Craving for that perfectly seared steak dinner? The best way to cook your steak and the perfect choice of a grill pan will leave your craving satisfied. So we, in this article, will provide a guide on how to use a grill pan for steak?
Before getting into the battle for selecting different types of pans to yield the best results, it is good to understand why the selection for the best grill pan is important. Know that a good grill pan will really lock in any flavors you throw in it. You should try to avoid Teflon and any other synthetic non-stick glazes and coatings. Why is it so? Particularly because the high heat obligatory for cooking the steak may essentially break down the coating leading it to contaminate your meat, as well as ruining your grill pan.
Keeping all that in mind, read on to see some of the best types of grill pans to use for cooking a perfect steak according to your liking and taste, as well as some product recommendations and tips for maintaining your pan base non-stick for long.
Qualities a Grill pan must possess
Choose a pan that not only gives your steak a grilled taste but a grilled look, too.
Pick a pan with raised ridges
Generally, grill pans with dramatically raised ridges are positively superior to those with gentle or shallow ridges. Ultimately, the deeper the ridges, the better your sear marks which are a quibble with the speed-bump style, that the food doesn’t get the desired “grill” marks; the lines are quite wide and blurred. One of the major problems with speed-bump style pans is that the food comes so close in contact to the pan that it steams, which undoubtedly is not a way you want a steak or a chop, and will leave the vegetables soggy, watery, and tasteless, which obviously is unappealing to the eye.
Grill pans with distinct ridges elevate food high above the pan bottom so that there’s a pointedly lesser buildup of steam as the food sears. But because the food comes in contact with only the ridges, it could be a slow cook. So preferably look for a grill pan with ridges that are taller than 1⁄2 a centimeter or so.
Choose a cast-iron pan
A grill pan should most preferably be made of cast iron. While generally, nonstick grill pans
can’t flawlessly mimic true grilled flavor, cast-iron ones are top-notch when it comes to searing, so food tastes very nearly as if it has been cooked over a fire, reason being cast iron’s exceptional ability to retain heat as well as to uniformly distribute heat without getting the food stick to the pan. This is exactly why superior gas grills have cast-iron gratings. Although nonstick pans are way easier to clean, they don’t have the capability to cook your food the same way. But, avoid using a cast iron grill pan if you already have a ceramic range.
The ideal handle
It would be ideal to choose a grill pan with a longer handle. This will make managing the food you are grilling easier and without the fear of burning your hand. Although a longer handle may be weighty, you will still find it more useful to use than a shorter one. You can also choose a handle with a loop or a tab. The only drawback some manufacturers have yet to solve is the problem of the handles getting too hot during cooking.
Square-shaped grill pan
Round grill pans work well, but you have to deal with a reduced surface area as compared to what square grill pans offer. Usually, with a square grill pan, you get enough room to cook the meats and vegetables both at one time.
Grill pan with a matching press
You can also opt for a grill pan with a matching press to get those defined grill marks, press it down the food as it cooks to enhance the grill marks, which makes the steak look even more scrumptious and attractive.
Get a pan with a lid
When you cook on an actual grill, you usually close the grill lid for the heat, smoke, and flavor to retain in the meat as it cooks. So wrapping your grill pan while you’re cooking food on it can help create more or less the same effect.
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Different Levels of Cooking Steak
How do like your steak cooked? Different people have different preferences but the level of
‘doneness’ (yes that is a proper phrase used in the kitchen worldwide) determines the flavor,texture, temperature, and color of your steak.
Well done:
For some a well-done steak is a waste of a good-quality piece of beef but cooking a good steak to this level of doneness is a challenge. This one is Grayish-brown with no sign of pink. It’s usually slightly charred on the outside. Some like it for its crisp outer, completely cooked insides and leathery texture.
Medium well:
Mostly gray-brown throughout, but with a hint of pale pink inside barely
noticeable. This steak will be chewy and have very little moisture inside, with no sign of blood in it.
Medium:
This level of doneness often pleases most everyone. A clear band of pink should be visible in the middle of the steak with rich brown sides and darkly charred top and bottom. After cooking and resting, the steak will have a rougher feel and a less-juicy inside.
Medium rare:
A warm pink-to-red juicy center. Firm on the outside, soft and juicy on the inside is the most recommended level of doneness for a good medium-rare steak.
Rare:
This is the steak for the true carnivore who wants something nearly raw but somehow gets it cooked but as little as possible. A rare steak should be warm through the center, lightly charred on the outside, browned around the sides, and bright red in the middle.
Best Grill Pan to Cook Steak
TeChef- A Korean stovetop non-stick grill pan is the world’s finest cookware with DuPont
Teflon Select. It is Coated 5 times with DuPont Teflon Print Designs. The unique swirled
channel design helps oils drain slowly to make food more flavorful. It’s Fat/Grease Draining
System proves to be healthy and good for Pork Belly or any type of meat. The tabletop BBQ grill for use on the gas stove top makes it suitable both for an indoor and outdoor use. It’s a made in Korea and delivers outstanding performance with exceptional quality.
.STEAK USING A GRILL PAN
Learn how to cook a steak in a grill pan with these simple steps:
Total Time
- Preparation Time 1 minute
- Cook Time 8 minutes
- Total Time 9 minutes
Ingredients
- Steak-cut meat
- Butter
- Seasoning Salt
- Seasoning Pepper
- 1 Shallot
- 1 cup of sliced Mushrooms
Directions
- Start by removing the steak cut meat from the packaging. Wash and pat it dry with a paper towel. This step is important because if there is moisture on the steak it will create steam, and you don’t want to steam your steak, rather you want to sear it creating a flavorful crust on the outside, right?
- Then generously coat it with a layer of seasoning salt and seasoning pepper – these are spice mixes that add more flavor than the regular salt and pepper alone.
- Rub the seasoning into the beef.
- Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter.
- Once the butter starts to brown, put the steak into the grill pan. Let the steak cook for 2 minutes, then rotate it 90 degrees (to create cress cross grill marks) and let cook for another 2 minutes on that side.
- Then flip the steak again and repeat the process. Cook for 2 minutes, rotate 90 degrees and then cook for another 2 minutes.
- Remove the steak from the grill pan and let it rest for 5 minutes. Insert a meat thermometer sideways into the center of the steak to make sure it’s cooked to your desired liking. You will want it to read 120 degrees since the internal temperature of the steak will increase slightly as it rests.
Sides (vegetables)
Immediately melt another tablespoon of butter in the same grill pan, add the sliced shallot and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 5 minutes. Once those are ready, quickly wilt some spinach in olive oil and season it with salt – mostly because something green on the plate will give an instant spark to the whole dish.
Serving
Now that your vegetables are sautéed and your meat has rested so that its juices can be
reabsorbed, it’s time to serve your steak. The steak should be nice and pink and juicy in the
middle.
Wrapping Up!
Grill pans may look the same everywhere but essentially, they are not the same after all, but
since their components and the materials used in their composition dictate the quality of your cooking, you should be vigilant while choosing one. Of course, it would also be great if you choose a grill pan from a well-known and reputable brand to make sure that you get the best grill pan with excellent quality and a long last.
Remember to clean your grill pan with hot water and afterward store the pan in a dry location to prevent rusting. Seasoning your pan with vegetable oil after each use may increase the effectiveness of your cooking and prolong the pan’s life.
