Suggestions on cooking 2in steaks

Unknown · June 2006

Howdy gand -
I am a newb here, own a LG BGE I love it - I am looking for some suggeted cooking times for ny steaks about 2 inch's thick. I like med so I am thinking 4-4-5? my wife likes well done I have no idea how to do well 7-7-7? anyways i would love to see your suggestions on grill times.[p] Thanks for looking
Mots-a

stike · June 2006

mots-a,
that thick will take time enough to get the center to desired temps that you might have too much 'well done' around the outside.[p]a lot of us have been taking thick steaks like yours an putting them in a ziploc, no air inside, and soaking them for an hour or so in hot-hot tap water. hot as you can from the tap.[p]that raises the temp of the steak to maybe a hundred, hundred-and-ten, rather than ice-box cold.[p]what that means is it takes less time to get the center up to 140 (or your desired temp), and so you get a good sear without overcooking a quarter-inch thickness all around just to achieve medium rare in the middle.[p]you'll find a much more even cross section when you cut it.[p]

Unknown · June 2006

mots-a, besides the egg, probably the next most important piece of equipment for cooking successfully is a probe thremometer. I have one I bought from a Target store for about sixteen dollars. After I sear a steak, I cook it to the doneness desired at a dome temp of about 400*. I'll flip it about every five minutes until it's done, but I watch the thermometer to know when to take it off. You can look it up, but I believe well done is at about 170*. I take mine off at about 145 to 150*, which is probably somewhere between medium-rare and medium.

BajaTom · June 2006

mots-a,
There is a method called Trex that alot of eggers swear by on this forum. Someone has the link, I think it is the nakedwhiz site. it entils searing at a high temp(750/800) for about 2 minutes a side to get a crust. Take the steaks off the grill and let the temp drop to about 450 dome. Put staeks back on once the temp is at 450 and grill for about 3/4 minutes a side to an internal of about 135 fot med rare. or 155 for well done. let rest for 5 minutes to redistribute the juices and then serve. Thanks, Tom

Unknown · June 2006

BajaTom,I tired the Trex method last evening. It was good, but we all have our way of doing things and in the future I'll continue cooking steaks the "old way", i.e. sear both sides and then finish cooking to the desired doneness without the intermediate step of resting it 20 minutes after the sear. This may be heracy, but at my age I don't care -- the next time I cook a steak I plan to bring my egg up to 400* and hold it there -- start the gas grill the same time I light the egg and set it on high -- when the egg is stable on 400* I will sear the steak on the gas grill and then move it to the egg to cook to the desired doneness. That way I won't have to run the temp up in my egg for searing and then take the time to bring the temp back down before I finish cooking the steak. Wonder if anyone else does this??????

Cornfed · June 2006

Chuck/Tx,[p]I often do something similar, though not with a gas grill (since...well...I don't have one....).[p]I don't ever sear then wait for the cooker temps to drop for the roasting portion of the event. I usually sear on one cooker then roast in another so I don't have to wait. Often, I'll sear on a hot egg then roast in the oven until it's done to my liking.[p]I'd think you'd want to use the Egg for the searing part of the process since it gets so freaking hot. But I agree that you want to make things simple, and if the gasser to Egg works for you, go for it. I do hate heating up two grills for just 2 or 3 steaks, but ya gotta do whats ya gotta do sometimes.[p]Later,
Cornfed

AZRP · June 2006

Chuck/Tx,
I would highly reccommend trying the hot tub method that stike described. It is my absolute favorite method for cooking steaks. All I do is a sear on each side and let them rest under a foil tent. -RP

The Naked Whiz · June 2006

Chuck/Tx,
If you put the steaks on as soon as the Egg is up to 700 or 800 degrees (in other words, you don't let the ceramic heat up any more than necessary), then I find if you just shut the vents when the sear is done, the steak will roast nicely like that if you don't want to wait the 20 minutes for Trex. Remember, the 20 minute wait in Trex is not to get the temp of the cooker down. It is to allow the meat to relax after the sear. But, in the end, whatever works best is what we should do. [p]TNW

stike · June 2006

Chuck/Tx,
just as easy to go slow at first, roast at 250 to 350, then within 30 degrees of done-ness, spike the grill and finish with the sear.[p]
gas grill?[p]OY!

Unknown · June 2006

AZRP, the hot water bath to bring the temp up before going to the grill sounded so interesting that I printed it out. Will definitely try it. With a thick steak, I'd think you still have to cook it some beyone the searing to get it medium-rare or medium, but maybe not???

Unknown · June 2006

stike, LMAO at reaction to gas grill -- even for searing. Love this forum!

Unknown · June 2006

The Naked Whiz, I see what you mean and what you say sounds like something I can easily do. What you say about the ceramic not being so hot at first and, therefore, being easier to bring the temp down makes a very good point. I still don't see a problem with searing on a hot gas grill and then placing the steak in a 400* egg, but the method you describe could be better. [p]Changing the subject a bit, when I cooked the steak last evening, I threw in a large handful of whiskey-barrel chips just before I put the steak on. The smoke was really rolling out the top and the steak had a stronger wood taste than I'm used to or like. As a general rule, do people use fewer chips in an egg to get the same effect as they would with more chips in a regular charcoal grill?

Unknown · June 2006

Cornfed, heating the gasser is as easy as turning a couple of knobs and hitting a button, and turning it off is the same, so firing up two grills isn't a problem for me. But what you, the Whiz, and others are saying also sounds simple and easy, as an alternate to the Trex method. I'm not knocking the Trex method, but I'd rather start the cook and finish it without a 20 min rest period in between the sear and roasting. That's just me.

Cornfed · June 2006

Chuck/Tx,[p]I have nothing against gas grills per se, but I do prefer charcoal. I like the taste better, and what can I say, I like playing with charcoal fires.[p]That said, I totally respect a good gasser, especially those ones which can pump out huge BTUs and have 11 million burners and knobs and such so you can feed a family of 50. Like charcoal grills, they're a mixed bag, though. I cooked on a real POS one the other weekend at a friend's house and thought my poor bugers were going to turn to charcoal, effectively converting the grill to a charcoal cooker.[p]However, when all is said and done, the most important thing to me is that I'm cooking outdoors with some friends and perhaps some bevs on a nice day. Be it gas, charcoal, or even grilling tiny animals directly over a match, it's all good for me.[p]God Bless America,
Cornfed

Unknown · June 2006

Cornfed,
And God bless you. Best wishes for good grillin my friend.

AZRP · June 2006

Chuck/Tx,
That's where a thermapen comes in handy, I did a tri-tip with that method the other night and cook time at 450 was less than 12 minutes. -RP

Unknown · June 2006

BajaTom,
how do i get grill to 700 or 800 haven't been able to do it yet

BTG · June 2006

aas,
Make sure you have a clean egg, all holes in firebox cleaned out. You may need to remove the fire box and clean the ash from around the back. I use a shopvac with a drywall dust bag. Make sure opening in bottom of firebox aligns with lower vent opening. Light fire from the bottom with plenty of lump on top. Use some fresh lump with larger pieces on bottom so there is good air flow through the charcoal. Open lower vent all the way and remove the daisy wheel. Keep the lid closed until ready to cook Usually only takes 20-30 minutes to get to 700+. You may start to smell the felt gasket burning if you leave at high temp for long. HTH

Unknown · June 2006

AZRP,
12 minutes for a tri-tip -- that's amazing. I'm definitely going to try this for steaks, and for the next tri-tip I cook. Many thanks.

BajaTom · June 2006

BajaTom,
I enjoyed the comments on the TRex method of grilling steak. I don't use the Trex method myself because I'm too lazy. I primarily use two methods to grill steaks. I grill at about 600 dome to sear and then close all vents and let the steaks dwell to my desired doneness. Sometimes I get the temp to about 500 and just turn the steaks over a few times so they don't burn. I bought a new gaser two years ago and I think I've used it 2 times. IMO the egg is the omly grill you need. It is very versitile. Thanks, Tom

Unknown · June 2006

mots-a,
Is it really worth the effort to try to cook a 2" steak to well done? My method would be to butterfly the steak an then cook both about the same time. Is that really giving up anything?[p]

stike · June 2006

BobS,
i missed the 'well done' part of it...
that's too bad. [p]

Suggestions on cooking 2in steaks

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