The Best Skillet for the Job
Skillets are simply frying pans with low, flared sides. Their shape encourages evaporation, which is why skillets excel at searing, browning, and sauce reduction. In the test kitchen, we like to have three types of skillets on hand: traditional, nonstick, and cast-iron.
Traditional Skillets
Traditional skillets work best for searing steak over high heat and when we want to create fond, the browned bits that are the foundation for great flavor in pan sauces. The fond sticks to a traditional skillet (unlike a nonstick skillet), so it’s ready to be deglazed and stirred into the aromatic base of a quick pan sauce.
Nonstick Skillets
Nonstick may sound like a nonstarter when it comes to cooking steak, but they make all the difference in several of the recipes in this class. Since these methods cook the steaks at lower temperatures or heat gradually, a nonstick skillet is perfect and safe to use. The fond (and the spice crust) sticks to the steaks, not the pan.
Cast Iron Skillets
Cast Iron skillets are also useful for their excellent heat retention for high-heat cooking techniques such as frying and searing, and they actually improve with time and heavy use.
