Can't perfect the steak either Direct Sear OR Reverse Sear...

Dmb3739 · June 2019

Well, I can only speak of my experience with the steaks. I too have to perform a balancing act when it comes to level of doneness.

I prefer my steaks rare to medium rare, whereas my wife prefers her steaks well done. This is what works for me. I put my GrillGrates on the egg. The raised rails register a good 100°-150° hotter than the dome temperature. Has to do with the infrared system of raised rails of GrillGrates. I run the egg temperature up to above 400° (preferably 500°+).

I put my wife's steak on for 4 minutes. After 4 minutes, I give the steak a 1/4 turn. After another 4 minutes, I flip her steak. That is when I put my steak on. After 2 minutes, I give mine a 1/4 turn. Another 2 minutes and I flip mine. At that point, I rotate hers 1/4 turn. In 2 minutes, I give mine a 1/4 turn. Last 2 minutes and I pull em both. Her steak has cooked for a total of 16 minutes whereas mine is only 8 minutes. The whole 1/4 turn just gives perfect sear marks.

I would say without a doubt, these steaks cooked at high heat, are the best I've ever eaten. It must be how the pros cook em. The results are out of this world.

DoubleEgger · June 2019

I’m a fan of the Maillard Reaction. I prefer high heat for steaks.

etherdome · June 2019

I use an egg with a small bit of oak at 250 with platesetter in for the low and slow part of the reverse sear. For whatever reason, I usually have to wait “too long” for my egg to heat up to searing temperature after the first part so I started searing with my Weber genesis gasser. Never screwed up a thick steak since I started reverse searing. To me reverse searing is almost “cheating” but I love it. I can’t cook a steak the traditional way worth a damn but reverse searing is money for me. The key is having a thick enough steak and adjusting the searing times depending on thickness . Anything less than and inch and a quarter is barely worth it , and that’s pushing it.

Nature Boy · June 2019

Hey yall! Sorry for the extended absence. I guess @Chuckie_T is reading, or gone...but I loved reading all the responses and there is great advice already. While I haven't had much time to get to know all the new folk here on the forum, I am joyed, and learning from, the answers given so far.

Sounds like you are overthinking Chuckie. You can do this on one EGG.

IMO you have two goals with the steak. Brown the outside hard for flavor. Pick your way. Beginning, end, after a sous vide bath, it doesn't matter. You'll find your own way. But a steak is easy to overcook if you don't have the fire cranking for the sear. So build up the flavor on the outside, and cook the inside perfectly and you are in business. Lotsa ways to do it.

My favorite with an inch thick or larger is a front sear. No more than 2 minutes a side to get the flavor, browning, Malliard situation. If it's not browning fast enough you need a hotter fire. You could call it TRex if you want. TRex was an early voice on the forum and shared a method he learned by working at a steakhouse, and it became a thing.

Once it's seared, then rest it and monitor the internal temp. Hopefully the middle is not past 110 once you have the sear you want, because with the all the high heat that has been applied, the outside is very hot, and the internal temp can go up 30 degrees (happened to me with 2 inch pork chops at a class I taught). If you need to cook it more you can put 'er back on once the temp stops rising.

Main. thing is, you will rock the perfect steak soon, and then you will hopefully be able to repeat it...and it will be YOUR method. Pretty cool. Keep on the quest. Cheers
Chris