First Reverse Sear NY Strips; Help needed

SmokyBear

Hey guys..I've read the forum till the cows come home on reverse sear but am still learning so plz bear w/me.

On a Mini BGE, with NY Strips 1 1/2'' - I'd like to cook these to Medium (vs. Rare or even Medium Rare as we don't like "too" red internally but just some slight pink).

From all my reading, it looks like I'd do:

- 300 at ~5 min per side indirect (note: this would be with a Mini Woo and a 10'' pizza stone instead of a PS as mine is broken)

- Pull at 130'ish (?  135? ) and put in foil tent

- Crank Mini to 550-600

- Put steaks back on and cook direct 60 sec (raised grid since I have a Mini Woo) per side

- Rest steaks for 3 - 5 min

I have a Thermapen to test pull and done temp but is that "about" right?

TIA for any/all help you guys can provide!  I'm looking forward to figuring out the whole RS thing and some great steaks as my steaks are pretty inconsistent on the mini doing raised direct, even WITH the Thermapen..

CarolinaCrazy

I love the revers sear and Generally, that looks about right.

I can't speak for how the mini will perform versus my large....but, I do raised indirect at 250 if I can. On a 2" steak it takes about 17 minutes to get to 120˚. 

You will get decent carry over, so if your finished target is 140 for medium, then you can pull at 125 or 130. I think if you go much more than that, you will overshoot medium. I don't know because I go more rare and pull mine at 110˚ and then sear. You can test the temperature before you sear them, and if you are lower than you want to be, you can sear them a bit longer - 90-120 seconds per side to get to temp (still shoot for 5 degrees lower than final target). If you go 120 seconds per side, flip them 2x.

Also, when tenting - don't tent too tightly - just a loose foil to keep some heat, but not the steam in...too tight and it will just steam and cook for the next 10 minutes.

Good luck and post pix.

Terrebandit

I wouldn't take them any higher than 125 or you will overshoot your target.

Skiddymarker

For the low part of the cook, the cooler you have the egg, the better the results. The idea is to get an edge to edge finish that is the same, in your case medium. The longer the low cook takes, the closer you are to consistent edge to edge finish. 

When you pull, rest the steaks on a rack with a foil tent (you need air flow all around the meat to avoid bleeding out the juice/flavour), dab dry the surfaces with a paper towel to speed the Mailard browning process. Good luck. 

SmokyBear

Thx for the tips..a few follow up Qs..

- What temp should I do indirect at and for how long (1 NY Strip, about 12 oz, 1.5'' thick)

- Wouldn't drying with a paper towel soak up a lot of the rub?  (I plan on using DP Raisin' the Steaks).

- When I tent with foil on a rack - I assume the foil tent would enclose the entire rack, top and bottom, with the rack in the middle of the tent vertically?  (If I just foil the steaks and put THAT on a rack, there'd be no airflow..)

jcaspary

For the indirect I try to keep it around 250-275. Length of time just cook to temp. Don't worry too much about the length. Use paper towel before you put the rub on. That way you won't lose the rub. After taking off large grill just dab the towel to remove moisture. The rub will have done its job and you won't be removing that much. I can't speak about the foil. I've never done it. Hope this helps.

jtcBoynton

Be careful about the rub you use. At the high temps for searing, sugars in rubs may burn as may other ingredients.

THEBuckeye

Indirect 250-275 to 130ish. Approx 20-25 minutes

No foil. No muss. No fuss. 

Go Direct. Go Turbo. Once at 500-600 60 seconds/side

Perfecto

SmokyBear

Hey, guys..here's the results..did:

- Let steak get to room temp'ish (about an hour finish defrosting on the counter)
- Coat lightly w/DP Raisin the Steaks

- 10 min indirect @ 250
- Flip and did other side 10 min indirect at ~ 300 (Mini was getting away from me a bit)
- Tested temp w/Thermapen..still about 108 (!)
- Put back on..5 min indirect @ 300
- Flipped..5 more min indirect @300
- Pulled and rested on cooling rack with foil on top and bottom (loosely tented) - this worked good..surprised how little juice it lost compared to resting on a plate..
- Took out indirect stone from Mini Woo
- Let Mini run to Nuke temps (600'ish)
- 60 sec direct
- Flip, 60 sec direct
- Still not done (130'ish)..
- 45 sec direct
- Flip, 30 sec direct
- Pulled, rested ~ 3 min and a perfect 145'ish

SWMBO and I thought it was one of the best steaks we've ever had - even from Morton's or a fancy steakhouse.  "Butter-like" and consistent throughout..absolutely PERFECT! 

We'll be doing our steaks like this from now on! 

Here's the pics..(plz excuse the shadows from the crappy iPhone pics)..

Thanks for the help!

Judy Mayberry

Beautiful! 

You don't really have to defrost the steak on the counter if it is vacuum sealed, or in a sealed bag. I put the vacuum-sealed frozen steak in a bowl of hot water and don't even bother to change the water. The steak is room temperature in less than an hour.

buzd504

If it's frozen, and you're doing reverse sear, just put the frozen steak on the grill.

Season when defrosted and continue cooking.

Legume

Those look great.  I've ruined (overcooked) many strips by trying to reverse sear when they're <1" thick.  In those cases, I've found just going nuclear with the egg and cooking very quickly works best to keep them pink in the middle, in this case I cook to feel, not temp.

CeeGeeW

Very nice cook.  Great job!