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steak seared on coals question

Baysidebob
Baysidebob Posts: 489
edited August 2012 in EggHead Forum
We watched "Primal Grill" with Steven Raichlen.  He cooked T-bone steak on lump coals.  They looked over done to me.  We like medium-rare to rare.  I've seen a number of posts suggesting searing steaks on the coals.  I'm heading to Costco tomorrow for my eyeglasses and am thinking I'll pick up a couple of stupid-expensive cowboy-cut ribeyes.  The plan is to carmalize some onions first in the little dutch oven by which time I'll have a nice even coat of chimney started coals all accross the firebox.  So how long should I leave them on the coals for that crusty exterior before removing to avoid going past medium rare to rare?
My actuary says I'm dead.

Comments

  • XLBalco
    XLBalco Posts: 607
    edited August 2012

    im assuming others more experienced than me will chime in... but i would think you are doing these trex style?

    if so- 60- 90 seconds per side pull them and foil- get the egg dialed in at 350-400ish and finish them off - cook to temp

    i guess thats my butchered short version

  • allsid
    allsid Posts: 492
    Better yet, do a comparison & let us know.  Do one seared on the coals, and one how you normally prepare steaks & let us know how it turns out.  I recently did a similar experiment with hot tubbing a couple burgers and then grilling a couple more simply on instincts.  Turned out to be fun for me and my instincts prevailed.  

    Here is a little thing I wrote about the burgers.  I have been really wanting to cook on coals, so I hope you try it and report back-  

    "Let your intuition be your guide"  Jimmy Smith of the Gourds

    Proud resident of Missoula, MT
    https://www.facebook.com/GrillingMontana
    http://grillingmontana.com
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    Check out my book on Kamado cooking called Exclusively Kamado:
    http://bit.ly/kamadobook

  • troutgeek
    troutgeek Posts: 458
    90 secs per side, just as XL suggested. I also place a grill grate right on top of the coals. I seem to fit more steaks that way.
    XL BGE - Large BGE - Small BGE - Traeger Lil' Tex Elite - Weber Smokey Joe
  • Hillbilly-Hightech
    Hillbilly-Hightech Posts: 966
    edited August 2012
    I don't do mine directly ON the coals, but I do them on a smaller cooking grate which I place on top of the coals.  I let that thing sit there for about 10-15 minutes until it is extremely hot, then I place the steaks on there, for about 60 sec / side.  If they're extra thick, then about 90 sec / side.  I would imagine doing them directly on the coals would be pretty much the same time(s).  

    I dunno if they coals will stick to the steak or not, but one thing that I have to contend w/ regarding the steaks on the cooking grate is that they stick to the grate, and I sort of have to "peel" them up in order to flip them.  

    Anyway, let us know how it goes!!

    HTH,
    Rob
    Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup... Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend. - Bruce Lee
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    re:"they stick to the grate, and I sort of have to "peel" them up in order to flip them"

    something i learned the hard way, and occasionally forget, is that if they stick, they aren't ready to turn.  the grill marks aren't anything more than carbon. burnt meat. and that has zero holding power. if it sticks, it's not quite burnt on the grid line enough to flip.

    i also find that an obsessively cleaned grid will stick far more often than a seasoned (uncleaned) grid.  think about it.  clean it crazily, to bare metal.  then you need to oil it.  what is oil? fat. a sacrificial coating.

    same as what has been cleaned off

    my grid is black. non-stick.

    sometimes it is not so great to be so clean.  would be like trying to fry an egg in an unseasoned cast iron pan

    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • KingtUT
    KingtUT Posts: 157
    Cooked on several occasions 1-1/2" to 1-3/4" tenderloin steaks and I cant find anything wrong with 2-3 minutes each side at 650+  (normal grate level) , then close vents and just let them set for 6-8 minutes.  Perfect medium in my opinion.  I flip after the first 2-3 minutes and flip again after the second 2-3 minutes,  then close vents.  Works great for me.
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    that works with lean cuts like tenderloin, but with fattier cuts (rib eye) you will notice a sooty (bad) flavor from the dripping burning fat.  no oxygen, incomplete combustion, sooty fat, and unfortunately trapped (nowhere for the smoke to go).  ...it lands on the meat.


    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • re:"they stick to the grate, and I sort of have to "peel" them up in order to flip them"

    something i learned the hard way, and occasionally forget, is that if they stick, they aren't ready to turn.  the grill marks aren't anything more than carbon. burnt meat. and that has zero holding power. if it sticks, it's not quite burnt on the grid line enough to flip.

    i also find that an obsessively cleaned grid will stick far more often than a seasoned (uncleaned) grid.  think about it.  clean it crazily, to bare metal.  then you need to oil it.  what is oil? fat. a sacrificial coating.

    same as what has been cleaned off

    my grid is black. non-stick.

    sometimes it is not so great to be so clean.  would be like trying to fry an egg in an unseasoned cast iron pan

    Stike - will try to give them more time next time.  I was just afraid of getting them "too" done w/ only the sear (I do the sear, rest, roast, rest method).  I like roasting them to the final temp, to get as much smoke flavoring as I can.  

    Just had steaks last night in fact, and did them @ 60 sec / side.  Will try to kick it up to about 80-90 sec / side & see what kind of internal temp that gives me.  

    Thanks!!
    Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup... Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend. - Bruce Lee
  • Baysidebob
    Baysidebob Posts: 489
    I gave it a try.  2 inch thick; prime; stupid-expensive ribeyes from Costco.  90 seconds on the coals each side and could have left them on a bit longer.  Finished them on the lower grate of the swing rack at 500 plus for a finishing sear.  Pulled and rested at 125 and they came out grate.  Ash on meat was a non issue.
    My actuary says I'm dead.
  • FanOfFanboys
    FanOfFanboys Posts: 2,615
    edited August 2012
    I did last week. Didn't notice any diff in taste but was pretty cool to do. Had 0 issues. One was rare, other med-rare (wife's)
    Boom
  • twlangan
    twlangan Posts: 307
    Dang, I like my steaks with some pink in the middle, but prefer that they are not still moo'ing on my plate.  :-O
  • dlk7
    dlk7 Posts: 1,053
    I've seared on the coals and on a cast iron grate laying on the coals.  Not much stuck to the meat directly on the coals  but i did have to knock off some ash.  The grate on the coals was easier and Stike was correct - when it was ready it didn't stick.  I tested by tugging with tongs and didn't flip until it let loose easily.

    Two XL BGEs - So Happy!!!!

    Waunakee, WI

  • Wow, that is Rare!
  • FanOfFanboys
    FanOfFanboys Posts: 2,615
    That is how I like mine. My wife is more med or med-rare. Just a bit of char on outer layer and I am good to go.
    Boom