Steak Question

[Rook]

A question for those of you out there who can actually cook.

I followed the directions exactly making this steak the other day. The end result was a steak that tasted fine, but the house was filled with smoke so thick you could barely see the ends of the room.

I let the steak, which was dethawed, sit out for a few hours to come to room temperature. I heated up the cast iron pan until dripping a bit of water in the pan made the water skip about and fizzle away. I rubbed the steak with some seasoning and slapped it on the pan to sear. They started smoking as if they were smoke grenades. I let them sit the duration that the directions called for, and they billowed smoke the entire time. I flipped them, and the other side began plumed in the same fashion. They were only slightly charred and black, not as much as I expected, and it took the evening with the doors and windows open to air out the house.

What happened?

[Mira O'Halloran]

That is a very good question. Smoking only usually occurs when the pan is insufficiently oiled, or the food is left for too long (which normally gives you a charcoal crisp) or there were some chemicals on it from the washing process (or the making process if it's new)

That's really all I can think of, but none of them seem to fit!

[Rook]

Well the cast iron was new, first time it was used. The lable said pre treated so I didn't oil it. That must have been it.