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Why would you ever get your egg over 500 degrees?

Hitch
Hitch Posts: 402
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Not trying to stir up a hornet's nest here, but this is a serious question. I personally don't see the need to ever cook above 400 dome except if I am cleaning the egg. I know some like to cook pizzas quicker at higher temps, but I personally like pizzas cooked at 450 better than ones at 600+. I have done them both ways multiple times, and it is just a personal preference I guess. Timing on pizza is not a huge issue for me as I have multiple cookers.

The lump burns so quickly at very high temps, and is just not necessary to achieve what you really are going for. I sear steaks down near the coals with my CI grate or griddle. When my dome reaches 400, the coals are easily at 600+, and I sear quickly and then get it right back down in no time.

When I do steaks, I am typically cooking on multiple cookers, so once I sear them, I can easily move them to a more temperate indirect environment to get them to the internal temp that each person desires.

I just think that some folks might be able to save more lump and more gaskets by realizing they don't need to show off the fact that they can pin the needle, or say that they cook at well over 750 degrees. Let the food do the talkin!

Thoughts?

Comments

  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    You answered your own question. Personal preference.

    My pizzas, with the dough I prefer and the doneness of toppings I like, cook best in the 550-600 range.

    I agree with your assessment on searing steaks, but not everyone has the equipment available to do things the way you describe.
  • tjv
    tjv Posts: 3,830
    500 degrees where, dome, grid, CI griddle. And for what cook. I think you answered your own question.
    www.ceramicgrillstore.com ACGP, Inc.
  • tjv
    tjv Posts: 3,830
    dang, I like how you think....LOL.
    www.ceramicgrillstore.com ACGP, Inc.
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,669
    Neapolitan style pizza, you obviously havent tried to cook up near 1200 degrees :laugh: i enjoy all styles of pizza and run the gamit from 450 deep dishes up to near 1200 for those chewey thin charred crust pizzas. i also think the gaskets are overated and you will never see me complain about them. as for searing i find 600 dome with the standard cast iron grid to be about perfect. once you get over the fact that the gasket doesnt do much anyways you just dont care about them, i dont use them anymore. now as for 1200 dome, i havent been able to get it any higher without the use of some gadget, and i dont like gadgets. high temps dont bother me. now if someone could explain why i would need a platesetter....
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Well, on more than one occasion its been worth the hazard to the gasket to sear steaks for friends. I'm a fan of the "hot tub" method, and just tossing the steaks onto a volcano Egg for a few minutes to finish is a great way to get the visitors' attention.

    I did loose a gasket while cooking a pizza, but the grease fire :ohmy: that happened at the same time was part of the problem.

    But seriously, the best pizzas I've ever had came out of a wood fire oven with a stone temp of 900, and an air temp of 1400. At the advice of the fellow who made those, I'm working on my bread making skills, and hope to get the Egg and interior set-up to at least 600.

    Also, I cook lots of stuff at 450. I like to do pork steaks at that temp, and usually finish up spatch'd chicken at that temp.
  • my personal opinion is that a thick steak (over 1 1/2 inches thick - and mostly in the 2 inch thick range) benefits from a searing in the 800 - 900 degree range for 90 seconds per side ... i think the texture of the meat ends up different than when seared in the 600 degree range. . .this is particularly true of good sirloin/strip steaks. . .i have experimented at both the very high temps and at lower temps (600 degree range) and just simply prefer the texture of the meat when the searing was done at 800-900 degree range, which then results in a shorter dwell time after the rest. . . there is definitely a firmer, less 'mushy' texture to the meat when done in the medium rare finish when cooked/grilled this way. . .i think that is probably why your high-end steak houses all sear their steaks at very high temps, to get that same firm texture to the meat. . ..

    just my two kopeks worth. . .

    DSCN1581.jpg

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    IMG_0137.jpg
  • Hitch
    Hitch Posts: 402
    Good points everyone...thanks.


    Great pics Mad Max
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,669
    if you change over to cast iron, 900 will toast those steaks B) i had to drop back to 600/650 with the cast iron grill or they would get way over charred. with the standard grill get those temps up
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • if your dome is at 400, your lump is at 1200 or so.

    if your dome is at 250, your lump is at.. well.... 1200 or so.

    if your dome is at600, the lump is.... you get the point. lump burns at a relatively fixed rate (in a range from 1000 to maybe 2000+), depending on airflow.

    but your point is made. you don't NEED to have the dome at 750 to sear a steak, especially if you pur the grid down close to the lump.

    i find pizzas cook better when they are raised toward the dome and temps are higher (600+).

    i like very short high temp sears for something like a tenderloin roast, maybe 700 for a couple minutes, rolling the tenderloin on the grid. then i back down and finish roast. that way, the higher temps for the sear allow me to keep the grid a decent distance from the lump. and the grid stays high up for a somewhat indirect roasting portion (second half) of the cook.

    when i do paella, with the lid open, the amount of lump involved would be equivalent to something like 800+ dome temp.

    i like the flexibility of being able to go high if i need to
  • Coacher
    Coacher Posts: 22
    I'll second the texture comment. Seems like a 700 degree sear puts the perfect texture on the ribeyes I cook. Just my opinion.

    Coacher
  • i don't know.. . .i run my cast iron up to 900 degrees as well with very good results. . ..for 90 seconds it gives a very nice even char/crust. . ..then i pull it out for the dwell. .. .

    IMG_0974.jpg

    IMG_0975.jpg
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,669
    must have something to do with the griddle verse grid. check out the char on this, just salt coating and i didnt get grill lines, almost looks like i forgot to use a grill at all. i liked the cast iron for a while but now usually just use the stainless grate tom makes.
    d73fa1c6.jpg
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • dang, now i'm just hungry for some good cow!!!!
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,669
    been on the weight loss forum since mid january, you dont know how much i want a big hunk of beef. woked carrots, celery, and leeks last night with some oyster and soy sauce just didnt cut it. washing veggies down with a good guinness just isnt right. :laugh:
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • you know what i say to that. .. ."thats not food. . .thats what Food eats!!" ... LOL . ..
  • Misippi Egger
    Misippi Egger Posts: 5,095
    Max,
    How do you measure temps in that range?
  • you mean in the egg itself?. ...you don't really.. .when its pegged straight down like that on the dome temp thermometer, you just sort of assume its in the 900 degree range. ...for searing thick steaks, i sear them based on a very, very strict time frame. .. exactly 30 seconds per half inch of thickness per side. . .i.e. for a 1 1/2 inch thick steak, exactly 90 seconds per side ...for a 2 inch thick steak eactly 2 minutes per side, etc. .. .no more, no less. ...then i let the steak rest for 20 minutes on the counter while i bring the egg down to 400 degrees dome temp, then put the steak back in to dwell until the internal meat temp gets to the temp i want which i measure with a thermapen. ...

    HTH
  • 4Runner
    4Runner Posts: 2,948
    What is the process of getting the grate down low to the lump? Does everyone just remove the fire ring, perform the sear down low and then add it back for the roasting?
    Joe - I'm a reformed gasser-holic aka 4Runner Columbia, SC Wonderful BGE Resource Site: http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramicfaq.htm and http://www.nibblemethis.com/  and http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/2006/02/recipes.html
    What am I drinking now?   Woodford....neat
  • i usually start off with a big load of lump up near the top of the fire box. ..thats close enough to the grate in the normal position for me .. ..but if i want the grate really close to a load of lump that is lower in the fire box i have a "spider" and a 9 inch grid that i can put down in there lower. .. .
  • because it is fun. No really I agree with you. I only go higer when I am cleaning teh egg otherwise I stay at 500 or less
  • I am having trouble getting my dome temp past 650. What is the trick. Also, where can I get a "spider" like you refer to?
  • Hey Max, How did you do the taters? I have been trying to mimick some that I fell in love with. They look just like yours. The cow looks great too. Did they cut the Spawn loose today?
  • 4Runner
    4Runner Posts: 2,948
    Quinton Perry wrote:
    I am having trouble getting my dome temp past 650. What is the trick. Also, where can I get a "spider" like you refer to?

    Temp - I thought I had the same problem initially. As it turns out, my thermometer was not calibrated properly and was approx 40 degrees short of reality. Throw yours (tip only) in some boiling water and see if you are close to 212.

    Spider - found here: http://www.ceramicgrillstore.com/shop-script_premium/index.php?productID=182
    Joe - I'm a reformed gasser-holic aka 4Runner Columbia, SC Wonderful BGE Resource Site: http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramicfaq.htm and http://www.nibblemethis.com/  and http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/2006/02/recipes.html
    What am I drinking now?   Woodford....neat
  • Thanks for the advice That may be my problem and I will check calibration.