Xenia Forrester had a less than perfect experience with the Le Creuset Square 26cm Skillet she bought from Yuppiechef, and let us know about it:

“What I found happened was the steak started to slightly steam, slightly griddle but nothing like you see on some of those famous cooking shows. My steak proceeded to be cooked at a slow pace but at the same time I noticed a foul smell and a dark crust developing from the burning of the steak marinade that had fallen in the griddle dips.

Frustrated I took the pale, less than average steak off, fed it to my eager husband and started to think of how I was now going to clean this dark crust off without scratching the pan to pieces… Perhaps you guys could post something on how to cook the perfect steak on the Le Creuset griddle and maybe even top tips on how to clean it afterwards?”

We replied with the following tips on how to optimise use of cast iron grills and skillets and be a topclass griddler!

#1 Heat: Grill pans are designed to be used on a higher heat setting than our casserole, an easy way to check that the pan is up to heat is to flick water onto it if you see the water fizzing and looking powdery then generally the grill is ready. If you are unsure then give it a bit longer, it is essential that the grill is hot enough, otherwise you will not get a good result.

#2 Meat: It's very important to take the meat out of the fridge in good time, you want it to be a room temperature before you start. If it's too cold then it is much more difficult to achieve the perfect steak.

#3 Marinades and oils: If possible, try to marinade the steak overnight in the fridge so that the flavours are absorbed before you start cooking. Wipe the excess marinade off the meat before you cook, this will eliminate or minimize the burning that you experienced, this is particularly important where a sugar-based marinade has been used.

#4 Excess liquid: This will simply sit on the bottom of the grill between the ridges and burn without adding anything to cooking process. If you are using a basting source try to make sure that you use the correct amount for the same reasons.

#5 Oil: If you are using oil then always oil the meat, not the pan – excess oil simply lies between the grid lines and interferes with the grilling process.

#6 Turning: In most cases if you turn the meant too early in the cooking cycle it will stick to the pan so you need to leave it long enough for the sugars in the meant to start caramelizing. This forms the distinctive grills lines that we always see on the cooking channels, you will feel the meat release itself from the grill and it can be turned, the longer you leave it on the grill before you turn it the better cooked the steak will be.

#7 Resting: Try to leave the steak for at least 7 minutes or more before you serve this allows the proteins to recover from the thermal shock and the juices to flow back into the meat making it much much more tender and tasteful.

#8 Cleaning: Being careful is a good idea, and cleaning with warm soapy water will generally do the trick. If you are at all worried feel free to take your pan in to a Le Creuset store and they will clean it for you.

We’re really glad Xenia got in touch. Hope these top tips help you too!