How to cook a steak without cooking a gasket?

GulfCoastBBQ

After much searching on this forum I decided to do some USDA prime ribeyes using what is often referred to as the Trex method. Dome temp 600, steaks go on, flames go up, gasket falls off. Presto, 4 pretty good steaks and one disabled BGE!
So upon the advice of our local BGE rep (and not wanting to fry my newly installed replacement gasket)I did some steaks last night using a different method. I just ran the dome up to about 475, slapped on the steaks and closed the lid. After about 3 minutes I gave em a flip and again closed the lid. After another few minutes I pulled em and rested. They did not get a great sear and really seemed more baked than grilled. Had a very deep ring of well done with a relatively thin core of medium rare center. Not great by any means, so whats the secret?

fishlessman

i dont use gaskets, but when i did i was real happy with the rutland gasket. bge wont recommend it because rutland wont back it for food use. after it greases up a bit, i dont see its a problem

Boilermaker Ben

Having a fried gasket does not mean your egg is disabled. And t-rexing shouldn't fry your gasket anyway.

I've run my egg up as hot as it will go, and while the inner edge of the gasket gets scorched, the rest of the gasket was fine.

I've also had the temp go out of control with the platesetter legs-down and a pizza stone raised above the plate setter (generally agreed to be the riskiest setup for your gasket). Again, my gasket is a little crispy, but generally still intact.

It leaks a little, but doesn't affect cooks or my ability to control temp.

I just t-rexed my first steaks this week. Didn't run the temp all the way up, due to time constraints. Did the sear around 700 on a non-raised grid. Pulled the steaks and let the dome temp come down to 400, raised the grid and then cooked them to med-rare. Turned out great!

BobS

I don't ever cook with the egg open.

I personally prefer the reverse sear method, because you are heating the steak all the way through and the sear is just the sear, you do not leave it on for cooking per se and do not get the well cooked edges.

The fire is burning at something like 1100 F regardless of the dome temp, so I think the secret is getting the steak closer to the fire vs. raising the dome temp.

You can go with a CI grill on the hanging, spider rig, from The Ceramic Grill Store or probably figure out other rigs. You can probably lay a small CI grill directly on the lump.

http://www.ceramicgrillstore.com/ceramicgrillstore/

There is even a mentod where you lay the steaks directly on the lump (no kidding).

danny285

Why cant i cook my steaks at 400 to 450 and turn every 3 to 4 min to get them finished, i could care less about sear marks.

mad max beyond eggdome

i don't know whats with the gaskets these days ...i've had my eggs for around 6 years now, and i regularly do t-rex steaks. . .run my eggs up to 900 degrees plus. ..have flames shooting 3 feet out the top of my dome. . ..sear my steaks for 90 seconds per side, then cool my eggs down to 400 degrees for the 'dwell'. .. .steaks are fantastic. . .better than you could ever get in any high end steak house. . .and my gaskets stay in place....only time i ever melted a gasket was 5 years ago when i inadvertently forgot to shut down an egg and left it at 800 degrees for 45 minutes. ...gasket was nothing but black goo.. ..but other than that one time, i have never melted a gasket or had one fall off. . .

Boilermaker Ben

bfpdb wrote:

Why cant i cook my steaks at 400 to 450 and turn every 3 to 4 min to get them finished, i could care less about sear marks.

It all depends on what your goal is. Many people love the flavor that comes from seared meat. It's why we brown our meat before braising a stew (and do it in batches, rather than all at once, so as not to crowd the pan). It's why we know it's important for the surface of meat to be dry before putting it in the pan. It's why we get (and keep) our woks rocket-hot.

But it only helps the very outside of the meat. When the inside of the steak gets hot, it turns grey, gets chewy and loses moisture and the great beef flavor. So the goal is to sear the surface at high temp, and then bring as much of the interior of the steak to medium rare as possible (or in reverse order...bring it to temp, and then sear).

If you didn't care about searing your steak, sous vide would be the way to go. But as for me and my house, we will serve Maillard.

Boilermaker Ben

I bought my egg from an eggfest this September. So I'm guessing, if there has been any change in gasket, I've got one of those "these days" gaskets. My first cook was a pizza. THEN I read the advice to avoid high-temp cooks while breaking in the egg. My gasket is fine. Shows no sign of coming off.

fishlessman

if you like a baked steak over a grilled steak then by all means cook it that way. the best way is the way you like it cooked

PhilsGrill

Before you cook, remove the fire ring. Start fire and then put the grill on top of the firebox. This will lower it much closer to the coals. Problem solved

fishlessman

i really like leg of lamb seared that way, directly on red hot lump

GulfCoastBBQ

So, based on replies so far maybe I am not the only one not sure how to make a good steak on the egg without frying the gasket?

Golfnut

Get the meat closer to the fire.
Flames will melt your Eggs gasket.

Boilermaker Ben

GulfCoastBBQ wrote:

So, based on replies so far maybe I am not the only one not sure how to make a good steak on the egg without frying the gasket?

Nope, but that's why you're here, right? You've got some good answers posted here.

fishlessman

we never had this problem years ago. gaskets would burn and char and shrink and were stil usable but they didnt melt like they do now. the old advice was to just cook with them, no breakin or anything. if i was in your shoes i would call bge and get a nomex gasket and if that didnt work i would get hold of rrp off forum and find out more about rutland gaskets.

Popsicle

GulfCoastBBQ, I can’t tell you how not to ruin your gasket cooking steaks but can tell you how I do mine and still have somewhat functional gaskets on both my eggs. I settled on a hybrid version of the Hot tub method because my family likes a little more smoke flavor. Hot tub your steaks for 30 minutes or so. Build your fire and stabilize around 350. Add wood chunks, pecan or mesquite. Put on steaks, remove dfdw and open bottom vent wide open. Flip your steaks about every 90 seconds till done to your liking. Believe me, the last few flips will give you all the searing you want. Good luck.
Popsicle

Babyray

I'm with you Max. Been T-Rexin em for about 10 years with no problem..I agree if you have a good quality of meat, they are better or just as good as the best high end steak houses.

Ray

gdenby

I'm not clear from the thread if you left the dome open the full time while searing, or just for the moment when putting the steaks on. I have read that people have partially burnt the dome gasket when the dome was running at 800+, and the dome was open. The sear should be done with the dome down, so the gasket is only exposed to the rising heat for a few seconds.

As a BTW, I prefer "hot tubbing." Rub the steaks, seal them as tightly as possible in plastic bags, and immerse in hot tap water (at least 120 degrees.) Depending on the thickness and beginning temperature, you may need 45 - 60 minutes to get the steak up to 120. At that point it is almost cooked rare. Then, with the Egg at max temperature, the steaks just need to be seared the usual 30 seconds per side per 1/2" of thickness. After a few minutes rest, the interior should be a nice rare 125-30, the outside nice and crusty.

As another BTW, a few weeks ago someone mentioned oil poachng as another method for hot tubbing. I tried it with some bison steaks in hot clarified butter. It worked well, but was a lot of fuss. Would probably be better for larger cuts, like a roast.

GulfCoastBBQ

gdenby wrote:

I'm not clear from the thread if you left the dome open the full time while searing, or just for the moment when putting the steaks on. I have read that people have partially burnt the dome gasket when the dome was running at 800+, and the dome was open. The sear should be done with the dome down, so the gasket is only exposed to the rising heat for a few seconds.

As a BTW, I prefer "hot tubbing." Rub the steaks, seal them as tightly as possible in plastic bags, and immerse in hot tap water (at least 120 degrees.) Depending on the thickness and beginning temperature, you may need 45 - 60 minutes to get the steak up to 120. At that point it is almost cooked rare. Then, with the Egg at max temperature, the steaks just need to be seared the usual 30 seconds per side per 1/2" of thickness. After a few minutes rest, the interior should be a nice rare 125-30, the outside nice and crusty.

As another BTW, a few weeks ago someone mentioned oil poachng as another method for hot tubbing. I tried it with some bison steaks in hot clarified butter. It worked well, but was a lot of fuss. Would probably be better for larger cuts, like a roast.

The first go round I left the top open for the entire sear as per Trex directions and my gasket fell off.
The second go round I closed the lid during the sear and achieved more of a baked steak.

Hitch

Our favorite way to do steaks is similar to some that like to cook close to the coals. Basically, I light the egg and get her moving out and when dome hits 350 and climbing, I put a cast iron griddle directly on the coals. No grate anywhere. I actually don't let the egg dome get above 600 cause there is no need to. The griddle is so hot you can literally almost see through it. I throw my steaks (sea salted and Crack peppered only) on for 90 seconds per side turning with my cooking gloves rated for 500 degrees. I gotta turn em quick cause it is dang hot down there. After second turn, I pull em and put a grate on at normal level and leave the cast iron in cause you would be crazy to retrieve it at that temp without a gripping tool. I go ahead and crank the egg down to what would eventually be about 250 degrees setting and after 5 minutes I put the steaks back on for 5 or so minutes depending on how folks like it. This method works for us and certainly is less stressful on the gasket. It will still produce flashbacks so make sure and burp the egg effectively. This method definitely requires good cooking golves and a nice cast iron griddle. Pic below is what I put directly on coals of my LGE.


One of the reasons why we love this method so much is because it makes our steaks taste just like a local steakhouse back in the day here in Augusta called The Town Tavern. The sear is over the entire top and bottom of the steak and a last second pat of butter on top of each steak takes me right back in time.

I agree that the most damaging cook to the gasket is doing multiple high temp pizzas with plate setter and stone.

To each their own with steaks...I have rarely walked away from one. If you have not tried one the way we do it, take a risk. You won't be disappointed.

gdenby

As mentioned above, the steak needs to be as close to the coals as possible for the sear. Myself, I've never taken the fire ring off, finding the standard grate position just fine. I usually wait till the dome is at least 700, and my "rule of thumb" is that I can almost not put the steaks on without wearing gloves. I keep the dome down because just standing by the Egg at that temp is uncomfortable. The only "baked" steaks I've had were ones where I couldn't get the dome over 600 (probably too small lump pieces blocking air flow.) Those stayed on too long getting the sear marks, and ended up half cooked thru.

fishlessman

that is a good point to bring up with the cast iron. even with the cast iron grill you get a good sear at 650 degrees, as good as with the regular grid at 800 degrees.

BobS

I have no problem with the idea of removing the fire ring, but I think it is easier to have a high level of lump.

Millzy

i could be missing something (i have only had my egg for about a year), but i switch pretty often between "low and slow", and "hot and quick", and have never had an issue. Based on some posts that i have read about high heat cleaning/ insuring your egg is arranged properly, and others i have some char on my gasket but it is well intact.

I cook steaks at about 700, some flame up, but no issues at all. Actually my favorite thing is to fire it up hot with a full load of lump, cook some ribeyes, cool it down, and then put on a butt for the next nights dinner!!!

AzScott

Use the Egg as you want. The gasket issue is really a non issue. I can understand the frustration of a gasket not being properly adhered and having to do it yourself, but it's a possibility.

The gasket itself is not indestructable and is a consumable part just like tires on your car. The felt gasket on my large Egg is trashed, compacted, burnt, and probably tastes really good considering all the sauce, and fat that's been in contact with it. It's not sexy, clean, or provide a nice soft cushion when I lower the lid. In fact, I'm planning on replacing it this weekend with a new one.

My point is get a replacement felt one from your dealer or a Nomex from BGE and put it on with the 3m 77. You are good. Do not stretch it at all when applying and you are golden.

I'm almost convinced from the gaskets I've seen that they were stretched when applied which explains why they pull in and always end up shorter than what is needed if you glue it back on.

Bobby-Q

Never cook with the dome open. If Trex said that then he is wrong.

Grandpas Grub

Trex method does not say leave dome open...

GG

GulfCoastBBQ

You may want to double check that Trex method. I read several posts by him stating that he always sears with the lid open.

Here is one;
http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=64157&catid=1#

Grandpas Grub

The big problem with TRexing was flashback.

I stand corrected... just went back and re-read Trexing on TNW site. Evidently they clarified and now state cook with the dome open.

It was 2 years ago when I read the Trex method and understood it to be dome closed, which I did then and still do.

Because I lost gaskets early on I went to cooking the steak directly on the lump which is fantastic also.

I very seldom, cook with the dome open.

I picked up a spider for the large and use it for high temp cooking. If cooking on the med, small & mini I still cook at fire ring level - dome closed.

GG

danny285

As i am a newbie what is the Trex method for cooking steaks and is this a methacial person?? I have some ribeye's waiting for the rain to stop.

Grandpas Grub

TRex is a forum member and his method of cooking steak is great. The process requires extremely high heat which on some eggs has burnt the gaskets.

If you decide to try the Trex method first off be aware of flash back potential and the high temperature at the gasket level.

You will see a post above from Bobby-Q which says to not cook with the dome open. Bobby-Q is a BGE employee and am egger who competes in competitions.

There are a lot of great ways to cook steaks. Also check out 'hot tubbing' steaks.

Take a minute to look at The Naked Whiz site. There is a huge amount of information there. Look up flashback and also in the recipes.

Here is a link to the site http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramic.htm

Trex method - http://www.nakedwhiz.com/trexsteak.htm

Flashback - http://www.nakedwhiz.com/flash.htm

I will send you some additional information in a few minutes, watch your email.

Congratulations and welcome to the forum.