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Steak question..char

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FatMike
FatMike Posts: 464
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Did some Ribeyes at 650 grid 2 min a side and 4 min with the vents closed down. Perfect medium rare or maybe slightly rare inside. The problem is all the charring that it caused on the outside and the family hates it. My prep consisted of using only Raising the Steaks(DP)and on a cast iron grid on the fire ring. Anyone have any suggestions to decrease the char?

Thanks all

Comments

  • thebtls
    thebtls Posts: 2,300
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    I bought a two inch fire ring and use it for ALL my high heat cooking, especially steaks. Now what I do that is different than what you describe, is ALMOST complete the final Sear, then remove the steaks for about 8 minutes. They continue to cook internally, just a little but the fibers also relax. When you put them back on the grill, you have some room for more cooking on the outside while the insides finish...works well up to about 1.5" steaks for sure...and I don't cook for 4 minutes either. NEARLY ALWAYS PERFECT AT MEDIUM RARE. jUST MY TWO CENTS...GOOD LUCK.
    Visit my blog, dedicated to my Big Green Egg Recipies at http://www.bigtsbge.blogspot.com You can also follow my posts on FaceBook under the name Keep On Eggin' or the link http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Keep-On-Eggin/198049930216241
  • Little Chef
    Little Chef Posts: 4,725
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    FatMike....There are folks that love the char....our household is NOT one of them. I get the egg stabilized and burning clean at 400* with the grid in. Then 2-4 minutes before I put on the steaks, I open the dome, and open the bottom vent about 2". The coals come to life, then I add the steak. A typical 1-1 1/4 " cut is usually about 3-4 minutes a side. Then the critical rest time, where the temp continues to climb (carryover cooking). We pull at about 118-120 for med rare, and allow 10 minute rest with a loose foil tent (NOT wrapped!). And we do this on the typical (regular) grid set up. You'll find what works for you! But I too, and not a fan of the charred outside. Best of luck, and keep Eggin'!
  • Hoss
    Hoss Posts: 14,600
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    LC is the pro.I cook MOST steaks,1.25 -1.5 inch on a CI grid at 400-450 dome til my thermapen reads 120 then rest.Works for me. ;) Good steak,not crust! :)
  • Hoss
    Hoss Posts: 14,600
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    Hey girl! Bubba Tim left a message at my office to call him the other day.I have misplaced his number.Could you e-mail it to me AGAIN? :blush:
  • Little Chef
    Little Chef Posts: 4,725
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    can u take a quick call?
  • FatMike
    FatMike Posts: 464
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    Thanks all, I knew you all would have the answers..Best thing is I get to try again :silly:
  • Hoss
    Hoss Posts: 14,600
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  • RedBag
    RedBag Posts: 72
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    You can get what you are looking for. I sear even hotter than you (800-900) and we are definitely a low char family. Here is how I do it.
    I get the fire roaring with the grid out. Once I have the desired temperature I put my grid in for a couple of minutes to sanitize it. I think this is important because if you have the grid in while you are building up heat it will be unbelievably hot when you actually put the steaks on. This will give you great grill marks but those grill marks will also be heavy char.
    I sear for 75 seconds a side and then pull off to rest for at least 5 minutes. 10 is better and the TREX method is 20. During the rest I put my raised grid in and just crack my vents to get the Egg temperature down. 400 is what I prefer but anything under 500 is ok. You just want to be cool enough to no longer sear. The raised grid helps with this. Finish cooking to the desired temp. For me it generally takes about 4 minutes a side to get to about 128 internal. Great steak with a good sear and light char.
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,767
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    dont sear as long, and get that cast iron grid out of there, the castiron is what you use to increase the char :laugh: ;)
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • reelgem
    reelgem Posts: 4,256
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    How thick were your steaks?
    I'm with your family on the charring. It's not heaalthy at all either with all the carcinogens.
    I would first of all try searing at a lower temp. Maybe 500 instead of 600. Also move the steaks farther away from the heat source. Sear for about 90 secs. on both sides, remove and let rest and get the egg down to about 400 and cooking flipping every 5 min. to desired doneness.
  • boston_stoker
    boston_stoker Posts: 794
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    I agree with fishlessman. Don't use the cast iron if you don't want char.
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,767
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    the heat mass of the castiron isnt best if your steak is sitting on it for all that time, its not a 2 min sear, its still searing during his dwell time from the retained heat in that grill
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • Misippi Egger
    Misippi Egger Posts: 5,095
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    Mike,

    We buy 2" ribeyes, cut and share. Someone on here a while back suggested 30 sec. per inch thickness per side for the sear. I tried 2 min. per side and, though I like good grid marks, those had a burned taste to them. I went back to 90 sec. per side and am much happier.

    I actually sear on a CI grid on my spider (dome open) - really hot and flaming. I think use the TRex 20 min rest. I close the bottom vent, add my adjustable rig topped with my original BGE grid, close the dome and then adjust to get about a 400* steady temp. IMPT: I don't put any rub on before the sear as it will burn.
    I add the rub during the rest and let it melt in. I then pt the steak back on with a temp probe in the center. Since I am high in the dome, I don't have to flip,so when it reaches 125* internal, I plate, foil, rest a few minutes, cut and serve.

    I have done this so many times now that we have really gotten this cook to where we really are pleased with the results. (Usually hot tub the steaks precook to about 95* or so).

    I'm tempted to try the sear on a CI griddle or CI skillet....
  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
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    divide and conquer.

    you cook a steak in two steps. one cooks the interior, the other cooks the exterior. sure, when doing the bit that cooks the interior, you are going to affect the exterior surface, but you can control it.

    numerous strategies....

    -to 'TRex' is to sear the exterior at a high heat to your liking, this also kick-starts the interior cooking of course, but since the sear is so brief (high heat, but maybe 90 seconds a side), you get the exterior you want without doing much to the interior. take the meat OFF and let it rest as the fire dampens down to about 400. the egg will take time to drop in temp, maybe 20 minutes. the meat will not rise much in temp internally while resting. then the meat goes back on. the dome temp is low enough that the meat will more slowly roast. the exterior will get some more sear, but not too much (which is why you only go 90 seconds the first round). this process divides the cook into two parts. the meat is roasted/grilled to the final internal temp

    -to 'Xert' is to do a hurried-man's (reverse) Trex. Start low, maybe 375-400, and bring the internal; temp of the meat to within say 15 degrees of your preferred "done-ness". take the meat of for a moment, open vents, and the egg will quickly hit searing temps. meat goes back on until it is pretty. say 90 seconds a side.

    -you can also "hot-tub".... put the steaks in a zip-top bag, remove the air, and submerge in very hot tap water (hottest you have) in a bowl large enough to hold them and a good bit of water. go out and light the egg. when the egg is ready, the internal of the steak (after maybe one or two water changes) will be 100-110. toss them on until they are done on the exterior to your liking, and check internal temps. should be close to your desired done-ness

    this all hearkens back to the oft misunderstood "room temperature" idea, that you leave a steak out til it's room temp. couple problems with that, though the idea makes sense. most folks don't realize that "room temp" (say 65-70) would take an hour or more with a thick steak straight from the fridge. leaving it out for ten minutes, half hour, does nothing. i have been in steak houses where the night's steak sit on a counter all evening. THOSE are room temp, and the sear is all that's required, followed by maybe a little roasting for those that like dry tough over-cooked steaks.

    divide and conquer. cook the exterior separately from the interior (conceptually anyway). and you can do it a few different ways. me? hot-tub usually, or Xert.
  • Grilling Away in ?
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    yes, I have a second fire ring that I use to raise the grid level, even with the top of the base. My hot fire then gently kisses the underside of the steaks or burgers or whatever I am cooking and sears the meat without getiing too charred or burned unless of course, you leave them on too long on one side.
  • FatMike
    FatMike Posts: 464
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    Thanks you all for the great info...gonna give it a another try tonight
    This forum is priceless :cheer: