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Caveman Ribeye Pointers requested!

Hey Guys,

So my buddy wants me to make him some nice ribeyes on the egg. I want to do them caveman style and I need a little guidance. My questions are as follows...
1. What temp? Am I trying to crank it up to 750 or will 500 or so be sufficient?
2. Cooking with the lid up or down?
3. Shoot for about 1:30 on each side? I am trying to go for a medium. He is usually a well done guy (blasphemy I know) but I am trying to convince him that you can have a nice crust on the outside without being dry as boot leather.

Thanks in advance.

Riley

Comments

  • Toxarch
    Toxarch Posts: 1,900
    Well done and you are cooking ribeyes for him? You can get a round steak and cook it well done and it would taste the same and be a lot cheaper.
    Aledo, Texas
    Large BGE
    KJ Jr.

    Exodus 12:9 KJV
    Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.

  • ar15203
    ar15203 Posts: 86
    If you are going right on the coals closer to 5 min. I did one that was about 1/2 to 3/4 in thick and did about 3 min per side and it was still cool in the middle by the bone. 
    XLBGE, Egging in NH
  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
    Lid up. 600-700 works as you want the coals to be fully lit. your timing should be fine but I like to flip every 30 seconds.
  • Sea2Ski
    Sea2Ski Posts: 4,088
    Tips I would offer, and what I have done:

    Best results have been with cuts at least 1.25 " thick, with 1.75" best.  Let it warm on the counter for about 45 mins -1 hr, and season heavily - even tough I only use kosher salt and course ground pepper.  

    Do do not worry about dome temp. Get the coal bed red hot in as much space as you need for your beef. I leave the dome open the whole time. 

    Give the coals a good stir immediatly, and I mean immediatly before you put the meat on them.
    I typically flip every minute then move to 15-20 seconds after 4 mins.  
    So 1 min flip
    1 min flip.
    1 min flip
    1 minute then pull and check temp. Then go to 15-20 seconds per side till desired pull temp. 

    Post pictures!!! 
    --------------------------------------------------
    Burning lump in Downingtown, PA or diesel in Cape May, NJ.
    ....just look for the smoke!
    Large and MiniMax
    --------------------------------------------------

    Caliking said:   Meat in bung is my favorite. 
  • SoCalTim
    SoCalTim Posts: 2,158
    Extra long tongs and good welding gloves are a must. Trust me, I learned the hard way.
    I've slow smoked and eaten so much pork, I'm legally recognized as being part swine - Chatsworth Ca.
  • Sea2Ski
    Sea2Ski Posts: 4,088
    SoCalTim said:
    Extra long tongs and good welding gloves are a must. Trust me, I learned the hard way.
    Oh yea.  Good call! Totally forgot about those!
    --------------------------------------------------
    Burning lump in Downingtown, PA or diesel in Cape May, NJ.
    ....just look for the smoke!
    Large and MiniMax
    --------------------------------------------------

    Caliking said:   Meat in bung is my favorite. 
  • rholt
    rholt Posts: 392
    Wow. Thanks for all the replys. I definitely have some good gloves and tongs. I plan on getting the ribeyes from SAMS so they are usually around an inch thick if not a little more. I will do olive oil and then season heavily. @Toxarch , it blew my mind when he told me he liked them well done. I am confident that I can change him though with a good crust on the steak. Thats his (and everyones) favorite part!
  • jtcBoynton
    jtcBoynton Posts: 2,814
    Don't worry about exact temp of the air. You need fully engaged coals.


    Southeast Florida - LBGE
    In cooking, often we implement steps for which we have no explanations other than ‘that’s what everybody else does’ or ‘that’s what I have been told.’  Dare to think for yourself.
     
  • stemc33
    stemc33 Posts: 3,567
    You probably won't get the same crust as a frying pan. Make sure coals are leveled off so steak is touching lump well. If too much air  is allowed under the steak you'll get flare ups. The trick is to eliminate airflow beneath the steak. 
    Steven
    Mini Max with Woo stone combo, LBGE, iGrill 2, Plate Setter, 
    two cotton pot holders to handle PS
    Banner, Wyoming
  • bgebrent
    bgebrent Posts: 19,636
    All^^^^^ is good advice.  For 1.25-1.5" thick, boneless ribeye my best result was 1.5 min then flip, 1.5 min then flip then 1 min flip for 1-1.5 minutes more. That yielded perfect medium rare.  Boneless or bone in plays a bit of a role as meat near the bone will be less fully cooked than the rest.  I'd leave it in 7-8 minutes for MW but testing the firmness with tongs is very helpful. Below was on 5-6 minutes and dome was 700 when I opened the egg and let the fire breathe before throwing the steaks on. And, don't forget to burp the egg!
    Sandy Springs & Dawsonville Ga
  • rholt
    rholt Posts: 392
    Good to know fellas. Great tips. I really appreciate your advice.
  • rholt said:
    Wow. Thanks for all the replys. I definitely have some good gloves and tongs. I plan on getting the ribeyes from SAMS so they are usually around an inch thick if not a little more. I will do olive oil and then season heavily. @Toxarch , it blew my mind when he told me he liked them well done. I am confident that I can change him though with a good crust on the steak. Thats his (and everyones) favorite part!
    Not sure you want to do this if you're going caveman but, others may say differently.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Well, "spa-Peggy" is kind of like spaghetti. I'm not sure what Peggy does different, if anything. But it's the one dish she's kind of made her own.
    ____________________
    Aurora, Ontario, Canada
  • rholt
    rholt Posts: 392
    What? the use of olive oil? Or just do seasonings directly on the meat without a binder?
  • rholt said:
    What? the use of olive oil? Or just do seasonings directly on the meat without a binder?
    At that high heat, directly on the coals, I would think the olive oil would burn. But, as I said, other's may have done it without any problem.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Well, "spa-Peggy" is kind of like spaghetti. I'm not sure what Peggy does different, if anything. But it's the one dish she's kind of made her own.
    ____________________
    Aurora, Ontario, Canada
  • rholt
    rholt Posts: 392
    Gotcha. It's definitely not a necessitiy but just force of habbit I presume.
  • I season the steaks with just salt and pepper. Once on the coals I let them go for about a minute and half per side. Then flip them every so often onto different spots. Usually 1 1/4"-1 1/2" strip steaks. I take them off at 125 and my wife's at 130. 
    Mckinney, TX
    LBGE--AR with Rig extender 
    Mini Max
  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364
    edited August 2015
    1.  Dome temp is meaningless for this cook.  See jtc's post/pic.
    2.  Lid up
    3.  Time would depend on thickness.  Could also flip somewhat frequently, take off the heat and touch.  If not done to desired range, place it back on the coals.  This would also help with slowing momentum.  Don't really like putting a piece of plastic in my hand close to a bed of live coals.  Not saying you can't do this, but sometimes it's nice to relieve yourself from the nerdiness of modern cooking.  Chef Mallmann will friggin' breakdown an entire hog and cook it to touch over multiple campfires without pit or dome temps. lol

    Another tip.  Salt only before the cook.  Rub or pepper will just burn and be acrid, not good.  Applying a finishing rub on top at the end or rest works too.  A friend did that with a caveman'd pork chop. 

    And last tip.  Have fun!
    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

  • rholt
    rholt Posts: 392
    Thanks so much guys. I really appreciate it. And fun I shall have. I plan on cooking them up on Thursday.
  • stemc33
    stemc33 Posts: 3,567
    rholt said:
    Thanks so much guys. I really appreciate it. And fun I shall have. I plan on cooking them up on Thursday.
    Looking forward to the during and after pics. 
    Steven
    Mini Max with Woo stone combo, LBGE, iGrill 2, Plate Setter, 
    two cotton pot holders to handle PS
    Banner, Wyoming
  • ^^^ me too.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Well, "spa-Peggy" is kind of like spaghetti. I'm not sure what Peggy does different, if anything. But it's the one dish she's kind of made her own.
    ____________________
    Aurora, Ontario, Canada
  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    I realize you're wanting to go caveman for several reasons but, if you're trying to impress a buddy to go to the egg and have NEVER done a CAVEMAN STYLE steak I would hold off. Go CI with some herb infused butter for the finish and a board sauce. And maybe 1 steak to share after cocktails etc and go caveman on it. A even and flat bed of red hot lump is key. For doneness on steak I prefer the feel method over my Thermapen. The TP gets used a lot...just not on steaks. And yes I do the feel method on caveman steaks too. 
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • I realize you're wanting to go caveman for several reasons but, if you're trying to impress a buddy to go to the egg and have NEVER done a CAVEMAN STYLE steak I would hold off. Go CI with some herb infused butter for the finish and a board sauce. And maybe 1 steak to share after cocktails etc and go caveman on it. A even and flat bed of red hot lump is key. For doneness on steak I prefer the feel method over my Thermapen. The TP gets used a lot...just not on steaks. And yes I do the feel method on caveman steaks too. 
    I'm assuming, but asking for the benefit of those that don't, that you're pulling the steak off of the coals before feeling it? Of course, you'd probably want to do this even using the TP.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Well, "spa-Peggy" is kind of like spaghetti. I'm not sure what Peggy does different, if anything. But it's the one dish she's kind of made her own.
    ____________________
    Aurora, Ontario, Canada
  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    @TexanOfTheNorth No I feel it while on the coals. A red hot bed of coals doesn't necessarily mean your nuclear. Feel your meat at your own risk :fearful: 
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • @TexanOfTheNorth No I feel it while on the coals. A red hot bed of coals doesn't necessarily mean your nuclear. Feel your meat at your own risk :fearful: 
    Show off! :wink: 
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Well, "spa-Peggy" is kind of like spaghetti. I'm not sure what Peggy does different, if anything. But it's the one dish she's kind of made her own.
    ____________________
    Aurora, Ontario, Canada
  • rholt
    rholt Posts: 392
    Ha. Well I'm not trying to convert him to the egg. He already knows how awesome it is. I am just trying to give him a crispy outside with a warm pink inside steak. Plus I don't have any castiron cookware (I am ashamed).