Problem with steaks

Louisiana Redneck

Good morning Eggers,[p] Well, here is my problem. I have had my egg for almost 1 1/2 years now. I have surprised myself with the quality and quantity of food that my EGG can produce. I have had great success with brisket, boston butts, chicken, cornish hens,turkey, ribs, tenderloin, liver turducken, salmon, crabcakes, pizza, all types of vegetables. Almost anything I have tried turned out great.
BUT, steaks escape me. I just can not make a good steak. Before I got my egg, I was the person in the neighborhood where you could always get a good steak. (Webber Kettle)
I heated up my egg to 650 direct. I seared two 1 inch ribeyes for two minutes each side and removed for 20 minutes. I dropped the temp to 450 and cooked my steaks for 5 minutes per side to get, supposely, a medium to medium well steak. My wifes favorite degree of doneness for steaks.
They were just not juicy enough,kind of tough. What am I doing wrong? For a life-time griller, I am really concerned. If you have any suggestions, PLEASE help me out. This really is a problem for me.[p] Thanks for any help I may get,[p] Louisiana Redneck

Mark Backer

Louisiana Redneck,[p]I recommend you try the T-Rex recipe verbatim. I waffled thru some pretty to fairly good steaks on my own, but when I finally tried the T-Rex way, that was it. And everyone I know with an egg that's tried it agrees.[p]The keys to where you are missing are the sear temp and the dwell temp. I won't sear under 750 and the difference between that and 650 is huge.[p]Also, 400 instead of 450 should make a sizeable difference in the dwell. [p]Don't give up, because when you hit it, you'll never be the same. I actually spent time during my nephew's b-ball game saturday talking t-rex steaks with my brother in law's brother. He was floored at how good they were. [p]Just experiment a little with the time to adjust for your desired level of doneness and keep us posted.[p]
[ul][li]T-Rexing a ribeye[/ul]

mad max beyond eggdome

Louisiana Redneck,
from my experience, and i do a lot of trex steaks (typically sirloins, but also rib eyes and tenderloins) i see a few issues from your message (it looks like you are trying to do a trex). . .[p]1. searing temps. ..i have found that when trying to do a trex steak, its really important to be up over 750 degrees. ..searing at 650 leaves me with a mushy steak when i then follow the rest of the trex method. ..so make sure you are really in the nuclear range. . .[p]2. you said your steaks were 1 inchers. .. i go for a minimum of 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick for trex. . .if you can't find ribeyes that thick, buy a rib roast and cut your own. . .again, trex success is predicated on thick steaks and high temp sear. . ..i also sear for 30 seconds per half inch at over 750 degrees. . .so for a 1 1/2 inch thick steak, its exactly 90 seconds per side, and for 2 inch thick its exactly 2 minutes per side. . .[p]3. the dwell. .. if you've seared at the super high temps, then after the 20 minute rest, you should dwell in the 400 degree range. . .[p]i'm thinking that your combination of lower temp sear and higher temp dwell is what's causing your problems. .. [p]all of this IMHO of course... hope this helps a little. . [p]max

mad max beyond eggdome

Mark Backer,
i'm hearing twilight zone music. . ..we were writing almost exactly the same thing at exactly the same time. . ..[p]wwwwoooooohhhhhh dddddduuuuuuuuddddddeeeeeeeee .. .. heee

Mark Backer

mad max beyond eggdome,[p]Yes, but your post was better. I really like the 30 seconds per half inch rule for searing. That will be handy.[p]Did you decide on how long you dwell simply based on experimenting, and if so, do you have a similar rule of thumb for that?[p]Boy...every day you think you've learned everything you can here, there's another beauty of a tip that makes egging better and easier...

Mark from Utah

Louisiana Redneck,[p]I am glad you asked this question. I have exactly the same problem. I can do everything except for steaks and jerky. I look forward to reading the replies to your question. Mark

mad max beyond eggdome

Mark Backer,
the dwell is a little trickier. ..i find that with two inch thick steaks, it can take up to 6 or 7 minutes per side dwelling at 400 degrees to get a nice medium rare. . .this is definitely a try it till you get it right deal. . .and it can be different based on what kind of steak it is (sirloin vs. tenderloin vs. ribeye). . .i have absolutely had a couple of occasions where i thought they were done and ended up with purple middles. . .[p]and you are so right about learning something new all the time around here. .. i had never heard the 350 vent deal before last week ( open the bottom all the way and then the daisy wheel to achieve 350). ..i'd always done it by tweaking both top and bottom to about half way. . much easier with the new method. . .did it yesterday for a 3 hour pot roast brisket cook to perfection. . .[p]

fishlessman

Louisiana Redneck,
i like to trex thick steaks only. tbones and sirlions is what i do mostly, and if you have a choice on the sirloins, pick the one with bones in it.1.5-2 inches thick leaning to the 2 inches. i find that with the bones, they come out more evenly cooked if tou roast at even a lower temp of 350-375 after the rest.same with pork or lamb chops- thick only.

mollyshark

Louisiana Redneck,[p]Gotta agree with most here. You're searing too cool and dwelling too hot. I sear around 700 or hotter if I'm feeling nervy. I dwell closer to 350 than anything else. The dwell might take another minute, but it NEVER dries it out. 450 is very hot for a dwell. Even the diff between 450 and 400 can make a huge difference. Try that and let us know.

Yazoo

Louisiana Redneck,[p]I get my kettle nuclear hot for sears but haven't ever checked the temperature. I have to use leather fireplace gloves to keep my knuckles from roasting. Find a thermometer that goes over 700 and try your kettle again. Check to see where your temps are for your different cooking steps. Then cook at those same temps on your egg.[p]If you have the same poor results on your kettle, maybe it's the steak itself. Are you buying them from the same place or are they getting a different quality?[p]

JSlot

One thing that hasn't been mentioned by anyone yet is the quality of your steaks to begin with. Has your supplier changed his source? If the steaks aren't choice grade or better, the quality will suffer. Most supermarkets in my area carry select grade, which is a step down from choice. Rumrunner can expound on that. I have done steaks every which way on the Egg, and I haven't had a "dry" one yet. Even the lower grade, while being slightly tougher and less tasty, has always been juicy. Hope you find the answer, because there ain't a whole lot better than a nice, thick steak off the Egg!!!![p]Jim

Louisiana Redneck

Thanks to all,[p]Hey guys, thanks for all the responses. The quality of meat is great. I must be searing and dwelling at the wrong temps. I will try this weekend and let you know. Thanks loads for the suggestions. [p]Louisiana Redneck

Pakak

Louisiana Redneck,[p]Wait, wait wait ...[p]Besides changing the temps, you missed the point about the thickness of the meat. I strongly advised getting at LEAST 1 1/2" thick but 2"+ would be better.

bigarms

Louisiana Redneck,[p]I use the Dr. Chicken's steak method. Ribeyes.... rubbed in olive oil and your favorite spices....then wrapped in plastic wrap...and into the fridge for 7 days. It is the only way that my family will eat steaks.....cooking method doesn't matter...just get them off the grill and they will be great. [p]I doubted it would work several years ago....here's what you can do. Go buy a steak and prepare it Dr. Chicken's way. Then in 7 days go buy another steak and prepare it your way. Cook both steaks and compare. [p]Bigarms

TRex

Louisiana Redneck,[p]Everyone here has given you some great information. One thing that wasn't mentioned, though, is the temperature of your steak when you begin the searing process. I always take my steaks out of the fridge and let them sit on the counter for at least half an hour, if not a full hour. That way, I'm not starting with a steak that's 40 degrees in the center, which means you will have to expose it to heat for a longer period of time during the dwell to get up to your target internal temp and, in my mind, if you're going longer than 6 minutes/side for a TWO-inch thick steak, then you're headed for a possibly tougher steak. [p]Now, that brings me to the second point, which has already been mentioned below - you said you cooked a ONE-inch thick steak 5 minutes per side at 450 - well, my guess is that you ended up with a well done steak at that thickness, temp, and times. For the sear-rest-dwell method, I recommend no thinner than a 1.5" steak, and preferrably closer to 2" thick. [p]Also play with your searing and roasting (aka "dwell") temps as mentioned below, but I think you'll be able to tell an order of magnitude difference when you cook a nice 2" thick steak next time. Incidentally, 5 minutes per side on a 2" thick steak during the dwell period at 400 F should give you pretty close to the rare side of a medium-rare steak.[p]Best of luck,[p]TRex

Bordello

bigarms,
Yes,
I do my filet's that way, coat with olive oil,wrap in plastic, in the fridge for about 5 day or so, add favorite rub just before egg-en. I used to put the rub on with the olive oil but have found the salt in the rub to come through on the heavy side, that is why I now put the rub on just before feeding them to Mr.Egg. LOL I usually do mine at about 500° to 550° for about 3 to 4 min. per side depending on thickness. May a short dwell.
Cheers,
New Bob

stike

Louisiana Redneck,
that's way too thin.[p]gotta do minmimum 1-1/2" inches, preferably 1-3/4" even 2"

Jopa

Louisiana Redneck,
Min 2 inch thick for steaks

tenntom

mad max beyond eggdome,
I been out here just looking, reading and trying recipes-for about 4 or 5 years now..Max you are right on the steaks.. I have a large and a mini...I do our steaks on the mini -a ribeye for me and a filet for my lady..If they are 1 to 1 1/2" -60 second sear, shut everything down for 5 mins.-they always come out rare..tender and juicy-If they are 2" - 90 sec. sear and dwell for 6 to 7 min.-BEST STEAKS I HAVE EVER EATEN.

chuckls

Louisiana Redneck,[p]Lots of good pointers here, but I have a different question...[p]I've got two cookers, a large egg and a small...[p]Which would be better for these trex steaks?[p]Chuck

Unknown

Mark Backer,
My problem is this....I like medium and my husband won't eat red meat unless it is well done. How do I compensate for this....and how do I get his piece well done? How much time does it take?

Mark Backer

rhonda daniel,[p]I have a similar problem. my wife's spent her whole life thinking she liked well done beef. I have her back to a light medium well or a dark medium. While I know that's a sin to most of you, it is what it is and it has to be dealt with accordingly. [p]My recent plan has included my sear being 60 seconds per side with hers being 120 seconds per side. Then, when the dwell comes, I put hers on a minute before mine and take it off a minute after. [p]If it's still not right, I throw it back on there until it is to her liking. [p]The new solution will be an easy one. My steak gets made on the small and hers on the mini. Heck, she may now be charged with T-rex-ing her OWN steaks, meaning one less thing she needs me for....

mad max beyond eggdome

Mark Backer,
here's the answer to that one. . ..serve it with ketchup. . they won't know the difference. ..heeeeee[p]

Mark Backer

mad max beyond eggdome,[p]Now max, that's just not nice. [p]In the gasser days, that may have been true. But cooking for several people who like their steaks on the other side of medium has taught me that the egg even leave moisture and tenderness in those cuts for "those" people.[p]that said, you could offer this to them:[p]
http://www.bubba-burger.com/

mad max beyond eggdome

Mark Backer,
i know i know. . .my dad likes his steak well done. . .and he is perfectly happy and content when his filet mignon looks like that picture. ...oh well. . .

fishlessman

rhonda daniel,
if he wants his steak ruined, you could microwave it for him

tenntom

Mark Backer,
We sear ours, cook slightly to rare, with a warm center-my wife likes hers. With me if it don't kick on the way down or gore me with a horn..Lets just say we like ours rare. If you eat it well done you might as welleat shoe leather..apologies to those well doners out there.

Unknown

Mark Backer,
Thanks for the suggestions Mark and others. Yea, I don't think hubby REALLY likes meat....cause he covers it up with worcestire anyway! But, he claims he likes it well to kill whatever bad is lurking! Too me, it ruins it but I gotta live with him. Thanks. Will keep trying.