Beginner's Questions

Dr Remulac

Hi - I have had my large egg now for 3 days and have a few questions...

Once you sear a steak at 650 or so, what is the best way to get down to 350 for further cooking etc.? I was only able to get down fast enough by shutting both bottom and top vents.

While searing, the flames are up to the neat too much and really burn the outside; is my fuel level too high? Should I sear at a lower temperature?

Thanks to anyone who can help out...

Celtic Wolf

you should fill to the top of the firebox.

Shutting the vents is pretty much the only way to get the temp down.

[Deleted User]

As CW said, shutting the vents is how you get it down.

Then it takes me just about exactly 20 minutes to go from 700 to 400. 400 is what I cook them at after searing.

If you're getting too much char (and you don't like it), maybe you're searing too long. It's usually 30 seconds per side per inch of thickness. so a 1 inch thick steak would cook for one minute on one side, flip and cook for one minute on the other side and pull it off to rest. I find that if I sear a steak for anything over a minute on one side it increases the char, so you could flip every 30-45 seconds.

Also fattier cuts (like ribeyes) drip fat and flame-up more which contributes to charring. If you sear with your dome closed it reduces/eliminates the flames and will reduce the liklihood of charring.

Another thing you can do is roast your steaks at 400 the whole time until done. The steaks still taste great!

Jersey Doug

I've settled on stabilizing the Large at 450º, searing the steaks on a Small cast iron grate down near the coals on the Spider, and finishing on the Large porcelain grate up on top of the Adjustable Rig.

You can see the Spider and Adjustable Rig at http://www.eggaccessories.com/

fishlessman

dome open, big flames, more char. dome closed, flames subside, less char, still some nice grill marks. depends on what you desire at the moment. make sure to read about flashback if your searing dome closed. you can find it on the naked whiz site

Bacchus

Careful not to ruin the gasket on your new unit.

Car Wash Mike

Are you searing with the top open?

Mike

East Cobb Eggy

Take a look at the TRex method on cooking a steak.

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/trexsteak.htm

This will give you a good understanding how to sear something on the EGG.

Also, Run (Bacchus), made a point regarding your gasket. You really do not want to do any cooking over 400 until you have about 10-12 cooks on a new EGG.

This will allow your gasket to season and seal to the EGG. Many EGGers who seared on too young an EGG have melted the glue and therefore sealed their EGG shut. or worse they have burnt their gasket and had to completely replace it.

Greg

Angie

No one told us about this when we purchased our egg. I hope we have not damaged it. We have used it about 5 times and have brought to hi temps. Wonder why they don't tell you these things?

RRP

That is why I'm now a big fan of the reverse sear...even Cooks Illustrated favors that method. Your steaks cook more evenly and you still have the beauty of the sear marks to impress your gasser friends!

bmlove

Thanks East Cobb Eggy for the tip about how many cooks before trying high heat and searing. Also the link to nakedwhizs trexsteak page.

I was going to do steaks this weekend and sear them etc....but now think I'll sear them on my weber and then put them on the egg at 400 to finish them off. I know I have a Weber, but hey couldn't afford the egg till few weeks ago. Guess which is my primary cooker now?

tks all

Blove from Austin TX

RRP

Angie,
This breakin theory has taken on a life of its own on this board. You yourself have already proven that you can let it rip from day one. Don't worry about it. The gasket is the Archilles Heel to the BGE and replacement is a maintenance issue just like having to change the oil in your car.

fishlessman

i believe that as well, ive never done the break in period, seems more luck of the draw than anything else. i did smell the glue giving way with my newest egg and i simply slipped some tinfoil in between the gaskets for the cool down, that egg still has the best gasket of all my eggs.

Angie

Thanks, I feel better about it now.