# Cooking steak on really high heat without smoke **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 4, 2015, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-steak-on-really-high-heat-without-smoke/708912 "2015-01-04T00:31:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2015, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-steak-on-really-high-heat-without-smoke/708912/1 "2015-01-04T00:31:40Z")
I keep watching videos of people cooking steak on really high heat (burner set to 11). There’s never smoke. I keep trying it with my cast iron skillet, but it always smokes. I’ve even tried grape seed oil (higher smoke point) and still I get a kitchen full of smoke. Then it dawned on me, perhaps the skillet is causing the smoke? I last seasoned it in my oven using a thin layer of olive oil and the oven set to 400F. Or maybe not. Does anyone else here cook steak on high in their kitchen without fear of setting off fire alarms? If so, how? ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2015, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-steak-on-really-high-heat-without-smoke/708912/2 "2015-01-04T00:38:44Z")
It’s basically impossible to cook a steak on high heat without generating some smoke. You probably just can’t see it in the videos. ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2015, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-steak-on-really-high-heat-without-smoke/708912/3 "2015-01-04T00:41:50Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > It’s basically impossible to cook a steak on high heat without generating some smoke. You probably just can’t see it in the videos. Some smoke, of course, since the meat is getting charred. I get billowing smoke! (It’s actually kind of humorous, in a sad way) ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2015, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-steak-on-really-high-heat-without-smoke/708912/4 "2015-01-04T00:43:52Z")
> [@sparky\_1](#): > > Some smoke, of course, since the meat is getting charred. > > I get billowing smoke! (It’s actually kind of humorous, in a sad way) I get a lot of smoke every time I’ve done it. I’m not sure if I’d describe it as billowing, but it’s always enough that I need to open the door to the outside. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2015, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-steak-on-really-high-heat-without-smoke/708912/5 "2015-01-04T00:57:06Z")
On cooking Shows they have serious range hoods to suck up things like billowing smoke, Your kitchen sadly has a crappy one. I know your pain, I love seared peppered steak, but that smoke is effing toxic. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2015, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-steak-on-really-high-heat-without-smoke/708912/6 "2015-01-04T01:31:36Z")
I read the OP as implying YouTube videos, which are often done at home by amateurs. But otherwise I agree that you’re probably seeing the helpful effects of serious range hood power, plus the final plated beautifully seared steak shown at the end may not have been the exact same one you saw being cooked, which may have been cooked over lower heat to minimize smoke but won’t come out quite s camera-ready. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2015, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-steak-on-really-high-heat-without-smoke/708912/7 "2015-01-04T01:33:20Z")
Yep, decent amount of smoke here, too. I also wouldn’t describe it as “billowing,” but enough to bug my wife to make me open all the windows in the kitchen, in addition to having the hood fan on. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2015, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-steak-on-really-high-heat-without-smoke/708912/8 "2015-01-04T02:42:36Z")
> [@sparky\_1](#): > > …really high heat (burner set to 11). > > …I’ve even tried grape seed oil (higher smoke point) Never mind the steak - oil (grapeseed or otherwise) on “really high heat” is going to smoke, period. A well seasoned skillet should require minimal additional oil, but yes, it’s going to smoke - if you don’t have heavy duty ventilation inside then your best bet is to cook it outside. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2015, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-steak-on-really-high-heat-without-smoke/708912/9 "2015-01-04T08:37:47Z")
You shouldn’t have to use oil in a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. Just get the thing really hot, then put in the steak. It will stick at first, but then it will release. You will get a minimum of smoke this way.