Searing without setting off the smoke alarm?

#1

Who can help? cast iron skillet. Do I lower the stove heat (from the highest)? If I do, will it still sear ok? Is it the amount of grease? Should I do no grease? My marinade included butter on each side of the steak, but I used ghee. I could turn the smoke alarm off before cooking but that doesn’t eliminate the issue of the kitchen and livingroom filling up with smoke for hours. Opening the windows doesn’t really seem to help, plus I’m in FL where you really don’t want to open the windows (humid). :slight_smile:

(Bob M) #2

You could try this:

(Scott) #3

Without a fan capable of removing enough air from the top of the pan and exhausting it outside it is not going to be even close to smoke free. The torch may work though.

(Bob M) #4

You can take the torch outside, too. When I lived in Arizona, we took appliances outside to the porch/lanai/patio/whatever you want to call it, to keep the heat outside the house. This would keep the smoke outside too.

I have not tried the Searzall, but I’ve been thinking about it for a while.

#5

hmmm ok I wonder what would happen if I pre-heat the skillet in the oven and then broil the steak in there… I’m imagining all the smoke would come out and fill up the kitchen once it’s done and I open the oven?:thinking:

(Polly) #6

Take the batteries out of the smoke alarm whilst cooking?

Alternatively, do you have outdoor space where a BBQ or hotplate for the skillet can be set up?

(Bob M) #7

That’s what happens when we use the oven: the smoke comes out into the room. It’s also easier to overcook the steak, I think.

#8

But I still don’t want the house to fill up with smoke :frowning:

I have a backyard but out there it’s a charcoal grill and I don’t want to go through that effort. :slight_smile:

(Windmill Tilter) #9

I think taking your steak outside and using a Searzall is your best bet. Super easy to use and they do a good job. For $70, it’s hard to beat. Cheaper than $5,000 worth of vents, fans and ducting! :yum:

If the blowtorch freaks you out, or if you want to save a few bucks, get a little hot plate and a 20ft extension cord that reaches outside. These get plenty hot enough to put a killer sear on your steaks.

They don’t take up much space. Just be sure to get a heavy gauge (lower # is better) extension cord at the hardware store to deal with power-draw. For a few bucks more you can get an infrared burner that’ll heat up a lot faster provided you’re cooking with cast iron or compatible stainless. These little burners come in handy indoors too during the holidays or at pot lucks.

Apart from that, just get a cheap propane grill. You can pick up an adequate one for $100. Not pretty, but effective.

#10

thank you, I love these ideas!!

(Bob M) #11

I might have to get one of these hot plates. I have a carbon steel pan I can’t season, because my crappy gas stove doesn’t get hot enough and the burner isn’t big enough.

(Windmill Tilter) #12

I use this one. If you know you’ll be using compatible cookware, infrared is a great way to go. It has an 8" wide heating area which is nice. Most importantly, it draws 1800W which is way more power than you’ll get out of a typical 1000W coil burner. Forget seasoning pans; you can smelt aluminum with this unit! :yum:

At $50.00, it’s a pretty good deal. If it’s going to do outdoor duty, you’ll definitely want a nice, thick, 12 gauge ext cord for this one.

(Bob M) #13

That looks good. I also want this for searing, too, as our gas burner doesn’t get hot enough for that, either. I would use it outdoors, sometimes, for searing.

#14

I cook my steaks on the porch to avoid the smoke in my condo. I use the T-fal grill that cooks on top and bottom and takes the guess work out of it. https://www.amazon.com/T-fal-GC70-OptiGrill-Removable-Dishwasher/dp/B00H4O1L9Y/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=t-fal+electric+grill&qid=1576620622&sr=8-1

(Full Metal KETO AF) #15

I have an small outdoor grill that heats in about 10 minutes, and a really hot propane stove outside too. If I’m making smoke it’s outside. I love Blackened steaks.

If I do something inside I open the kitchen window and turn on the exhaust hood but I still set the smoke alarm off a lot! I usually use an enameled aluminum pan inside instead of cast iron because that stuff just keeps on smoking for 5 minutes after you turn the heat off, so cast iron is mostly for outside if I’m searing. :cowboy_hat_face:

(Full Metal KETO AF) #16

You can get a much cheaper version of a Searzall from Harbor Freight. It’s a weed torch that’s around $20. @FishChris got one and says it works great. :cowboy_hat_face:

(Bob M) #17

A weed torch? That’s an interesting Idea. If I can remember, I’ll check out Harbor Freight, next time I’m around one.

(Dirty Lazy Keto'er, Sucralose freak ;)) #18

Honestly, it’s not only much cheaper, but MUCH more powerful.
One thing though… Don’t try to adjust it really low (being wimpy with it) as that is less likely to give complete combustion, and more likely to leave an unburnt fuel taste. If you don’t want to be so hot, just stand farther away. That will give the fuel even more chance to finish burning :wink:

(Eric - The patient needs to be patient!) #19

Also butter smokes and burns easily. I add the butter for the last 10 seconds. I do beef fast and just a little in my cast iron. It still makes a mess (spatters) and produces some smoke but less than when I was doing butter.

#20

I was a big smoker…of the house HAHA

What I do is turn pan on high heat. Let the pan get super hot.

Throw in your steak. Sear for a bit, check if dark enough for you or leave a bit longer, flip it and sear the heck out of the other side.

Your exhaust fan should be going :wink:

Then I turn it down to just under medium, more toward low. I throw in a little butter if wanted…finish cooking a bit.

I don’t cook long anymore, I was a very very well done meat person til I hit carnivore and my taste changed. I want the dark good yummy sear but after that, I just want pink inside so my cooking time is super short and there is a ton less smoke now on that shorter cook time :slight_smile:

hope some of that helps!!! best of luck!! we all sure love our meat cooked the exact way we like it!