My First Steaks

JHazard

Time to try using my Egg as a grill for the first time vs low and slow awesome cooker.  Any recomendations for cooking two rib-eyes?

I don't want to mess with searing at 600 and waiting for the temp to drop so I'm thinking 475 for about 5-6 minutes a side as they are just over 1/2 cuts.  Any ideas how I can improve this?

lousubcap

Cook to temp (with any cooking device).  I suspect your times may be a bit long given they are 1/2" cuts.  Go with the grid in the "normal" position on the fire ring and I would flip after 2 mins and then check for your desired finish temp. Here's asite with great info including a few ways to cook steaks-

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramic.htm 

Badong

Are you looking for well done?  I've had delicious med-rare and rare steaks thicker than that at 550-600º for 3-4 mins per side.  I'm using the Thermapen to check internal temp.

JHazard

definately pink center so med to med well for my fiance. What is the grid?  Are you meaning the grill?  I can raise and lower it?  (yeah, I'm new to this).

lousubcap

Grid=grill and the standard set-up does not allow you to raise the grid/grill.  Search that topic for several ways to achieve same in short order before spending the big $$ for the after-market toys.

Badong

The temps I mentioned are at the dome.  I use the thermapen to check the meat itself. 130 = med. rare and 140 = medium.  I have only had to bake a few stubborn pieces most hit med. rare without putting them on low temp.

pasoegg

we did aprox 1/2 in steaks 2 weeks ago...500 degrees and opened egg and  added meat on regular grid level....aprox 1.5 mins to 2 mins each side for med rare...again use a thermapen to check temp as it checks temps quickly while you are trying to get things right and dealing with a hot fire...700 degrees was to hot for me after a bad flash back...we backed off on temp and had great steaks since using TREX method for T-bones.

JHazard

What's the TRex method?

lisanevada

The TRex method is on the Naked Wiz site (linked above). I just cooked a NY strip that way and I recommend it. Its a lot of reading so here's the quick version: sear, rest, grill, rest, eat.

KingtUT

You absolutely dont have to wait for the temp to go down.  I sear at 600-650 for 2-3 minutes each side then close all vents and let the steaks sit in the egg for another 5-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the meat.  Im usually cooking  2" filets and I go for a perfect medium and they turn out great every time. 

Wreckt01

I go simialr route to KingUT, but i never close the vents all the way...IMO closing all the way leaves a bad taste.  I sear on cast iron plate at 600, then shut the vent to about 1/4 inch on bottom and wheel open just enough to allow smoke to leave and sit until they hit 130.  Pull rest eat

FxLynch

I cook approx 1/2" ribeyes a lot because the place I buy from doesn't always carry thicker ones.  If you have a good instant read thermometer here is what I would do.

-Light the Egg via whatever method you choose and let it burn for 10 minutes with the dome open,  and bottom vent all the way open.  

-Stir the coals to make sure you have fire spread everywhere, put the cooking grill in place and let it go for another 5-10 minutes.

-Now Put the steaks on for 45 seconds, then grab with tongs and rotate 90 degrees (not flipping, just rotating for good sear marks) preferably onto a part of the grill that didn't have a steak already so grid is super hot

-After 45 more seconds, actually flip the steaks over back onto a hot part of cooking grid and let go for 45 seconds

-Rotate the steaks 90 degrees and let go for another 45 seconds then pull off grill and sit on a plate and check the internal temp.  At this point you have only seared them for 3 minutes.

I like to eat mine at 125, maybe 130.  Mine are usually only about 90-100 internal after this first sear.  

This is all with the dome open, bottom vent open.  Now close bottom vent till only open about 3/4" and shut dome closing daisy wheel until about 1/2 the little holes are open.  Let it cool to about 400, anywhere from 350-450 isn't bad.  Since you never closed the dome while grill was really hot it won't get the dome super hot, the temp will rise to maybe 550 after you close the dome but should quickly fall to ~400

Now since you are new to it, put the steaks back onto the grill and close the dome making sure daisy wheel stays where you had it.  Set time for 1-2 minutes, flip the steaks and do same amount of time on other side, pull the steaks and check temp again.  It's better to check the temp more often than to eat a steak that is over cooked, in my opinion.

Once you have a few cooks under your belt like this, you will know approx when they are done, but still take internal temps. The important part is to realize how quick a steak goes from undercooked to overcooked on the Egg.  3 minutes too much on a 1/2 steak can take it to beyond well done.  

Good luck, hope I didn't confuse you with too many details

Frank

Jsturmi

2" thick NY strip steaks, 16-18oz each... Mesquite rub (Costco, very good) for 1-2 hours at room temp... heated large Egg to 700 F (direct)...OPEN CAREFULLY... cooked 3', flipped to other side another 3' > serve rare, or add another 2' on first side for PERFECT medium-rare, 3' if you prefer medium. Rest 5', serve...As good or better than any $30 steakhouse steak! If you want, add a pad of butter to melt on top... and don't forget the Lipitor! CAREFUL: 1. 'burp' before opening dome 2. don't leave dome open any longer than needed to flip

Hillbilly-Hightech

In addition to the advice given, check out these 2 threads - I also don't like waiting for the Egg to cool down, so I don't even let it get that hot in the 1st place:

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/comment/1232570/

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/comment/1224482/

HTH,

HH

JHazard

You guys are great!!! Thank you so much!

Skiddymarker

What do folks think of the reverse sear?

My wife prefers her steak cooked this way. 1-1/2" fillet, Chicago Steak season, indirect, grid target 230, mesquite smoke. Also had the CI grid under the setter. Internal 115, took off and cover. Remove the setter and opened it up. In three or four minutes dome at 500+, put steaks back for about 90 seconds a side. served. 

The steak takes the smoke, but does not overcook. 

nolaegghead

I think the same as the meat science postulates - the reverse sear is better, because the meat surface takes less heat to obtain the minimum temperatures required for the maillard reaction (which results are most desirable in a sear),  As a consequence, this gives you a better sear with less heat added than a t-rex sear at the start where the meat surface is wet and the meat steams for longer before that reaction takes place.

(feel like robot emoticon)

Dave in Florida

I have never waited for the temp to go down.  500 dome, cook to temp using my Thermopen. 

Skiddymarker

nolaegghead said:

I think the same as the meat science postulates - the reverse sear is better, because the meat surface takes less heat to obtain the minimum temperatures required for the maillard reaction (which results are most desirable in a sear),  As a consequence, this gives you a better sear with less heat added than a t-rex sear at the start where the meat surface is wet and the meat steams for longer before that reaction takes place.

(feel like robot emoticon)

@nolaegghead, do you know if the meat "takes" the rub differently in a reverse sear? My wife always asks for less seasoning on her steak if they are going to take "the long way to cook" that is a low and slow followed by a sear. I wondered if the rub is absorbed by the meat during the low and slow, or if it is the result of a quick sear that simply does not burn everything. 

fishlessman

thick steaks get trexed, thin steaks get a hot water bath in a ziplock in the sink for an hour then seared only. thats the only way i would cook a thin steak. you really need to get some thicker steaks, even splitting a thick steak after cooking makes for a better steak than a thin one

nolaegghead

@skiddymarker - I honestly don't know.  I rarely use anything but salt and pepper on my steaks.  When you sear you're cooking off any water on the surface of the meat (which would limit the temp to 212) and get it up past 309 F, where the magic occurs.  Organic stuff starts decomposing - sugar caramelize, the meat proteins start changing and you start getting "reaction flavors".  Seared too long and too hot, you start burning the meat.  A little burnt flavor can be good.  Searing does develop more intense flavors, maybe it just works better with a reverse sear because the moisture is largely gone after the grilling.  I dunno, this is just speculation.

Skiddymarker

fishlessman said:

thick steaks get trexed, thin steaks get a hot water bath in a ziplock in the sink for an hour then seared only. thats the only way i would cook a thin steak. you really need to get some thicker steaks, even splitting a thick steak after cooking makes for a better steak than a thin one

Don't know about the thin steaks, because we just never buy them. Fillets are always at least 1-1/2" usually 2" (cut at home from a full tenderloin). T-Bones are just too big if cut to 1-1/2" for my liking. Strip loin is OK at 1-1/2" much like rib eyes. Have gone the T-rex path, it was good, we just prefer the reverse sear.

fishlessman

Skiddymarker said:

fishlessman said:

thick steaks get trexed, thin steaks get a hot water bath in a ziplock in the sink for an hour then seared only. thats the only way i would cook a thin steak. you really need to get some thicker steaks, even splitting a thick steak after cooking makes for a better steak than a thin one

Don't know about the thin steaks, because we just never buy them. Fillets are always at least 1-1/2" usually 2" (cut at home from a full tenderloin). T-Bones are just too big if cut to 1-1/2" for my liking. Strip loin is OK at 1-1/2" much like rib eyes. Have gone the T-rex path, it was good, we just prefer the reverse sear.

i dont buy the thin steaks either, though waterbath is a good gameplan when people show up with them. im a fan of the trex method, salt sear season rest roast because i do like pepper cooked on my steak, but i dont like pepper burnt on my steak. i think with steaks, cook all the methods and find one that you like best, theres no set rule

westernbbq

i just did bone-in ribeyes on my new BGE XL and wish that i'd have taken pictures of them- they looked like art when done and were in the top five of steaks i've EVER had (this includes some high end steak joints i've been fortunate enough to eat at).  they were thick- about 1.5" thick/  hot cowboy brand charcoal was used, amazingly, it was left over from a 14 hour cook of pork shoulder last weekend.  Internal temp of the egg was 550 F, and i don't time the steaks and won't stick a probe into them as that causes precious juices to be lost.

The way i made them was to leave them sit out of fridge for 45 minutes, get to room temp, then put lawry's seasoned salt and throw them on the hot grill.  test by poking with tongs to see how soft they are.  turn 45 degrees as soon as meat pulls away easily from grill grate (i don't have cast iron one yet- but will get one this xmas) and flip over a few mins later.  Take index finger touch to thumb tip and - the muscle at base of thumb equals what steak will feel like rare, touching thumb to middle finger is medium rare, touching thumb to ring finger is medium and thumb to pinky is well done- that's how i tell doneness of steak-it's never failed.

Flare ups were happenining but i closed off the air supply and that ended that.  i honestly didn't look at a clock the entire time and focused on what the steaks felt like

They had a PERFECT char crust, nice med rare red warm centers and after taking off grill, let 'em sit for 5 minutes or so.  incredible results for first time on egg.  can't wait to make new yorks, filets and sirloins.  all will be quite tasty.