Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

STEAK question

Bullhalsey
Bullhalsey Posts: 108
edited September 2012 in EggHead Forum
Guys, I plan on getting a couple of really top quality, thick filets tomorrow for the weekend.  I know to sear them effectively the temp needs to be 650-700....every time ive attempted that Ive always just had too much flame....I love my steaks a good medium rare, I'd appreciate some suggestions on how to get these suckers to come out perfect....thanks.

Comments

  • JWBurns
    JWBurns Posts: 344
    What do you mean by too much flame?

    I cook mine on an XL with a woo2 on a CI grate. The woo puts the steak in the perfect position, so they are not scorched after the sear. Sear 90 seconds each side. Rest for 20 minutes while bringing the temp back down to 400. Flip the woo, then I cook 4 minutes each side, then pull. They always come out at 130 (medium rare) each and every time.
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,168
    edited September 2012
    Don't worry about temp-sear with the dome open and a good bed of lava-like lump, then as JWBurns mentions above.  This cook begs for a good quick-read thermo for finish temp.
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • you can try something like what I do & use a smaller cooking grid laid right on top of the coals.  I like this method because I don't have to try to get the temp of the Egg back down after getting up that high.  

    HTH,
    HH



    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
  • Ellis
    Ellis Posts: 195

    JW has it down with that Trex style and Hillbillly has it with the Hightech cowboy style. ( the cowboy style the meat sets right on the coals). They both work for me, the key is the 130-135 temp.  Personally I prefer Trex that extra 20 min = another what ever your drinking or 2.

  • gte1
    gte1 Posts: 379
    you can try something like what I do & use a smaller cooking grid laid right on top of the coals.  I like this method because I don't have to try to get the temp of the Egg back down after getting up that high.  

    HTH,
    HH



    I agree, great method for searing as there is virtually no cooling off period. Great for time and saves lump. I usually throw in my wood after the sear, and by the time the temp stabilizes the white smoke has cleared and I am ready to roast. Perfect for thick cut pork chops too.
    George
  • @bullhalsey, I am getting better and better using the T-Rex method. I am cooking mine strictly by timing and I am learning to adjust my timings to fit my steaks.

    The other night, my boneless ribeyes were probably right at 1 1/4" thick. Just about what you usually get at a grocery store. I got my fire to about 725 F, put the steaks on, and closed the lid. The top hole was completely open, no daisy wheel. I watched a stop watch to 80 seconds - it takes another 10 seconds or so to burp and open the lid. Yes, quite a bit of flames came up. Flipped the steaks, closed the lid, timed another 80 seconds, then removed the steaks to a platter.

    I put on the daisy wheel with the vents almost closed, maybe 1/4" open. Closed the bottom vent to about 3/4" open. Waited 20 minutes and the fire went down to about 420. Close enough. I put these steaks back on for 3 min 40 sec per side. I never had to change the vent openings and my temp stayed almost exactly on 400 the rest of the time.

    The steaks were a perfect medium rare and the searing was excellent (I use a 3rd party cast iron grate). Next time, I may reduce the second cook time by another 10 sec per side to get them a little rarer. But, you have to make a judgement call every time based on the actual thickness of the given steaks.

    Tim
  • DonWW
    DonWW Posts: 424
    I am a little different.  No 20 minute rest following a sear.  I get the Egg to about 500 dome and cook steaks about 3-6 minutes a side depending on thickness.  I tend more towards rare than medium rare, and this works perfectly for me.  Yes, I will confess that I sometimes flip more than once.

    Having said that, I am now intrigued by the Sear-Rest-Grill method.  SRG. Another 3 letter BGE acronym.
    XL and Medium.  Dallas, Texas.
  • JWBurns
    JWBurns Posts: 344
    Personally I don't close the lid on a sear.. I've noticed a lack of sear (appearance only) when I've closed the lid, so I always keep it open. Closed on roast.
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    I started using the "hot tub" method a few years ago after Cooks Illustrated wrote about it.  Its a rudimentary way of pre-cooking the beef using just a hot water bath.

    Rub the steaks w. S&P, or whatever you like. Place in a heavy duty zip seal bag. Get as much air out of the bag as possible. There should be only the smallest air pockets left.

    Set your home water heater to 130F - 135F, and fill a big pot w. the water. Immerse the bags w. steaks. Put a plate on them, or whatever, so they don't float.

    Add more fresh hot water every 15 or 20 minutes. The amount of time the meat needs to "bathe," depends on the thickness. I usually give them about 30 min. per 1/2 inch of thickness.

    Don't worry about safety. Pathogens don't grow above 126. Even at 130F, a 2" steak would be pasteurized in about 4 hours.

    Fire up the Egg so that all or most of the coals surface is burning. Have the grill at the lower lever (or on the coals if you like.) The meat is being seared by IR and flames, not cooking by air temperature. The dome will probably read at least 500F by the time you have a good roaring fire.

    Remember to burp the Egg. Toss the steak(s) on, and cook for 30 second per half inch thickness per side. Turn at least once, or 3 times for nice criss cross grill marks.  There will be flames from burning fat. Work quickly, and consider wearing gloves.

    Remove, tent under foil, and serve 10 minutes later.

    As a by the way, I now use a sous vide controller w. my slow cooker, and hold low quality steaks, select or less, at 133 for about 48 hours. Almost all the connective tissue softens or melts, leaving me w. cheap but tender steaks for searing, and lots of rendered juice for sauce.


  • allsid
    allsid Posts: 492
    @gdenby, what sous vide controller do you use? Do you have to use a crock without electronics, like just high, low controls only?

    THanks-
    Proud resident of Missoula, MT
    https://www.facebook.com/GrillingMontana
    http://grillingmontana.com
    https://instagram.com/grillingmontana

    Check out my book on Kamado cooking called Exclusively Kamado:
    http://bit.ly/kamadobook

  • I generally t-Rex my steaks and I love that method. But I've done cave man style before too directly on coals. Came out amazing. Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos
    Boom
  • That flare up went away quickly. Just how picture snapped. I did about 90-120 seconds each side, side one steak at a time.
    Boom
  • I am absolutely sold on "dump on the lump" searing for substantial cuts.  I haven't tried it for poultry but with a few beers..........?  I also turn and burn the edges.  Lid wide open the whole time.  The "rest" is just to get the rig, steel, stone, whatever up to temp so the meat doesn't go into a less than hot environment.
    My actuary says I'm dead.
  • paqman
    paqman Posts: 4,660
    edited September 2012
    I generally t-Rex my steaks and I love that method. But I've done cave man style before too directly on coals. Came out amazing.
    +1 on caveman to sear then finish up raised direct to desired temp



    ____________________
    Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage. •Niccolo Machiavelli