"dakota2112" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Ok, so I've been reading for quite a while about how good a steak is
> when it's seared in a hot cast iron skillet. On "Good Eats", Alton
> Brown says to preheat the skillet in a 500 degree oven, then place the
> skillet on the range top and sear the steak for 30 seconds.
>
> I tried this last night. But because of a pie being in the oven, I
> wasn't able to preheat that way, so I turned the electric rangetop
> burner to HIGH and let the skillet preheat for about 20 minutes. It
> got hot to where I couldn't hold my hand above the skillet for more
> than a few seconds, and the skillet took on a gray ash-like appearance.
> I dropped my room-temperature, safflower-oiled steak in the skillet,
> filled my house with smoke, and ended up with only a very minimal
> seared crust - and I seared it for at least 1-2 minutes per side.
>
> Am I still not getting the skillet hot enough? (And how do people
> actually do this indoors without getting a housefull of smoke?!)

You are doing it right. Smoke is unavoidable in my experience. You didn't
move the steak once in the pan, did you?


--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths page at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm