Transition from Weber to Egg help

randybbsa · September 2012

On my Weber, I did a lot of two layer grilling, Half the grill had a double layer of charcoal for searing,, then the other half had hardly any for indirect roasting. how can i accomplish that on the Egg, or is there a different technique? I don't relish grilling on the grate to sear, then removing the grate, putting in the plate setter, replacing the grate to cook indirect. Too cumbersome. Any tips? thanks.

chrisnjenn · September 2012

Don't know what size Egg you got, but I use to use a half moon pizza stone on the adj rib to do what you are asking to do (I since added to my collection so no need to do it).

You can see it here:

ceramicgrillstore.com

khristyjeff · September 2012

I've been piling charcoal to one side like I did with the Weber. Sear over the hot coals then move to other side. Not exactly like the Weber but works good enough for me.

KingRover · September 2012

EDIT: I just realized my method would entail taking out the platesetter before searing.

#-o

dlk7 · September 2012

Two choices for my XL - use the half moon stone or the CWG adjustable rack/woo2 combo. You can sear real close to the lump with the woo2 then put the stone in the adjustable rack for indirect.

zosobao5150 · September 2012

Here is what I did last time for searing. Get your charcoal going, and then throw a smaller cooking grid right on the charcoal. (I took it off my old gas grill) When the charcoal is nicely lit, put your steaks on the grid over the lit charcoal and let sear - time depending on the size of the steak (45-90 seconds for each side, or even longer if thick). Take the steaks of the grid and then put your regular grid into the egg (at normal height). Put the steaks back on and close the lid until you get a nice med. rare. No wasted fuel. Depending on your eggs size, put the steaks on the grid on a place where there is no fire underneath.

Worked extremely well for me.

Hillbilly-Hightech · September 2012

zosobao5150 said:

Here is what I did last time for searing. Get your charcoal going, and then throw a smaller cooking grid right on the charcoal. (I took it off my old gas grill) When the charcoal is nicely lit, put your steaks on the grid over the lit charcoal and let sear - time depending on the size of the steak (45-90 seconds, or even longer if thick). Take the steaks of the grid and then put your regular grid into the egg (at normal height). Put the steaks back on and close the lid until you get a nice med. rare. No wasted fuel. Depending on your eggs size, put the steaks on the grid on a place where there is no fire underneath.

Worked extremely well for me.

+1

Also, a slightly different method, after the sear, you can take your steaks out & set them on the counter to "rest" while you are allowing your Egg to get to the roasting temp (for me, it's usually about 350-375). Then after the "rest" you can just throw them back into the Egg for the final roast to desired doneness. Then take off & rest again.

So basically it's a sear, rest, roast, rest.

HTH,
HH

zosobao5150 · September 2012

HH,

Any disadvantage for me leaving the steak in the egg while it comes up to temp? Not sure I can think of any...why I am asking.

Hillbilly-Hightech · September 2012

zosobao5150 said:

HH,

Any disadvantage for me leaving the steak in the egg while it comes up to temp? Not sure I can think of any...why I am asking.

the only thing is to just make sure you have a temp probe inserted into it so you don't overshoot your desired doneness. Also, since I do my sear w/ a smaller grid laying directly on the coals, my larger grid isn't yet in the Egg, so it takes awhile to get the metal heated up - you probably don't wanna put your steak on cold metal.

Actually, I think the next time someone does steaks, they should doo an "egg-speriment" and let 1 rest outside, while the other roasts inside the egg while getting the Egg up to temp - then compare to see if there's any differences in taste, texture, tenderness, etc.

If I remember, I might try that the next time I do steaks...

xraypat23 · September 2012

ill be honest, i grew up cooking on webers, and your offset method is a method that many of us like to use with a kettle. It can be partially replicated with the egg, either by tightly banking your coals and the use of a half moon pizza stone. BUT! unlike the weber, when you close the lid, if the egg is hot, the temperature difference across the grill will not be as much as a leaky weber.

4Runner · September 2012

I sear with a low level grate on direct high heat, then shut down and go indirect for roasting.

dantesinferno · September 2012

4Runner said:
I sear with a low level grate on direct high heat, then shut down and go indirect for roasting.

+ 1
Some of those other methods sound like to much work for cooking a steak.

randybbsa · September 2012

Appreciate everyone's comments. I will probably try the half moon stone technique.

Baysidebob · September 2012

I build an across the box fire and sear beef by tossing right on the coals. The idea is hot and close and fast so the inside doesn't cookl. What's hotter and faster than dump on the lump? 90 seconds per side give or take plus edges if it's thick. Remove to plate and cover with dish towel, not foil. Put whatever rig I'm using in and stabalize to temp. If I want smoke I pull the rig out (ouch! use gloves plus towels) toss in the chips and replace the rig (whatever it is) and once again staballize temp. Then in goes the meat til done. I use a spider, not plate setter. But you can put in the plate setter after the sear (no fun moving hot plate setters), heat the grate, remove the grate to fire bricks with a fancy tool or slip-joint pliars easily and dump the chips in with the plate setter in place. Perhaps I'm fussy but I recently ruined a cook by putting meat on a cold grid, stone, etc. It just sucked the life out of the fire heating steel and stone while the meat dried out.

Ragtop99 · September 2012

Try searing with the dome open the whole time. The egg doesn't get as hot so I bypass resting and waiting for it to cool down. I just close the lid and adjust the airflow down to what it takes for hold 275* and let them roast. The egg typically settles in around 350* which is fine for 1.5" steak.

The weber kettle was easy to do this on since so much heat radiated out from the metal.

Transition from Weber to Egg help

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