Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

New Owner -- I'm reluctant to grill steaks :(

Bartolo
Bartolo Posts: 3
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Greetings! I'm having some sort of psychological issue being reluctant to use my large BGE to grill a few steaks. I keep thinking that I need to keep our old Weber kettle, because the grate is so much closer to the charcoal.

Talk me into firing up the BGE to "just grill 2 steaks" please!!! Any tips to get that nice seared surface that I want, and that I think requires the meat to be much closer to the coals??

Thanks BGE'ers :)

Comments

  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    Add more lump - fill it up to within an inch of the grate if you so desire. You can even fill it so full the grate rests on the lump.

    Simply snuff it out when you're done, then relight it for your next cook.
  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669
    NUMBER ONE: It will be the best steak you have had.
    Cook it low with a spyder or caveman on the coals.
    Then raise it to get to temp higher in the egg.
    I do this with my large or small or mini...
    photo-95.jpg
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
     
    Not sure about the hesitance to fire up the egg. The egg is easy to light and can be fairly quick if done right.

    There are a lot of ways to cook your steaks. I have purchased some extra accessories to make the task a lot easier and have eliminated the need to cool the egg down for the dwell.

    In my early egg days I used the caveman style. I got the lump burning to lava level, a flowing orange color in the lump and dropped the steak down on glowing lump. Close the dome for 90 seconds. Flip the steak on a new glowing spot for another 90 seconds then up on the grid for the dwell/roast. If the steaks are somewhat thin that initial sear will fully cook the steaks so cut the sear time down to 60 seconds/side. Little or no ash gets on the meat. Sometimes a piece of lump sticks but it will knock off very easily without any residue staying on the steak. Give it a try sometime as it is a great cook and fun to do. It sure makes your guests raise an eyebrow or two but they will ask for seconds.

    A second method without any accessories is to load the lump almost to the top of the fire box. Remove the fire ring and place the grid on the fire box. Lump glowing red (about 1100° at lump level) sear the steaks, remove the steaks and grid. Lower the fire ring on top of the fire box then the grid and finally the steaks for the dwell.

    There are more ways...

    GG
  • BajaTom
    BajaTom Posts: 1,269
    037.jpg I grill my steaks at 550/600 direct. It will be the best steak you will ever grill. Good luck to all.
  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
    Bartolo,

    I have burned through a few kettles and really thought I had it all figured out. :P You won't want to eat another steak that isn't cooked on an egg, once you give it a try. Briquets just won't do what lump will.

    Small egg, large steak ;)

    a357a0e3.jpg
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Visit:

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

    for some info on how the Egg is going to beat the Weber.
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    stick with the weber. the BGE does a lousy job searing :laugh:

    04-searing.jpg

    06P-Shoppedsteakshahaha.jpg

    seared_filets.jpg

    plated2-1.jpg

    005small.jpg
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    Bartolo,

    There are a lot of good ways to cook great steaks on the egg. I prefer to do them at lower temps at 350* - 400*. IMHO the egg shines there because of the less dry cooking environment.

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • BOWHUNR
    BOWHUNR Posts: 1,487
    It's very hard to beat the T-Rex method. I actually did this as my first cook many moons ago.

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

    Mike
    Omaha, NE

    I'm ashamed what I did for a Klondike Bar!!

    Omaha, NE
  • We cook ours at 375 degrees till done to our liking
  • yankeefan
    yankeefan Posts: 42
    I do caution you when and if you cook at those high temps to be careful of flashback when opening the lid. I have lost many a hair off my arms forgetting about it.

    Howard
  • You know I thought the same thing. BUT once you do your first you move on. I remove the fire ring and fill the box and then cook on the CI Grid. Best steak I ever had. Been eggin for 9 months and used the old webber..... ummmm NEVER.
  • Bartolo
    Bartolo Posts: 3
    Thanks to all for the suggestions! Before I go out and buy a spider, or use a technique where I have to change the hardware config. mid-cook, I'm going to try this approach and just fill it fuller with lump, let it get blazing hot and, I suspect, sear away!


    Fidel wrote:
    Add more lump - fill it up to within an inch of the grate if you so desire. You can even fill it so full the grate rests on the lump.

    Simply snuff it out when you're done, then relight it for your next cook.
  • Bartolo
    Bartolo Posts: 3
    Stike is that last photo with the fire ring removed?

    tia

    stike wrote:
    stick with the weber. the BGE does a lousy job searing :laugh:

    005small.jpg
  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
    Nope. that's a small egg with the fire ring in. See the line about 3" below the grid?
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    that's a small BGE. fire ring is about the same depth below the rim, but it looks lower in proportion.

    as fidel said, you can fill the lump higher if you want the steaks closer, or you can take out the fire ring (as you already figured out :) )
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • EGGARY
    EGGARY Posts: 1,222
    Steven

    The nice thing about is you learn something new or given another way of cooking on the
    Egg.

    Your way of cooking steak is interesting. With your method, when are the steaks turn, if let's say medium
    rare ?

    Gary
    l
  • I'll take quality over easy. And the egg is pretty easy to fire up.
    7e9cc6f1.png
    Large & MiniMax in Lexington, KY
  • reader40
    reader40 Posts: 69
    I never used to be much of a steak eater, but i have been to a great place in Greenville, SC and after buying an EGG, i will gladly cook steak at the house for anyone.

    The t-rex method is the cat's a$$. i use it for any cut and have had great success and am no griller and get great sear marks from the standard grid with no adjustments.
  • I 2nd that. TRex is way to go.
    Large & MiniMax in Lexington, KY
  • jerryp
    jerryp Posts: 232
    where'd you get that thing
  • outrageous
    outrageous Posts: 803
    like everyone else says,,,, light it up,, and grill away... i do like little steven... usually around 400 or so...


    2011-04-16_19-09-25_815.jpg

    Large egg and mini max egg plus a Blackstone griddle

    South Ga. cooking fool !!!!!!!!

  • BOWHUNR wrote:
    It's very hard to beat the T-Rex method. I actually did this as my first cook many moons ago.

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

    Mike
    Omaha, NE

    +1 My family no longer orders steaks in restaurants b/c they prefer them off the Egg.
  • ibanda
    ibanda Posts: 553
    A friend invited me over to dinner, we stood around in his backyard for an hour while he talked up his BGE and grilled some NY Strips TRex style. I joined the forum the next day, and bought a BGE soon after.

    One steak, that's all it took to make me an egghead! B)
    "Bacon tastes gooood, pork chops taste gooood." - Vincent Vega, Pulp Fiction
    Small and Large BGE in Oklahoma City.
  • EGGARY
    EGGARY Posts: 1,222
    When do you flip steaks if you want Medium Rare ?
  • poolguy
    poolguy Posts: 129
    It depends on the thickness of the steak. When I do filets about 1 1/2 thick, I get temp to 650 and 1 minute one side flip for 1 minute and shut down for 1 minute. I use a large egg. I use a cast iron grid for a nice sear marks.
  • EGGARY
    EGGARY Posts: 1,222
    I do the same thing but cooking at 400 sounds interesting and maybe a better way of doing it. It's worth a try.

    Gary
  • MemphisQue
    MemphisQue Posts: 610
    lots of great advice here. looks like you are on your way. I bet you never use the webber again.
  • loco_engr
    loco_engr Posts: 5,759
    That would be "the Spider" from:

    http://www.ceramicgrillstore.com/ceramicgrillstore/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=54

    Not sure of the size of the CI grid tho . . .
    aka marysvilleksegghead
    Lrg 2008
    mini 2009
    XL 2021 (sold 8/24/23)
    Henny Youngman:
    I said to my wife, 'Where do you want to go for our anniversary?' She said, 'I want to go somewhere I've never been before.' I said, 'Try the kitchen.'
    Bob Hope: When I wake up in the morning, I don’t feel anything until noon, and then it’s time for my nap