About a year ago, I watched a video from America’s Test Kitchen on roasting a chicken in an iron skillet. I watched the video intently and then roasted so many chickens and their parts that I no longer need the recipe. Following this success, I experimented with other types of meat using the same method, and to my surprise, it yielded consistent results. This week, I found two inexpensive steaks at my local grocery store and decided to apply the same technique.

I learned that while iron skillets aren’t excellent heat conductors, they retain heat remarkably well; so, they should be placed in the oven to preheat along with it. When the skillet is preheated this way and the meat makes contact with its surface, you get a good sear. This sear significantly enhances the flavor of my oven-cooked dishes.