. Season an hour or less before cooking, and you have a wet steak that just gets steamed. Some people say to dab it dry with paper towels. Well there goes a lot of your juices and flavor. Give it time to soak it back up.

Meanwhile, I had put my skillet in the oven and cranked it up to 550. By the time the oven comes to temp, the skillet is ready to go on the stove on high heat. Don't use your wife's fancy oven mitt for this. It'll melt right through it. I have a set of thick hand towels that are designated for just cast iron.

Turn on the exhaust fan and set the steaks in the skillet. Don't flip until they're ready to release on there own.

And then the skillet goes back into the oven until they're almost finished. And then back on the stove with a some butter and a couple crushed cloves of garlic for a little extra flavor.

 

[chopsaw]

Meanwhile, I had put my skillet in the oven and cranked it up to 550. By the time the oven comes to temp, the skillet is ready to go on the stove on high heat.

I use 400 , but that's a classic method to get even heating on cast iron .

 

[JckDanls 07]

I prefer grilling steaks on nuclear and pulling at 125-130 then rest responsibly. To each their own!

Here, Here ... The wife wants them at 135... A little butter on them while resting...

 

[luvcatchingbass]

The 3 I have were all seasoned by me, even though a couple said they were "ready to cook". If memory serves correct I wiped down with a light coat of oil and into a 400-450 degree oven for 45-60min, let cool a little and repeated a couple of times. I have also used my high sided pans to fry fish and chicken multiple times. Other suggestions above are good, especially cooking bacon (can never go wrong with bacon) and the more you use them the better it gets. When cleaning DO NOT USE SOAP, I just rinse with hot water and a bristle brush, scrape spots as needed. Also the tips about letting the meat release itself is key as well

 

[TexasMuskrat]

So the CI pan you got what brand was it? The reason I ask is that certain brands no longer smooth finish the pan and to me that makes a huge difference on sticking vs not sticking in my pans. I have had new pans that were so rough you could shave ice in them. Other then that, there is some great advice in the comments above.

 

[paneraica]

So the CI pan you got what brand was it? The reason I ask is that certain brands no longer smooth finish the pan and to me that makes a huge difference on sticking vs not sticking in my pans. I have had new pans that were so rough you could shave ice in them. Other then that, there is some great advice in the comments above.

Bought a Lodge model. Got good ratings

 

[paneraica]

Different things to write down and try out

Thanks

DON