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Pittsburg Style Steak - how to get the best crust?

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Unknown
Unknown
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I am new to BGE life - several months, use 1 to 2 times per week. Good eatin' includes pork chops, chicken, brisket, salmon, steaks, prime rib. The results have all been great because of the BGE , but also thanks to TRex and others who have posted such great info! I owe a lot of good eatin' to your archives.[p]However, I want a great Pittsburg style steak and I've yet to get a crust like a steak house steak. Since, I like crust, searching the achives just raises more questions:[p] For great crust / sear:[p] - Use olive oil, clearifed butter, dry rub or mustard? Which gives the best crust?[p] - An iron skllet in the BGE seems to work a bit better than searing directly on the BGE grill, but could searing be done better on the stove in a skillet? Then finish in the BGE after the TRex 20 minute relax wait?

You pro's who are getting a great crust - what's the best method?[p]Much thanks![p]
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  • mad max beyond eggdome
    mad max beyond eggdome Posts: 8,134
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    Charles,
    i've done a modified T-rex many times using a cast iron skillet directly in the egg. .. i have an old cast iron pizza pan (about 10 inches in diameter). .. i put that directly on the grid as the egg is heating up, so that when the egg is over 800 degrees, so is the pan. .. then i take steaks (brushed with olive oil, kosher salt and rub of choice, usually dizzy cowlick), and put them on the cast iron pan for the same time i would do a trex (nominally 90 seconds per side for a 1 1/2 inch steak, 2 minutes per side for a 2 inch steak). . .gives the steak a great crust. ..then i pull the pan when i pull the steaks for the 20 minutes rest and finish them in typical trex fashion. . . careful though, cause when the steaks hit that hot cast iron, there is spittin and flames and all kinds of foolishness going on. . ..also, i really like this method for filet mignion more so than sirloins. ..just personal taste. ...
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  • Unknown
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    Hey mad max beyond eggdome![p]Much thanks for the reply!! [p]I have tried the skillet in the BGE - TRex style with a strip and while the crust is good....could be better. I haven't tried it yet with a filet, but I bet the skillet does a much better crust on a tender filet than a strip.

    I use olive oil, salt, etc, heat the skillet as the BGE heats up, etc as you say. Some questions:[p]- Do you get a great crust on a strip? If so, must be my pan or temp management.[p] - Is your cast iron pizza (?) pan the same thickness as the usual cast iron pan (like I use) or is it thinner?[p] - My pan is a bit larger than 10 " (Maybe 12" - And, I have a large Egg). The temp often doesn't stay at 750 - 800 after the 1st flip. (I 've noticed in general the more stuff cooking on the grid / blocking air flow, the more difficult to maintain the higher temps.) Do you way over shoot 750 - 800 before you start - how much?[p]I am new, but I've been working / enjoying this BGE a lot. This crust thing is something I can do much better. And, crust is sooooo important to a really great steak. Any ideas of what I might could do better? Much thanks.[p]Best![p] [p][p]
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