New BGE XL User

Tillerman

OK, I am a new BGE XL owner and user.  This evening I tried NY Strip steaks for the first time, but was unhappy with the end result.  First of all, I loaded the charcoal box as directed and started the fire with a BGE paraffin square.  When the coals were established, I placed the steaks on a 650F grill for 2 min, flipped for another 2 min.  Then I closed the damper and chimney and let the steaks sit for about 4 min.

There was and excellent crust on the steaks, but they tasted as if there was lighter fluid on the coals.  Keep in mind, that I never use lighter fluid and have used charcoal for years.  Currently, I am using BGE Lump charcoal.  The only thing that was different than normal were the steaks.  Tonight I used organic grass fed steaks.  Do they have a weird taste?

Any suggestions would be great.

BigGreenBamaGriller

Don't close the vents all the way with the meat in there. Some nasty tasting stuff gets trapped (I'm sure someone will have a more technical term) giving them a funny taste.

ChokeOnSmoke

Don't know where that cooking technique came from but that sounds like a really bad idea.

Stale smoke after exhaust is closed is not good.  

Go high heat for a couple minutes, then pull steaks off and bring down the heat (400 or so), then roast them until they reach medium rare (125 or so).  You'll love 'em.

bettysnephew

I would have pulled the steaks.  Snuffing the charcoal and leaving them inside has been reported by other users as sometimes giving an off flavor.

Tillerman

Big Green Bama Griller: 

What would be your recommended way to cook 1.5-2" thick steaks.  Any help would be appreciated!  

phoenix007

Agree with biggreenbamagriller - let the bad stuff out

Tillerman

Makes sense about the off flavor from smothering the fire.  So, would you guys recommend just pulling them after?  Maybe 3 min a side and then just pull?

My next question would be flame height.  Seems like there is a good deal of flame vs just a hot glowing coal.  Is this normal?

BigGreenBamaGriller

There are a handful of successful ways to cook steaks and you can search for a few more typical ways. (T-rex method, reverse sear) are two that you will hear about a lot. I tend to do something like a T-rex. 90 seconds per side at 650ish. Pull the steaks off the grill and close the vents until temp drops to 425ish. Finish the steaks off to your desired doneness. Try a few different things until you find one that works best for your needs.

bettysnephew

I have had good luck with reverse sear on thicker steaks and tri tip.  Pull before you get to desired doneness (Thermapen is valuable here) then finish with a quick sear to brown the outside.

MrCookingNurse

You didn't burn your face off did you? Going from 650 to shut and then back in 4 min would have made a killer flashback.

MrCookingNurse

As already stated, you snuffed the fire and nasty smoke ruined your steak.

I use a thermapen and get to around 125 for my liking. 2-3 min a side check temp. Some form of sear or reverse sear works great. And no, the flame is not going to hurt the steak. It will go down when you shut the lid.

Fred19Flintstone

Snuffing the fire with the steaks still in was probably your culprit, but you said you put the steaks on "when the coals were established".  That's kinda an unusual way to put it.  You have to wait until the bad smoke clears and smells good.  If you don't wait for the smoke to smell good, your food tastes bad.  Although it hasn't happened to me, some say it adds a lighter fluid taste to the food just ike you said your steaks tasted like.  Just spitballin' ideas. 

six_egg

Welcome to the club. Sounds like they have you takin care of.

Tillerman

Thanks for the help.  Can anyone point me in the right direction as to what the coals should look like before you grill?  When using a kingsford type charcoal, they want you to wait till the coals are all grey/white.  Is this necessary when using lump?  I have been told it is not.  Please advise.

bbqlearner

I just wait until desired temp and the smoke turned to blue/invisible instead of white. Then, I start grilling.

Adamd

It is not so much what the coals will look like, but the smoke color coming out the top of the dome. You should always wait until the smoke is clear and not white and smokey looking. 

Eggdam

I agree that shutting down the egg can give an acrid taste to your food. What you are tasting is coals that have not burned off the VOCs. As stated above be sure to make sure the smoke is clear before putting food on the grill. With a fresh load of lump this could take around a half hour. I find to do thick steaks or tri tip that reverse sear is the best method for me. Plate setter in at 350. Pull steak when 10 degrees from finish temp and rest it in foil while you bump the egg up to 600 plus and sear it.

Tillerman

So you are just looking for a "halocline" from the chimney?  Yes, I know a halocine is technically in water but the wavy look is what I am referring too. 

Fred19Flintstone

Not necessary to wait for the lump charcoal to acquire ash. The simplest way to say it is "When the smoke smells good, the food will taste good."

If you cook something low & slow, you're only lighting your lump in 1 or 2 places. The rest is fuel in reserve to be consumed later in the cook. So it won't be ashed before you add your meat. As long as the smoke smells good, regardless of how it looks, you're golden.

Its all a great experiment and experience is the best teacher. Egg on!

Grillmagic

Yes on what everybody else say's, good egging is a art, it's easy once you know what you are doing but there is a learning curve, it's always best to get and maintain a stable fire/temp good smoke is a must and part of a great cook. By the way I am a newbie myself and my family and I Love the food that comes off the BGE... 

MrCookingNurse

I have a map torch I light my egg with. No matter what I'm cooking I light the center of the pile. Takes about 10-15 seconds an there's a flame a blazing. I shut the lid with everything wide open. If I'm going for a direct set up I go ahead and put my grates in like I want them.

Usually when it is over 400 the smoke has cleared and Vocs should be taken care of.

If I'm going indirect, I have the lid shut and everything wide open. Let it get to around 350-400 and toss the plate setter in and set up my grates. Then I shut everything about halfway. Once it gets close to 250, I either dial into my temp setting, or I all but close the top and put the controller on the bottom vent.


It's not difficult, but there is a learning curve after some trial and error you'll be good I go!!

BigGreenBamaGriller

Something else I just caught from your original post. As you can see from MrCookingNurse's comment, there are a handfull of ways to light an egg. I personally prefer using a chimney starter. But, if you are going to use the parrafin squares for a high heat cook, i.e. steaks, I would light in a triangle pattern with the point towards you.

The Naked Whiz

Tillerman said:

Thanks for the help.  Can anyone point me in the right direction as to what the coals should look like before you grill?  When using a kingsford type charcoal, they want you to wait till the coals are all grey/white.  Is this necessary when using lump?  I have been told it is not.  Please advise.

Kingsford tells you that because the outside of their briquettes have borax on them and they want you to burn it off before you start cooking.  Needless to say. lump doesn't have that problem.