When searing, do you sear it on a ridged or non-ridged cast iron grill pan? Which one produces better result for you?
I use an old non rigged one. My thought is that it increases the surface are contacting the meat. The other reason is that none of my cast iron pans have ridges. I also use a torch or a very hot grill on occasion.
That is what I am concerning as well.
I am thinking about buying a ridged grill pan but it also concerns me that since we don’t leave the meat on the pan for that long, the area that does not contact the pan will look unappetizing.
I do both, but I get the best flavor from using a cast iron grill pan. The charred grill marks that you get from using a grill pan offer a different flavor than a regular cast iron sear. If you were to sear in a regular cast iron skillet, you couldn’t go as dark as you could in a grill pan. it would be considered burnt. If you want kind of a grilled flavor, go with a blazing hot grill pan. If you want a nice, brown, uniform crust, go with a regular cast iron skillet.