NEED HELP WITH RIBEYES

GreenWave36

Hi - I bought some thick (1.5inch) ribeyes to make for company tomorrow night.  Just did a test run with the recipe I found in the BGE cook book (I am new to BGE) and followed it cooking the steak 550 degrees for 3 mins a side, for medium rare temp.  It did turn out medium rare, though my wife and I like our steaks a little more charred on the outside than it turned out with this recipe.  Does anyone have any suggestions about the right temperature (and cooking times) to get this effect?

Thanks!  

Jeremy Perelman

Scarsdale, NY

travisstrick

Cook to temp, not to time. 140ish for med rare.

hapster

Go caveman right on the coals for the same amount of time... Much better char and flavor on the outside and the same tender juicy results inside.

marysvilleegger

Heed the advice of @hapster

GreenWave36

hapster you mean put the steaks directly on the coals with no grate?  would putting more coals in the BGE, all the way up to the grate have the same result?

Nanook

REVERSE SEAR -cook indirect at 250*-275* -pull steaks at 108*-112* (rare, med-rare) and tent loosely -remove PS and get temp to 650*-700* -dab steaks with paper towel before searing -sear 1 1/2 min per side -serve immediately

travisstrick

GreenWave36 said:

hapster you mean put the steaks directly on the coals with no grate?  would putting more coals in the BGE, all the way up to the grate have the same result?

Yes and no. Right on the glowing coals

hapster

GreenWave36 said:

hapster you mean put the steaks directly on the coals with no grate?  would putting more coals in the BGE, all the way up to the grate have the same result?

It would, but it's not really needed. Just a nice full firebox with a fairly flat top of glowing red coals is all you need. Some people will put a cast iron grid right on the coals, but I think that just gets in the way. Almost no coals or ash stick to meat. Get your dome up around 550° and spread the coals out and you should be good to go.

Dobie

More heat. On grid cooking I sear @ 700-750 and pull them off after just about 90 seconds on each side and cover with foil. Close down the vents until you get to about 500 and put them back on until your preferred doneness. Sear with the dome up, finish dome down.

fljoemon

I reverse sear too and then sear on a Woo that holds the small BGE cast iron grate at around 500 - 600 for 45 seconds each side for my steak to get to medium rare. I too cook to temperature, so a thermapen definitely helps

Philly35

Reverse sear is a good method. I have not gone caveman yet, but next time I do steaks, I'll be giving it a try. One thing with ribeyes, they are pretty fatty and that fat can burn. I personally like to do NY Strips for this reason but ribeyes work well also. My wife and I just prefer strips.

GreenWave36

thanks all for your responses.  I generally trim all of the excess fat off the ribeyes before cooking them.  A couple of quick questions as I am still a newbie at this:

with reverse sear method, as the steaks are finished in cast iron, is there a good reason to do them in a BGE versus a conventional grill?

also, assuming i don't do caveman but load up my grill with charcoal right to the grate, would i be able to tell a material difference with my steaks getting a cast iron grate versus the standard one that the BGE comes with?  

thanks.

llrickman

Reverse sear will give you a nice color throughout even all the way through. can go indirect at 375 till it hits around 110 internal then open it up to 700+ and char about 90 seconds per side to 130 or so
i dont finish in a cast iron myself

I often will just fire up the egg let it rip at around 750 sear for 90 seconds per side then close all the vents let it go to about 130 internal

But if you do that method be very very careful and burp the egg when you open it to prevent a flashback

Philly35

X2. Anything over 375, beware of the flashback. But there's only one way to learn! And by conventional do you mean propane? Get rid of that!