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Learned my lesson tonight

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Harleydog77
Harleydog77 Posts: 217
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I wanted to cook steaks tonight. I intended to cook them at 650 or so. No matter what I did I just couldn't get the grill above 375. I'm sure it was an airflow problem. I will never attempt to do steaks again without completely cleaning out my egg of ashes. I was disappointed with the way the steaks turned out. The baked sweet potato was really awesome though.

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  • Panhandle Smoker
    Panhandle Smoker Posts: 3,018
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    If it is any consolation, It looks good.
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  • Harleydog77
    Harleydog77 Posts: 217
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    It wasn't as good as I was hoping it would be. I think the bacon that I used was a little too thick also. It just didn't cook the way I wanted it too. I guess it is just a learning curve issue.
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  • Big'un
    Big'un Posts: 5,909
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    Did you try using a wiggle stick to move any small coals/debris that were restricting airflow from your grate? You can make an easy one from a bent coat hanger. Just bend it to a 90 degree angle and push up through the bottom vent into the grate holes. Keep your top lid open and when you clear it out, the temp will soar up like a rocket. HTH. FWIW, the steak looks pretty good!
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  • JLOCKHART29
    JLOCKHART29 Posts: 5,897
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    I have a Billy bar and b4 every cook I stir the old lump down knocking down the ash and small lump pieces and never have a temp problem. Stop problems b4 they start! ;) If its any consulation it looks great!
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0
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    Too bad it was disappointing. I expected you to say you were surprised that it came out so good.

    FWIW - I have had better luck cooking things at lower temps than higher temps.

    I seldom sear a steak anymore because the results of roasting result in what I consider a tastier meal. Often when I sear first, I get an overdone shell around a good piece of meat where the roasting way results in tasty all the way through. I do try a reverse sear from time to time but haven't really noticed much of an improvement, just different.

    Actually, I haven't hot-tubbed in awhile. now THAT was a fantastic cook! Hot tub the sucker then sear for 1 minute per side per inch of thickness!
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  • lowercasebill
    lowercasebill Posts: 5,218
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    looks good regardless.. dont forget every so often you need to clean out the space between the firebox and the egg, all the way around, lump and ash fall thru the little holes and builds up. i use a vacuum rather than removing the firebox , most of the time..
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  • RVH
    RVH Posts: 523
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    After many cooks I find that the real small pieces of leftover lump tend to choke the airflow and the temps stay low and/or take forever to get even to 350°. I empty the firebox of these pieces every so often and keep them in a bucket, from which they are added back a couple handfuls at a time on top of fresh (large) lump. The reduction in time needed to achieve temp is quite large.
    I have found a great way to cook steaks is with a temp of 375°-400° with the steaks placed on a cast-iron grid which is resting on a spider. This gets the meat directly on top of the burning lump for a quick sear. Then the steaks are removed, a normal grid is placed on top of a WooII ring, and the steaks are roasted over the lower temp. The longer time allows for more smoke flavor and doesn't challenge the gasket to a throwdown.
    Just recently, TJV suggested we try a cast-iron skillet on the spider, as opposed to the grid, in order to get a char on a larger area of the meat. While the steaks don't come off "picture pretty" this way, they have a terrific flavor, and everything is "more gooder".
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