Once again, the cast iron saves the day. What I love about cast iron steaks is you can use a meat thermometer to control how well done the steak is, and you can keep flipping for your desired crispy-ness. Learn how to make cast iron steak so next time it’s raining out you don’t have to go BBQ!
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Got that Summer Fever
Is it just me, or do you start thinking of summer time around the month of April? I think it’s because we had our first solid couple of weeks of sunshine. We got outside and planted seeds and it just felt so good to have the sun on our skin!
My husband John and I go for walks around our neighborhood in the evenings. Last week we smelled the first BBQ, or maybe it was a smoker I’m not totally sure. But the smell of fire outside (the safe kind, of course) makes me so happy. It means late dinners are around the corner when the sun doesn’t go down until 10:30pm.
Summertime to us means grilling steaks, veggies, and bread on the grill. Thank goodness for husbands! I’ve always loved when the men take over dinner in our family and the ladies get to sit with a glass of wine and watch them grill … 😉
I wish I had a creative story as to how I got started cooking my own steaks on the cast iron. But the truth is we have very rainy and snowy winters, and sometimes I just want to get dinner done and not wait for John to be able to grill. So I started doing cast iron steaks and couldn’t believe how easy and delicious they were.
If you never thought you would make a juicy, tender medium-rare steak on the stove, prepare to be impressed!
Why we Love Cast Iron Steak
Easy and almost no clean up. Again one of the many reasons the cast iron is my best friend. Simply heat it up, add your meat, remove your meat, and wipe with a paper towel. That’s my kind of tool!
Controlling the crispy-ness. Being able to see the meat as it cooks means you can control the tenderness or crispy-ness. Turn the heat up for a more crispy, BBQ-like steak, or keep it medium and flip continuously to get the perfect tender insides. It’s totally up to you.
Changing up how we eat beef. We often have ground beef in tacos, pasta, or even pizza. It’s nice to eat steak cuts so we don’t get tired of ground beef. Serving up large steak cuts also gives me opportunity to make some good side dishes, like mashed potatoes or stovetop brussels sprouts.
What pairs well with Cast Iron Steak?
I always say have one protein, one veggie, and one carb.
Try easy mashed potatoes and crispy stovetop Brussels sprouts. For the mashed potatoes, simple boil potatoes in water until soft and then blend them together, adding cream, garlic, and cheese if desired. For the Brussels sprouts, just chop them in half and put them on the cast iron with olive oil. Add salt and pepper. When they’re done, add 1/4 C water to the pan let it sizzle and squeeze fresh lemon juice on top.
You’ll have to excuse this video as it is one of my first, before I had a camera 🙂
Or try some sourdough bread with homemade butter and a side of asparagus. For the bread, you can use store bought or make your own with sourdough starter. Homemade butter is made by taking heavy whipping cream (or fresh raw cow cream) and blending it until it goes from whipped cream to butter. Then, form the butter and rinse under the sink with cold water. Asparagus are so easy, just rinse them and place them on a baking pan with aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil, salt pepper and garlic powder and bake 350 degrees F for about 25 minutes.
Another one of our favorites steak sides is easy homemade ratatouille. All you need is a glass of red wine to go with this and you have a very decadent and healthy dinner. Ratatouille combines peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, zucchinis, and herbs together to make a yummy vegetable side dish. Learn how to make that here.
Tools Needed
Spatula
How to Cook Steak in a Cast Iron
First, bring your steak out to room temperature. Season both sides of the steak with salt and let sit at least 30 minutes.
Preheat your cast iron skillet to medium-high. Generously sprinkle salt directly onto the skillet.
Place the steaks into the skillet. They should be sizzling. With a pair of tongs, move the steaks around the pan so they are not sticking in one place. The salt should help them move better.
Sear for 5-8 minutes each side, depending on how well done you like your steak. Remove from pan at 135 degrees F for rare, 145 degrees F for medium-rare, or 155 degrees F for medium using a meat thermometer.
Tips for Cooking the best Cast-Iron Steak
Bring your steak to room temperature before you cook it. Take it out of the fridge or freezer with plenty of time to de-thaw and come to room temp. I have actually tried doing this with a frozen steak and it was so terrible, please don’t do that. 🙂
Plan ahead and season the steak with salt about 30 minutes before you plan on cooking it. This helps the meat absorb the salt deep before it gets on the skillet.
Use the yummy steak bits that are left in the pan when you’re done to create a sauce. We like to add some butter, garlic and herbs to drizzle over the steak.
Serve with mashed potatoes and some organic asparagus for a yummy healthy dinner!
Watch: How to Cook a Cast Iron Steak
How to Cook Cast Iron Steak
Nothing says summer better than sizzling steaks. We love to BBQ, but there are times when you can't get to the grill but you still want a perfectly cooked steak cut. In comes the cast iron!
- Steak cut
- First, bring your steak out to room temperature. Season both sides of the steak with salt and let sit at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat your cast iron skillet to medium-high. Generously sprinkle salt directly onto the skillet.
- Place the steaks into the skillet. They should be sizzling. With a pair of tongs, move the steaks around the pan so they are not sticking in one place. The salt should help them move better.
Sear for 5-8 minutes each side, depending on how well done you like your steak. Remove from pan at 135 degrees F for rare, 145 degrees F for medium-rare, or 155 degrees F for medium using a meat thermometer.
Tip: Make sure your steak is totally thawed out and at room temperature before cooking. Drizzle with salt 30 min to an hour before cooking so the meat has time to absorb the salt flavor.
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Our favorite cast iron skillet – Lodge 12 inch cast iron
Simple Meat Thermometer. We use this one for yogurt and other fermented products too. It’s so easy to use now that it’s digital.
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