Searing Beef, Chops, etc.

BunkyRub

As a new egger I did filets (beef) Sat. evening and did not get a good sear/grill marks on the meat. Any quick thoughts on this particularly around amount of charcoal to use, dome temp. and any other info related to this? Overall I was very pleased with how the steaks turned out, but would have liked more grill marks and "crust" on the meat.

Chef Wil

BunkyRub,
Filets don't have fat per say, I'd season meat, then brush a lite coat of butter or olive oil, then sear. Just be careful you don't burn yourself because the oil or butter may flare up a bit, but you'll get a good crust. Good luck.

Pakak

BunkyRub,[p]You don't say what technique you used but I'd guess you didn't have a high temp sear - 600-750°+. Just guessing. If you're having problems getting that high of temp, you probably aren't filling the firebox full with lump.[p]You *almost* cannot have too much lump ... don't worry about burning too much. Make sure you *do* have good air supply to the fire from the lower vent, which should be wide open for highest heats. Leave the daisywheel and the raincap off the top. After your cook, just shut everything down (both upper and lower vents). On the next cook, simply refresh the level of lump in the firebox.

Hooter

BunkyRub,[p]Another idea is to cook the steaks directly on the lump. Yes, throw those suckers right on the burning wood. Sear 1.5 minutes per side, rest 20 minutes, finish at 400 degrees 4-5 minutes per side depending on thickness. Don't worry about ash on the lump.