Dumb ?. Maybe. How do you guys get your grill marks? - Page 3

Q*bert · 01-23-2013, 07:18 AM

Yep, hot cast iron is the way to go. I got some Mangrates for my bday last year & I love em.
http://www.mangrate.com/
.

Ole Man Dan · 01-23-2013, 07:52 AM

I bought a Backyard Steak House Infrared grill that will crank up to 1600°.
It makes beautiful marks, but what are we after?
Grill marks or taste. With practice you can have both.

NickTheGreat · 01-23-2013, 09:00 AM

My Weber gasser makes beautiful grill marks. But like Ole Man Dan says, there's a line you have to toe.

SmokinSlowPoke · 01-23-2013, 09:59 AM

All of these comments are spot on. Another trick to getting great grill marks (if your grill cant reach the 450-500 degree mark) is to incorporate a little sugar into your meat seasoning. The sugar will carmelize once it hits the grates and will create some pretty intense grill marks and if done correct a nice flavor profile as well. Just a thought.

fingerlickin' · 01-23-2013, 10:10 AM

Cast iron is definitely the way to go. I was taught only to touch the meat once while it's on the grill, when you flip it. I've modified that to 2 because I love the crosshatch look. Put the meat on and let it go, then a 1/4 turn to get a nice crosshatch and then once more to flip it. I know you can get better flavor from a nice even char, but those fancy steakhouses usually have an 1800* broiler which I don't have. I do have a cast iron pan, but there's just something sexy about nice grill marks.

Pappy · 01-23-2013, 10:28 AM

What do grill marks taste like?

gtr · 01-23-2013, 10:45 AM

Great. Now I want a steak. It's not even 9am. Thanks guys.

Cack · 01-23-2013, 11:47 AM

It maybe mentioned, but I skeemed through and didn't see it. You can get grill marks on anything, but you have to have the temp turned up. I have a gasser and let my grill warm up on hit, so the racks get real good and hot, and then I turn it down to my cooking temp for the cook. The hot racks will give you the marks your looking for.

NOW, if you want perfect 90 degree marks ... place your meat (not THAT meat) between 10/11 and 4/5 ... cook for however long and then rotate to between 1/2 and 7/8

Using that will give you grill marks like this

chingador · 01-23-2013, 12:00 PM

cast iron works best but it is not absolutely necessary. I get great grill marks with stainless and whatever the standard grill is on the Primo. The most important thing is to make sure the grill surface is extremely hot before the meat hits it. Marinades with some sugar will make it easier.

Ruth's Chris is not all that to be honest. As far as expensive steak houses go, it is bottom tier in my opinion. I certainly would not turn down a free meal there, but if I am buying, RC is my last choice.

Trumpstylz · 01-23-2013, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chingador

Agreed.

Ruth's Chris is not all that to be honest. As far as expensive steak houses go, it is bottom tier in my opinion. I certainly would not turn down a free meal there, but if I am buying, RC is my last choice.

David Burke's primehouse is the top dog around here (their dry aged stuff is out of this world). In NY I really like Peter Luger's and Club A steakhouses. All are about as expensive as RC, Club A being probably the least expensive.

Wampus · 01-23-2013, 01:13 PM

I get decent marks and don't have cast iron. I'd guess that CI will work better because it likely retains it's heat better.

All I do is get a raging hot arse fire, place meat on hot grate (listen for the "SSSssssssss", LEAVE IT ALONE, turn 45 degrees, LEAVE IT....flip and repeat. Because I don't have CI, when I DO move the meat, I try and put it on a different section of the grate (one that's HOT).

Trumpstylz · 01-23-2013, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wampus

when I DO move the meat, I try and put it on a different section of the grate (one that's HOT).

Never thought to do that- good idea.

HankB · 01-23-2013, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pappy

What do grill marks taste like?

They result from the Maillard reaction (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maillard_reaction) and actually taste pretty good.

Dave Russell · 01-23-2013, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HankB

They result from the Maillard reaction (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maillard_reaction) and actually taste pretty good.

This is exactly why I don't get grill marks. I like my Maillard reaction or SEAR, as I call it, ALL OVER the steak.

01-23-2013, 07:18 AM	#31
Q*bert Got Wood. Join Date: 07-28-11 Location: Westminster, MD Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Yep, hot cast iron is the way to go. I got some Mangrates for my bday last year & I love em. http://www.mangrate.com/ . __________________ Love my UDS!! // “Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what’s for lunch.”

01-23-2013, 09:00 AM	#33
NickTheGreat is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 05-08-12 Location: Iowa Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	My Weber gasser makes beautiful grill marks. But like Ole Man Dan says, there's a line you have to toe. __________________ 18.5" WSM ; Weber E-330 ; Weber Q200 (tailgating) . . . Guess I'm a Weber fanboy!

01-23-2013, 09:59 AM	#34
SmokinSlowPoke Knows what a fatty is. Join Date: 12-19-12 Location: Kansas City, MO Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	All of these comments are spot on. Another trick to getting great grill marks (if your grill cant reach the 450-500 degree mark) is to incorporate a little sugar into your meat seasoning. The sugar will carmelize once it hits the grates and will create some pretty intense grill marks and if done correct a nice flavor profile as well. Just a thought. __________________ "Life is a Shipwreck but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats"

01-23-2013, 10:10 AM	#35
fingerlickin' Babbling Farker Join Date: 07-08-10 Location: Boyertown, PA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Cast iron is definitely the way to go. I was taught only to touch the meat once while it's on the grill, when you flip it. I've modified that to 2 because I love the crosshatch look. Put the meat on and let it go, then a 1/4 turn to get a nice crosshatch and then once more to flip it. I know you can get better flavor from a nice even char, but those fancy steakhouses usually have an 1800* broiler which I don't have. I do have a cast iron pan, but there's just something sexy about nice grill marks. __________________ Jason "I can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking my head up a bull's a$$, but I'd rather take a butcher's word for it". - Tommy Callahan III XL Big Green Egg, 22.5 Weber OTS, WSJ Gold/Mini WSM, 18" & 22" WSM Flyers Orange Thermapen WAEFAY...WWGALD???

01-23-2013, 10:28 AM	#36
Pappy is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 05-09-11 Location: Granite City, Illinois (Near St. Louis "GO CARDS") Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	What do grill marks taste like? __________________ Performer, UDS, 1983 WSM, Frank-in-Weber, 120 Gallon Offset, IQ-110, ET-732

01-23-2013, 07:52 AM	#32
Ole Man Dan Take a breath! Join Date: 07-24-11 Location: Gadsden, Alabama Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I bought a Backyard Steak House Infrared grill that will crank up to 1600°. It makes beautiful marks, but what are we after? Grill marks or taste. With practice you can have both.

01-23-2013, 10:45 AM	#37
gtr Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 10-16-10 Location: Culver City, CA Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	Great. Now I want a steak. It's not even 9am. Thanks guys. __________________ 50" Klose BYC, Backwoods Chubby, UDS, 26" & 22.5" Weber Kettles, Jumbo Joe, WGA, WSJ/MUDS, Jumbo Old Smokey, Pig Hibachi, a piece of expanded metal I throw over the fire pit sometimes, Stealthy Black & Vol Orange Thermapens Displaced East Tennesseean Proud recipient of a Tick Former outlaw MOINK baller, now IMBAS Certified, but still lookin' over my shoulder. Golden Goose Egg - Got 2 in the nest baby! SPFP Mayzie's keeping an eye out for you! WTFWGALD?

01-23-2013, 11:47 AM	#38
Cack is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 10-05-11 Location: Greenville, SC Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	It maybe mentioned, but I skeemed through and didn't see it. You can get grill marks on anything, but you have to have the temp turned up. I have a gasser and let my grill warm up on hit, so the racks get real good and hot, and then I turn it down to my cooking temp for the cook. The hot racks will give you the marks your looking for. NOW, if you want perfect 90 degree marks ... place your meat (not THAT meat) between 10/11 and 4/5 ... cook for however long and then rotate to between 1/2 and 7/8 Using that will give you grill marks like this __________________ Lang 36" Original Patio (Jessica) - Char-Broil Commercial Series 4 Burner gasser

01-23-2013, 12:00 PM	#39
chingador Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 10-18-06 Location: Pearland,TX Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	cast iron works best but it is not absolutely necessary. I get great grill marks with stainless and whatever the standard grill is on the Primo. The most important thing is to make sure the grill surface is extremely hot before the meat hits it. Marinades with some sugar will make it easier. Ruth's Chris is not all that to be honest. As far as expensive steak houses go, it is bottom tier in my opinion. I certainly would not turn down a free meal there, but if I am buying, RC is my last choice. __________________ ______________________________________________ Primo Oval XL, BPS drum, Weber gasser

01-23-2013, 01:13 PM	#41
Wampus somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 06-05-09 Location: Mooresville, IN Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I get decent marks and don't have cast iron. I'd guess that CI will work better because it likely retains it's heat better. All I do is get a raging hot arse fire, place meat on hot grate (listen for the "SSSssssssss", LEAVE IT ALONE, turn 45 degrees, LEAVE IT....flip and repeat. Because I don't have CI, when I DO move the meat, I try and put it on a different section of the grate (one that's HOT). __________________ Big JT's Smokin' BBQ Competition Team “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. We need not wait to see what others do.” - Mahatma Gandhi