What is the best way to sear? Pan? Techniques?

Mainly steak I care about

Cast iron

yep, cast iron. can set in the oven to get the sucker hot hot hot...

And the very best selection for searing would be an old griswold skillet with rows of raised searing ridges for the bottom. They'll sear it and leave great grill marks behind. I advise you not go this route though because it'll make you want more griswold stuff.

Lodge still makes cast iron skillets but you can usually find some good old cast iron at yard sales, flea markets etc...just clean them good and re-season...

rick

When searing on cast iron do yal use butter/oil or just straight onto clean dry hot cast iron?

I put straight into pan. I tried butter & oil but burns quick.

yep, if the cast iron is seasoned properly, pitch in and listen to the sizzle

I still use a 150 year old cast iron skillet... very well seasoned!!

Cast Iron! Try it in the oven instead of stovetop.

Ive tried it and its great. I ruined my cast iron skillet so I need to purchase something new. I was wondering if there was a something that really stood out that I could buy.

How did you ruin it?

Left the pan out in the elements and it rusted

I've never had to do it, but some people claim you can through it in a brush fire and if it doesn't crack it can be saved with a little grease and a few reheats.

I have some Lodge Cast that are handy, but my favorite is my Le Creuset grill pan. Some people say the Lodge ceramic stuff is similar and it's a lot cheaper.

http://www.lecreuset.com/cookware/grill-pans---griddles/grills---grill-pans/square-skillet-grill

It's not ruined, just need to buff it down/start over re-seasoning. Have brought several back to life. There are also some good YouTube videos on how to do it.

I have an old cast iron pan I found 1/2 buried in the sand at our ranch when we bought it. It was covered in rust. I hit it with a wire wheel on my grinder for a while both inside and out. Re-seasoned it and it was one of my best pans till I let my mom get ahold of it... now she wont give it back.

Mine is at the landfill now. I was going to shoot it but my wife made it go away

Have a old cast iron washpot that was in the ground with only a lip showing, dug it up and sand blasted to clean then washed up good and seasoned. Would hate to think what all that one has cooked in the last 30+ years since putting it back to use. Bruswick stews 8 to 10 a year, fish fries, chicken fries....

For searing steaks and doing flat iron steaks have a cast iron griddle, get it hot 500 degrees in the over set it out on the stove burners and cook the steak on it, the grill side leaves nice marks.

We use an old Wagner Ware Sidney here, from my folks yrs gone by, about 60yrs old, still cooks
great, seldom wash it, hog lard, cleaned and wipped down good. Great for pancakes, or anything for
that matter!

If your on a budget, shop flea markets, yard sales, estate sales ( i stay away from sellars too greedy),
theres buys out there, You will never wear one out! they are made to last! better than the fancy
calphalon crap on the market today!

Venison, elk steaks salted, pepper to taste, about 3 to 5 minutes per side, pending your thickness or
meat doneness. Grilled onions, with garlic, veggies are to die for!

expierment around when you land one!

gud luck!

Funny...I just did two 2" rib-eyes for lunch today. I use a Cooks Standard stainless pan. Season your steaks and leave them out for an hour at least, covered with a clean dish towel. Light layer of olive oil in the pan, high heat until the oil just starts smoking, turn heat down 1/4 turn, lay in steaks. After 3 minutes, flip the steaks and put in your diced potatoes with onion and garlic. Cover. 3 minutes more, with a pair of tongs, not a fork, move the steaks to a cooling rack in the oven (over a drip pan), and stir the 'taters to finish in the drippings left in the pan. Once the 'taters are done, shouldn't take 5 minutes at most, plate it all up and drizzle the drippings out of the oven over the steaks.

Agree with those who say Cast Iron,

I have an enamel skillet, Viking I think, that I can use in a pinch only issue is folks using metal forks/spatulas damages the surface...gotten so bad I wash it and hide it away when I'm done

Have you still got it? It ain't ruined.

Oh, I see now. Pity. I woulda brought it back for you. Cast iron is Cast's friend.