The Grill and BBQ thread

#2,626
#2,626
I made some steaks tonight on the traeger. They were as tough as barn wood. I smoked them for 1/2 hour and then cooked them another 20 minutes at 450 (per traeger's website). Pulled them off at 155. They tasted great but I had to floss like crazy after dinner. Any suggestions/critiques are welcomed.
 
#2,627
#2,627
kentucky sucks said:
I made some steaks tonight on the traeger. They were as tough as barn wood. I smoked them for 1/2 hour and then cooked them another 20 minutes at 450 (per traeger's website). Pulled them off at 155. They tasted great but I had to floss like crazy after dinner. Any suggestions/critiques are welcomed.
Click to expand...

1. Don't smoke steaks.
2. Get good meat (well marbled Ribeyes are my favorite, prime grade is ideal)
3. 155 is too done even for pork. Think 118 with expectation to rise to 125 for med-rare. Maybe a touch higher for Ribeyes to render that fat. In truth, I never use a probe on steaks, though.
4. Sear hot and quick. I literally cook most steaks about 8 minutes total, then rest for 5
 
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#2,628
#2,628
kiddiedoc said:
1. Don't smoke steaks.
2. Get good meat (well marbled Ribeyes are my favorite, prime grade is ideal)
3. 155 is too done even for pork. Think 118 with expectation to rise to 125 for med-rare. Maybe a touch higher for Ribeyes to render that fat. In truth, I never use a probe on steaks, though.
4. Sear hot and quick. I literally cook most steaks about 8 minutes total, then rest for 5
Click to expand...

Good advice. I do thick ribeyes in eight minutes over direct heat. I use the stop watch on my phone. I start it when I put them on. At two minutes I rotate the steak to get the cross grill marks. At four minutes I flip it. At six minutes I rotate again. At eight minutes its perfect medium rare. You may have to play with the times a little for your rig.
 
#2,629
#2,629
SaluteToTheHill said:
Good advice. I do thick ribeyes in eight minutes over direct heat. I use the stop watch on my phone. I start it when I put them on. At two minutes I rotate the steak to get the cross grill marks. At four minutes I flip it. At six minutes I rotate again. At eight minutes its perfect medium rare. You may have to play with the times a little for your rig.
Click to expand...

On a thick ribeye or strip (1-1/4" thick), I place the steak and place it on a preheated grill (as hot as it can get). I cook it three minutes a side and turn it one time. That usually gets me med to med rare.
 
#2,630
#2,630
InVOLuntary said:
On a thick ribeye or strip (1-1/4" thick), I place the steak and place it on a preheated grill (as hot as it can get). I cook it three minutes a side and turn it one time. That usually gets me med to med rare.
Click to expand...

Yeah, everybody's rig is going to be slightly different. Once a person figures there's out they can make perfect steaks every time.
 
#2,631
#2,631
InVOLuntary said:
On a thick ribeye or strip (1-1/4" thick), I place the steak and place it on a preheated grill (as hot as it can get). I cook it three minutes a side and turn it one time. That usually gets me med to med rare.
Click to expand...

At Kroger in Farragut, they cut the prime ribeyes 1-3/4 to 2" thick, necessitating about 4 min/side to get that nice tender warm red center.
 
#2,632
#2,632
SaluteToTheHill said:
Good advice. I do thick ribeyes in eight minutes over direct heat. I use the stop watch on my phone. I start it when I put them on. At two minutes I rotate the steak to get the cross grill marks. At four minutes I flip it. At six minutes I rotate again. At eight minutes its perfect medium rare. You may have to play with the times a little for your rig.
Click to expand...

That's my technique exactly. My wife thinks I am OCD about the crossed grill marks.
 
#2,633
#2,633
kiddiedoc said:
1. Don't smoke steaks.
2. Get good meat (well marbled Ribeyes are my favorite, prime grade is ideal)
3. 155 is too done even for pork. Think 118 with expectation to rise to 125 for med-rare. Maybe a touch higher for Ribeyes to render that fat. In truth, I never use a probe on steaks, though.
4. Sear hot and quick. I literally cook most steaks about 8 minutes total, then rest for 5
Click to expand...

Agreed, 155 is way too done for me and I've not had good success smoking steak. I'll add some chips to a fire to add flavor when grilling direct. I tend to cook based on time as well, typically 8 minutes (depending on thickness) turning once.

If the steak is large (greater the 1.5 inches thick) I'll either sear for 8 and move indirect until it hits the right temp or reverse sear cooking indirect at a high temp and sear to finish).
 
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#2,634
#2,634
Boca Vol said:
Use a box grater for your maters, enough to make a about 4 cups. Toss the peel.

Sweat some grated onion, dried oregano, & salt in butter. Add some smashed garlic, a pinch of tomato paste, anchovy paste (you won't taste it), & pinch of sugar & crushed red pepper. Add tomatoes and let cook for about 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt & pepper. Give a drizzle of Olive Oil and some fresh basil.
Click to expand...

Anchovy paste! Have to add that next time.
 
#2,635
#2,635
kentucky sucks said:
I made some steaks tonight on the traeger. They were as tough as barn wood. I smoked them for 1/2 hour and then cooked them another 20 minutes at 450 (per traeger's website). Pulled them off at 155. They tasted great but I had to floss like crazy after dinner. Any suggestions/critiques are welcomed.
Click to expand...

I smoke steaks occasionally. Set Traeger to smoke and cook steaks to no more than 100º. Then throw on preheated grill (hopefully 650º+) to sear - just long enough to get grill marks, then rotate 45º for same marks/time, flip and cook for a minute or two (depending on doneness preference). Remove and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve crosshatch marks up. FYI, I like my beef a little shy of medium rare and I always buy thick steaks - 1.25"+ for strips and ribeyes, filets 2"-2.5" and always from the tail end (skinny and thick - Publix cuts them for me).

As others have said, a lot depends on thickness and grill temp and only use Choice or better - otherwise, use crockpot or pressure cooker. A truly great steak starts with the quality of the beef!
 
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#2,636
#2,636
Ditto on pretty much everything that's been said the last 7-10 posts on cooking steaks but one thing I do in order to maximize heat and save time is something I stole from Alton Brown during an episode about cooking tuna. Probably a well known tactic but one I'd never considered until I saw him do it.

Caveat being that you have to use a chimney starter but I have a grill with three grates that can slide from side to side and remove as need be. I take one out and slide the second over so that there is a gap in the middle. Then place the chimney down at the bottom of the grill in the middle gap between the remaining two grates. Light the lump and get chimney hotter than Hades, place third grate that was removed directly on top of chimney and then place the steak on top of that. Hard to get a better sear than that. Previous grill I had didn't have the easily removable grates but I did the same process with a cheap camping grate I bought for a few bucks and used that on top of the chimney.
 
#2,637
#2,637
I tried AB's tuna trick once, but need(ed) a larger chimney starter. Still have an eye out for one...
 
#2,641
#2,641
kiddiedoc said:
I have not. Butcher shop or restaurant?
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Old time grocery store with a Butcher shop in the back. Awesome meats. He'll cut whatever you want with a knife. Very good meats. Worth the drive up IMO. We have a houseboat on Norris so we'll stop on the way and pick up the steaks. Another thing they have is an old time beer tap on the wall. You fill up your little brown jug and cork it. You pay a deposit on the jug and when you come back you get your deposit back or fill up another jug. It's a cool store.
 
#2,642
#2,642
For the record, those steaks got to 155 by accident. My wife is pregnant and wants hers well well done. I like mine rare. I was going by a recipe on traeger's website that suggested smoking them for 1/2 hour and then turn the dial to 450 and cook for 20 minutes. I wasn't watching the temp and didn't even have a probe in. When I went out 20 minutes later and put the probe in it was at 155 and I said holy croikes! A Traeger is kinda like trying to grill in an oven. It works good but I don't know how. Thanks for the advice and tips fellas.
 
#2,643
#2,643
Just a thought: maybe try a quick cast iron sear, then finish in the Traeger at 350 until desired temp? They still won't take long.
 
#2,644
#2,644
InVOLuntary said:
Old time grocery store with a Butcher shop in the back. Awesome meats. He'll cut whatever you want with a knife. Very good meats. Worth the drive up IMO. We have a houseboat on Norris so we'll stop on the way and pick up the steaks. Another thing they have is an old time beer tap on the wall. You fill up your little brown jug and cork it. You pay a deposit on the jug and when you come back you get your deposit back or fill up another jug. It's a cool store.
Click to expand...

Sounds awesome, I'll have to check it out
 
#2,649
#2,649
You guys and your crosshatch grill marks. :) It's totally an aesthetics thing. Do you guys do the same thing to your lawns too?

I had a neighbor that would crosshatch his lawn every weekend. He absolutely loved doing it. It was a tiny front yard too but he didn't care.
 
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