The Grill vs Cast Iron

Bulldawg

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What do you guys prefer to cook your roast/steaks in like backstrap or such. I've cooked on the grill and loved it, but I have also cooked in a cast iron skillet in butter, get a sear, basting, then pop in the oven to finish it up. What are your favorites way?
 
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I am doing a lot of cast iron pans with butter to sear. For things like back straps and thin steaks it just takes a minute or two on each side.
 

TauPhi111

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Sep 10, 2017
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Ohio
I do both, but when I use a grill, I'm almost always doing whole sections of backstrap and then slicing it at the table, and if it's cast iron, they're usually medallions/small steaks or cuts cooked in the sous vide. Cast iron is great but the only thing is idk how you get that smoky charred grill flavor. They're two methods that give you different but equally good results.
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bearclaw

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Central Coast California
I prefer the cast iron because the sear is better and the control is better. Sous vide is great too, but for elk and deer it takes so little time that I generally only do the cast iron. I save sous vide for longer durations.

But, my favorite tenderloin and loin prep is carpaccio. Thaw, trim, refreeze a few hours to almost frozen, then shave thin and place on a plate around the perimeter. Arugula salad in the middle with a homemade ponzu type vinaigrette and then salt/ pepper to taste. Makes those precious cuts last longer too!
 

jmez

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Grill for me. I don't cook meat of any kind in a pan. Charcoal as well, no gas.

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Whisky

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I often use Grillgrates (GrillGrates For Any Grill | GrillGrate) turned upside down on a grill to get the sear/crust you would from a cast iron pan, with the added flavor of the grill. But there are also times where I will just use the cast iron pan in the house for something different, or if it's blizzard conditions outside.



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MTSabo

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I like both. I moved on from cast iron to carbon steel though. I get consistently better results.
 

AKHUNTER

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Interior Alaska
I find that searing meat in the cast iron skillet, in the BBQ, results in juicier meat because it sears in its' own fat and whatever oil I add to the pan. It's also gets a better sear.
 

Sam's dad

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Dec 13, 2016
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I love to cook on the charcoal grill, but when I want to make a sauce I use the cast iron.
 
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Sep 27, 2018
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Both. I've grilled at -30 but I hate it.



I actually like both, but likely would have never discovered cast iron if it wasn't for winter.

I'm more consistent on the cast iron

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Scoony

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Ky
I have done both and enjoy it either way. I recently got a carbon steel pan and actually like that better than a cast iron pan.
 

jspradley

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League City, TX
Being too lazy to hassle with a grill I've gotten really damn good at pan searing steaks lately. I definitely prefer to grill them but it's not worth the additional hassle of 30 minutes of prep for a few minutes of searing.

If I had a pellet grill i'd probably use the crap out of that but I don't so it's pan searing 99% of the time and I've actually gotten better results from a Greenpan ceramic coated nonstick pan than any of my cast irons.
 

Murdy

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North-Central Illinois
Definitely both. Grill if I want that smoky taste; pan if I want to make a sauce. And, of course, a lot of other factors (like the weather) can come into play.
 

Brendan

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Cast iron tenderloins come out damn good...
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