Cook steak in cuisinart panini press?

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

Outside of grilling season, would you do this? Or is it necessary to have a standard cast iron steak pan with sides and ridges? TIA!

[Anonymous]

I used to use the George forman grill to make panini, so yes, it can work both ways. You should probably put a piece of plain bread in it after to absorb the oils and flavor.

[Anonymous]

I make steak indoors in a stainless steel pan--no special equipment needed. There are a ton of techniques online.

Short version: salt heavily, rest at room temp before cooking, pat dry, get the pan REALLY hot, and (my addition) baste with butter after flipping.

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/03/perfect-pan-seared-steaks-recipe.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I make steak indoors in a stainless steel pan--no special equipment needed. There are a ton of techniques online.

Short version: salt heavily, rest at room temp before cooking, pat dry, get the pan REALLY hot, and (my addition) baste with butter after flipping.

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/03/perfect-pan-seared-steaks-recipe.html

+1. You don't need a grill pan, but don't use a panini press!

[Anonymous]

My mom does this. She buys an expensive strip from a butcher and then uses her panini press and I just sit on my hands wishing she let me pan sear it to the proper temperature.

In theory it should work fine but because the lid is down she isn’t good at catching the moment before it turns to medium well. But she likes short cuts and I’m not going to pick a fight over it.

So yes you can, but I wouldn’t recommend it - especially if it is a nice cut of meat. Flank steak that you will slather in salsa and make fajitas out of? Sounds very convenient and great!

[Anonymous]

I can't see why not. I have a Cuisinart with both griddle/panini plates and grill plates that you can swap out. I don't see a huge difference.

[Anonymous]

I sear the steak in a pan and then put it in the oven to get to the proper temp

So easy and quick

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pan-seared-rib-eye-recipe-2131274

[Anonymous]

I don't think it would get hot enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi all,

Outside of grilling season, would you do this? Or is it necessary to have a standard cast iron steak pan with sides and ridges? TIA!

We just did this and it turned out fabulously

[Anonymous]

Are you actually using the top part of the press to push down on the meat? That would be a big mistake. You want the meat to keep all the juices, not push down on it and push the juices out.

The key to a nice, moist, juicy steak is for it to stay juicy. You can pan cook a steak on the stovetop with any kind of skillet, even nonstick(!), if you want and I think you'll get a better outcome.

Put a tablespoon of butter in the skillet, bring the skillet up to med-high / high heat, swirl the butter around, put the seasoned steak in the pan. Let it cook until it has a nice sear, flip it and cook until that side is nicely seared. Don't keep poking it or turning it. This is a one-and-done per side thing. When the second side is done, pull the steak off the skillet and let it rest for 5 minutes. Et voila you have a lovely steak made inside. It probably will take no longer than 5-8 minutes depending on the thickness of the steak and the heat you're using.

[Anonymous]

Also you might want a splatter guard. You can buy them online. They come in different sizes. They will help keep your stovetop clean and keep you from getting splattered.