Smoking/Slow cooking a Ribeye Steak

RichmondBGE · March 2012

Has anyone ever tried smoking/slow cooking a steak indirect. I was thinking about trying some thick (2") fatty steaks, like a ribeye at around 250 degrees with a plate setter until they are at temperature. I probably wouldn't sear them either, before or after. Just salt and pepper and whatever wood I decide to add, maybe mesquite or hickory. Would there be any benefit to this as far as the steak being more tender, or would this just be a waste of time?

windnsea26 · March 2012

I've never done that or seen that. I think ribeye's were meant to be cooked direct. If you try it, I'm interested to see how they turn out.

OLD NORTH STATE BBQ CO. · March 2012

I'm not too sure what you'd gain from low and slow. Those 2 inch ribeyes deserve a direct hot sear. When I first started, a seasoned egger told me "to not over think things, and to follow the recipe." Every time I've attempted to significiantely adapt a cooking method it usually ends up distasterous.

I'm from Virginia Beach. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of VA eggers on the forum. Best of luck with thoes steaks.

Cowdogs · March 2012

Assuming you are pulling them in the 120-135 degree range (for rare to medium-rare), then I do not think they would be any more tender. That low temp does not render fat/collagen or break down connective tissue.

So all you will get is smoke flavor. Let them cool down about 15 minutes, and then quick sear them, and it would be a pretty good smoked steak.

gdenby · March 2012

The advantage of most steaks, or cuts sold as steaks, is that they are very tender. The down side is that most don't have a lot of flavor. The standard methods of cooking make most of the meat no more cooked than medium rare, leaving most of it tender and juicy, but sear the outside to boost the flavor thru browning. A longer cook at lower temperature, as Cowdogs mentions, will just give the steak more time to absorb smoke.

Something I've never heard of anyone doing is hot smoking a rib-eye like a piece of oil fish. I've got a thin bit of strip steak I may sacrifice to experiment just to see. There's a butcher I go to who make a beef "jerky" that is not quite like any other jerky I've had. Thin slices, kind if like might come from a brisket, well flavored, but far moister and softer than regular jerky. Maybe a long low smokey cook would make something similar.

fishlessman · March 2012

ive never cooked one that low but have cooked lots of two bones with a sear and a 300 degree roast til done. i like to find the 2 bone cuts relatively thin, about 2.5 inches thick, cook like a steak raised grid direct and then split it in half like a roast, what you get is two end pieces that are not over cooked like when you do a whole roast so a nice med/rare with all the seasoning of an end cut.

i do like thicker ribeyes and will cook 1 thats too big for myself, ill split it this way and cook it

Mickey · March 2012

fishman can I have the bone. please

NibbleMeThis · March 2012

I like doing a reverse sear for NY Strips and fillet, but for ribeyes, I have found that I just prefer them grilled direct. I think it is because of the fat cooks down better in direct cooking than when I have tried reverse searing them.

I don't think I would try just smoking it outright without any sear, but it's a subjective thing.

Botch · March 2012

[quote] That low temp does not render fat/collagen or break down connective tissue. [/quote]

Ah, but steaks are cut from certain parts of the cow because there is no collagen/connective tissue. And the fat should still render; grilling over high heat to 125 vs. slow to 125 has the same result, except around the edges/surfaces.

I'm an experimenter, and I'd give this a try!

stike · March 2012

except that most don't want the fat in a steak to render... there's excessive fat in a butt, and it's good to let it render out.

you can slow roast a rib eye (whole), and see the benefit of slkow heating. mostly, even done-ness. but you can still get a crust.

with a single steak, the slow heating might give you a nice even heat throughout, but you'll be missing the carmelization of sugars from the higher heat. searing does damage, but the benefits outweigh the minor moisture lost.

i think if you slow roasted a steak itself, you'd still wanna save some internal temp buffer so that you could sear it, too

but i'd just warm the thing up and then sear

JalopyBob · March 2012

I tried this a few years back. It was a one time only experiment. All Ribeye's since then direct over hot coals. There was no advantage to a low and slow steak to my way of thinking.

gatorBGE · March 2012

I've had a cold smoked ribeye at a local restaurant. Chef cold smoked whole ribeyes then cut into steaks with a quick sear to order. Ton of flavor and cut like butter. Every time my wife and I go there I cross my fingers that it'll be on the menu that night. One of the only steaks I'll order when out to eat.

John Ross · March 2012

I too have a rather unconventional way of cooking Rib-eyes. I like to mound my lump all to one side. when the charcoal is good and hot, I put the rib-eyes on the charcoal side, sear them, with the flame licking them, for about two minutes, then move them 90 degrees to get a nice checkered grill mark. flip them, and do the same on the opposite side. Then, I close both vents about 90%, ad a bit of oak chunks and move the steaks to the opposite, non coal side of the grill, where I leave then about another 7-10 minutes. I know it's unconventional, on a kamado style grill, but it works for me.

Smoking/Slow cooking a Ribeye Steak

Comments

Categories