TRex question

Haggis

Almost every description of TRexing says to pull the beef off the grill after the initial sear and set aside while the Egg cools - maybe 15 minutes or so - and then return the beef for the remainder of the cook. That implies that the purpose of the "rest" is only to let the Egg get back to roasting temperatures. I've spotted only one recipe - the one at http://www.biggreenegg.com/recipes/beef/beef0305.htm - that explicitly says the rest period is to permit the muscle to relax. [p]My question is: since the meat will be returned to the Egg and cooked further, is there any real benefit to the rest period? Could I accelerate the cooking time by doing the sear on one Egg and immediately transferring to a second Egg that has been brought to the proper roasting temperature? In either method I'd permit a rest period at the end of the complete cook but in my alternative there would be no initial rest.

The Naked Whiz

Haggis,
Have you checked out Trex's recipe on my website? Trex wrote this, so this is the real deal:[p][li]Trex Recipe, The Real Deal[p]And yes, the rest period is intended to let the meat fibers relax, so if you are going to do Trex, you should allow the 20 minute rest period.[p]TNW

Haggis

The Naked Whiz,[p]Yes, that seems to be the same "how-to" article I referred to - its on the BGE recipe page although without the photos. Thanks.

mad max beyond eggdome

Haggis,
i'm a true t-rex believer.....i never buy or cut a tenderloin/strip/rib-eye that isn't at least 2 inches thick. . . .i ALWAYS sear at nuke temps (over 750 degrees, usually more like 900 degrees) for exactly 30 seconds per side for each half inch of meat (so for a 2 inch thick steak its exaclty 2 minutes per side), and i always rest for the prescribed 20 minutes before dwelling at 400 degrees. .. .try it a couple of different ways and see how you like it .. .i've found that if i don't sear at high enough temps, then it takes longer in the dwell to be done and the meat is a little mushy compared to the higher temp sear and shorter dwell time.. . .[p]but like i said, try it a couple of ways and see what you like the best . ..

Haggis

mad max beyond eggdome,[p]Thanks, Max. I did it pretty much that way last night although only 90 seconds a side with the dome thermometer well above 750 - I think it might have benefitted from another 30 seconds. I put it back on at a dome of just under 400 and roasted in a rack with only foil below it until the internal was 125. Pulled it off and kept in a warm oven while I made the bearnaise sauce - it rose to 130 and was a perfect medium rare.

fishlessman

Haggis,
the rest makes it better. ive done many steaks seared on a high btu burner in a cast iron skillet, rested and placed in the oven to finish up. i used to put the steak in the oven directly, but its better with the rest. it gives a much more uniform doneness thru the meat by slowing the cooking process from the outside inward