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First Trex NY Strip

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JenniferEgger
JenniferEgger Posts: 68
in EggHead Forum
I should mention that until Memorial Day, my family had never owned a charcoal grill, much less an egg! In addition, hubby always did the grilling, so I am a complete novice!!

Well, for my personal first cook, I decided to tackle a steak. Rookie mistake in that I tried to sear when the temp hit 500. Should have waited for 700-800. So, I definitely overcooked it. If I want just a little pink inside, what temp should I take it off the egg? 135 or so?

Thanks for the helpful advice here! I'm learning a lot reading and lurking... :)

PS: We're getting porcelain tile this weekend to create another barrier between the egg and the deck FWIW.

LGE in da house.

Bucks County,  PA

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  • cssmd27
    cssmd27 Posts: 345
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    No big deal.  We all learn and I still make mistakes all the time.  It's actually part of the joy of getting to know how to work your equipment.

    But, I will say that a fully "mature" fire with a dome temp of 500 and a lowered grid will usually be pretty darn hot.  I do mine on cast iron grid lowered with the spider and have to flip every 30 seconds or so with a total cook time of about 3 min or less for standard 1.5 in. steaks.  I've never cooked at 700+, much less with a lowered grid.

    Even when I mess up, things coming off the Egg usually taste pretty darn good.

    Oh, and I pull my steaks about 115-119 and they "coast" up another 10 degrees while resting.  135 would be overdone for us for sure.  But, with a decent amount of experience now, I rarely even use a thermometer to guage.
    Dallas (University Park), Texas
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  • mcmac
    mcmac Posts: 496
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    A couple of factors to consider here... First would be what is a little pink? My guess is you are going for something in the medium to medium well range. If that is the case then removing the steak at 135 would probably end up at 142 to 145 range after resting. That should be just about right for you. The next thing that will impact your results is the thickness of the steak itself. Thicker is easier to control and not overcook! A good thickness is in the area of an inch and a half. Anything thinner than an inch means the steak may fly past your desired temp due to momentum while resting. For thinner pieces of meat pull them off at a lower internal temp and let them rest. Experience will teach you a lot... Plus, you are the best judge for what you enjoy :)
    XL BGE -  Med BGE - Mini BGE - Traeger Pellet Grills

     Hillsboro OR
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  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
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    If you fill the charcoal to within a couple inches of the grid, 500 works fine.
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    edited June 2014
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    The hotter the fire the larger the rise.  Things happen fast when you're cooking at those temps so babysit the meat.  If I'm shooting for medium rare, say 130F and I'm cooking at 700, and the steak is an inch thick, I will pull at 120F, or even 115F.  It's important to let the meat cool down and not tent it with foil or you can get an overcooked steak, and a soggy crust.  Thicker steaks, everything happens slower, but the same story.  Lower temperatures, less rise, so you can cook a little more.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • JenniferEgger
    JenniferEgger Posts: 68
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    Thank you!  I did lots of things wrong! Lol.  I waited for a temp of 140 to pull, I tented with foil and left it on for fairly long at 500+.  Thanks for the advice.  Even well done and obviously with room for improvement,  hubby still said it was good.  We've only ever cooked on a gasser, so that was to my advantage.   :))

    LGE in da house.

    Bucks County,  PA

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  • johnmitchell
    johnmitchell Posts: 6,581
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    Just a thought I was told right or wrong that I should do a few lower temp cooks before I went nuclear.. Just to settle the Egg in and seat the gasket..Welcome and look forward to many great cooks..
    Greensboro North Carolina
    When in doubt Accelerate....
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  • JenniferEgger
    JenniferEgger Posts: 68
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    johnmitchell said:
    Just a thought I was told right or wrong that I should do a few lower temp cooks before I went nuclear.. Just to settle the Egg in and seat the gasket..Welcome and look forward to many great cooks..
    Thanks.  Hubby cooked tons of dogs and burgers for the last 4 days before I attempted this.  I have to admit, part of me was worried! :)

    LGE in da house.

    Bucks County,  PA

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