High temp thermometer

bradsoxfan

Aren't most meat probe wires maxed out at 500 degrees? Last night I wanted to sear some steaks then put in the indirect plate and finish at a high temp but I was afraid the high heat would damage the wire. I would like a digi-q type setup with high temp probes, anyone know about this stuff?

stemc33

What do you mean by finishing indirect at high temp? Most people whether using reverse sear or sear first do not cook higher than 500° For the indirect portion. Usually significantly less. Steaks cook so fast most don't use indwelling food probes. An instant/quick thermo like a thermapen or other digital or analog works best. Once you get approximate cooking times for steak thickness and grill temp down, you'll just use the quick read to check for desired doneness. 

nolaegghead

The exact temperature isn't important in short cooks like steak.  Rely on your dome thermometer.  Use your probes on low and slow cooks, otherwise you'll be spending a lot of money replacing them.

bradsoxfan

Maybe that's my problem, I don't know approximate cook times so I'm poking the steaks 3-4 times which is letting juices out. I prefer to sear, then add plate setter (usually thick steaks or whole tenderloin) and insert the probe to monitor the steak as it cooks up. I'll then let it rest and right before I cut I'll remove the probe. Getting the egg from the sear temp of 800+ degrees back down to less than 500 degrees takes too long and I don't want the steak sitting around just seared for 20 mins while the egg cools down a bit.

Carolina Q

bradsoxfan said:

Getting the egg from the sear temp of 800+ degrees back down to less than 500 degrees takes too long and I don't want the steak sitting around just seared for 20 mins while the egg cools down a bit.

The 20 minutes is perfectly fine. That's known around here as the TRex method.  http://www.nakedwhiz.com/trexsteak.htm

jtcBoynton

A high temp sear followed by a high temp indirect is not usually the recommended method for a thick steak or whole tenderloin. If the egg is too hot for your temp probe wires, it is also too hot for finishing off the meat. If you do not want to wait for the temp to drop, just continue to cook it direct. 

loveTheEgg

I think the "spot" thermometer is rated for 750 degrees. 

Toxarch

Thermoworks (and others) offer ceramic fiber coated high temp probes capable of 2500 degrees. There's an adapter for use with the Stoker. You are going to spend a couple hundred dollars extra setting it up for high temp, but if that's what you want, then that might be the best way to do it.

I think you should look into the "reverse sear" if you want to run a temp probe in the steak and not overcook it on the sear. I really like the way the steaks come out and they are never overcooked.

RRP

bradsoxfan said:

 I don't know approximate cook times so I'm poking the steaks 3-4 times which is letting juices out. 

Steaks are not balloons and the juices aren't going to leak out - that is a myth!

vchelf

Have you considered the reverse sear method? Start indirect at 250 - 300 degrees until the internal temp is about 15 degrees from where you want. Then, take out the plate setter and open her up to 500 plus degrees. 30 to 45 seconds on each side, turning 90 degrees for grill marks should get you there.

It is much easier to get the temp up than to bring it down!