Best Way to Cook Different Doneness on Steaks

jbarnes215

I've been using my XL BGE for a few weeks now and love it. I haven't tried steaks yet but tonight might be the night. Thinking of getting four bone in ribeyes from the butcher. The wife, MIL and son all like theirs well done but I like mine just on the other side of medium. I've been able to manage that over the years on my gasser by moving mine to the top rack while the others are on the main grill and that worked well. However, doing them quickly at around 600-650 on the egg won't work that way. What's the best way to do this? ( I know - tell them not to eat shoe leather).  That's not going to work. Can I get my steak at say a little over an inch thick and theirs around 3/4 of an inch and cook for the same time? Just looking for the best way to cook them all at once instead of doing in two batches. What suggestion would you have for cooking time? I've seen lots of different recommendations on here and the BGE recipe site. Just don't want to ruin the first run at the steaks. I know it's a process that I'll tweak and refine for myself over time but looking for a good starting place so I don't have one under done and the rest too done.

Thanks! Jamie.

tikigriller

Put the Well Done desired steaks on first...towards the hinge side of the grill which is the natural hot spot, and then add yours a little later, thus creating the same "pull out" time.

That would be how this rookie would handle it anyways!

abpgwolf

The best (and IMHO the only) way to accurately determine the doneness of a streak is with a good instant read thermometer. The Thermapen is the gold standard.

More importantly it is the only way to tell if your food has reached a safe serving temperature. My Thermapen has improved my cooking more than any other BGE accessory.      

pflug

I agree, I usually do reverse search and put my wife's on about 10 min before mine.  They end up getting seared at the end at the same time.  The delay will just depends on what temp and the difference in doneness.  I check hers when it goes on, and try to give her a 15 degree IT headstart.

tikigriller

abpgwolf said:

The best (and IMHO the only) way to accurately determine the doneness of a streak is with a good instant read thermometer. The Thermapen is the gold standard.

More importantly it is the only way to tell if your food has reached a safe serving temperature. My Thermapen has improved my cooking more than any other BGE accessory.      

I could not agree with this more!  Cooking with temp knowledge for me has been a HUGE change!

Hans61

 If you're doing 1 inch thick steaks  let them warm up for half an hour to an hour before cooking. For medium rare, I'd have the dome temp at 550 to 600° I would Sear yours three minutes per side ( internal temp should be around 135 140° ) I would sear everyone else's four minutes per side, that should put you in the  ballpark use a meat thermometer if they like theres well done you'll want to be at 155 to 160° it's only a few minutes difference when cooking hot and fast :-) 

THEBuckeye

Demonstrate MR is simply better 

Hans61

If you're going to do a two minute rotate two minute flip Id throw your steak on at the first rotation.

Raymont

As others have said, give the WD steaks a head start. Remember you can also pull them off to rest if your MR is not done quite yet. (or can even pull the MR off for a minute or two and then put back on if you find it is cooking to quick).

SemolinaPilchard

Steaks benefit from the hot tub method. It helps to give you the doneness level you like through more of the steak. You have the steak in a sealed bag soaking in 100 degree water for 1 hour before cooking. Say that you like your steak rare. When cooked, you cut the steak and look at a cross section, you only have a very small section done like you want. When you hot tub, much more of the cross section is how you like it. Of course, using the methods shortens the time needed on the egg. 

Toxarch

I would reverse sear all of them and use a remote thermometer. Cook at 275 to start. Measure your steak to start off and switch the thermometer to another steak when you hit medium and pull your steak. Then pull theirs around med-well. They will carryover in the rest. Tent the steaks and crank up the heat for the sear. 30 seconds per side until it looks how you want. All steaks cooked to taste and all served at the same time. Cook takes longer, but the steaks come out perfect.

Darby_Crenshaw

For consistency's sake (and max cross section), you can't beat @SemolinaPilchard's recommendation

if you do the same thing each time, you can time it pretty easily

i would agree with those that say to get a thermometer too. But get used to feel. A rare steak is different than a well done one. And you'll get used to it fairly quickly

jtcBoynton

Toxarch said:

I would reverse sear all of them and use a remote thermometer. Cook at 275 to start. Measure your steak to start off and switch the thermometer to another steak when you hit medium and pull your steak. Then pull theirs around med-well. They will carryover in the rest. Tent the steaks and crank up the heat for the sear. 30 seconds per side until it looks how you want. All steaks cooked to taste and all served at the same time. Cook takes longer, but the steaks come out perfect.

Reverse sear works great for thicker steaks.  I am not convinced it is worth the effort for steaks only 3/4" thick (which is what the OP is asking about).  Also what is to be gained by reverse sear when cooking a well done steak?

JohnH12

I have 'em gather 'round the egg, each with their own set of tongs, and cook away!
Only one to blame for a bad steak is standing in the mirror!

pgprescott

Darby_Crenshaw said:

For consistency's sake (and max cross section), you can't beat @SemolinaPilchard's recommendation

if you do the same thing each time, you can time it pretty easily

i would agree with those that say to get a thermometer too. But get used to feel. A rare steak is different than a well done one. And you'll get used to it fairly quickly

steaks and chops are really about the only thing i cook to feel. I think that once you understand what the particular doneness feels like, its actually more accurate than a thermometer because it eliminates the human error of thermo placement. fwiw

Darby_Crenshaw

pgprescott said:

 human error of thermo placement. fwiw

Chris (natureboy) used to advise that error can be eliminated by inserting the thermapen probe perpindicuar to the surface, amd watching the temps as you go in

it will start hot, drop as you move to center, and the rise again as you start to come out the other side. Back it off a bit to the coldest reading

seems obvious, but i know many will temp a steak by going in horizontal at what they think is center. Or will hit bone, etc. 

pgprescott

Darby_Crenshaw said:

pgprescott said:

 human error of thermo placement. fwiw

Chris (natureboy) used to advise that error can be eliminated by inserting the thermapen probe perpindicuar to the surface, amd watching the temps as you go in

it will start hot, drop as you move to center, and the rise again as you start to come out the other side. Back it off a bit to the coldest reading

seems obvious, but i know many will temp a steak by going in horizontal at what they think is center. Or will hit bone, etc. 

To each their own. Definitely temp them until you are familiar with the feel. Once you get a feel for the temps, it's infinitely quicker and easier to just poke em. IMO. I'm not a thermo denier. I do trust my feel even more than my Thermapens.

northGAcock

While I do one a Thermapen, I normally don't use it while cooking steaks. The method below was how i leaned in the restaurant business way back when. I still use it today ....some here will take exception to the method.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8YQX-QgbXc

Focker

I temp everything, bacon(make sure to hit one of the meat ribbons for accuracy), cured and smoked sausage...everything. 

Darby_Crenshaw

pgprescott said:

Darby_Crenshaw said:

pgprescott said:

 human error of thermo placement. fwiw

Chris (natureboy) used to advise that error can be eliminated by inserting the thermapen probe perpindicuar to the surface, amd watching the temps as you go in

it will start hot, drop as you move to center, and the rise again as you start to come out the other side. Back it off a bit to the coldest reading

seems obvious, but i know many will temp a steak by going in horizontal at what they think is center. Or will hit bone, etc. 

To each their own. Definitely temp them until you are familiar with the feel. Once you get a feel for the temps, it's infinitely quicker and easier to just poke em. IMO. I'm not a thermo denier. I do trust my feel even more than my Thermapens.

i was just relating what someone offered to help newbies when temping.

i use touch too most of the time

pgprescott

Darby_Crenshaw said:

pgprescott said:

Darby_Crenshaw said:

pgprescott said:

 human error of thermo placement. fwiw

Chris (natureboy) used to advise that error can be eliminated by inserting the thermapen probe perpindicuar to the surface, amd watching the temps as you go in

it will start hot, drop as you move to center, and the rise again as you start to come out the other side. Back it off a bit to the coldest reading

seems obvious, but i know many will temp a steak by going in horizontal at what they think is center. Or will hit bone, etc. 

To each their own. Definitely temp them until you are familiar with the feel. Once you get a feel for the temps, it's infinitely quicker and easier to just poke em. IMO. I'm not a thermo denier. I do trust my feel even more than my Thermapens.

i was just relating what someone offered to help newbies when temping.

i use touch too most of the time

I got it. Didn't mean to imply otherwise. Sorry. 

pgprescott

northGAcock said:

While I do one a Thermapen, I normally don't use it while cooking steaks. The method below was how i leaned in the restaurant business way back when. I still use it today ....some here will take exception to the method.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8YQX-QgbXc

Precisely!

Toxarch

jtcBoynton said:

Toxarch said:

I would reverse sear all of them and use a remote thermometer. Cook at 275 to start. Measure your steak to start off and switch the thermometer to another steak when you hit medium and pull your steak. Then pull theirs around med-well. They will carryover in the rest. Tent the steaks and crank up the heat for the sear. 30 seconds per side until it looks how you want. All steaks cooked to taste and all served at the same time. Cook takes longer, but the steaks come out perfect.

Reverse sear works great for thicker steaks.  I am not convinced it is worth the effort for steaks only 3/4" thick (which is what the OP is asking about).  Also what is to be gained by reverse sear when cooking a well done steak?

Reverse Sear works fine on a 3/4" steak. The gain of doing it on a well-done steak is to not overcook it and all the steaks are done to taste all at the same time, which is what the OP asked about.