Steak Grilling Question - Lid Up, or Lid Down?

[Callahan-que]

Originally Posted by gtr

A competent griller can get a great steak either way. The end result is what's important.

Bingo!!! Up, down, grill temp, charcoal, gas, whatever, grilling steaks to perfection takes a personal touch.

[bigabyte]

Down, but for searing I leave the lid open for a bit to get the coals going when doing a reverse sear. When I sear first, I just let the coals go wild after dumping them in and once they start to die down then start the sear. While searing though, lid is down, and while cooking indirect the lid is down.

[Fishhook]

Originally Posted by Ag76

I have always grilled steaks with the lid down in order to cut down on flameups. Just wondering what everyone else did because I had a friend give me hell about it at a mutual friend's deer lease last week. He is dead set on grilling with the lid up or off, and thinks I am totally wrong to cook with the lid down. Thanks for all of the replies.

You shouda just handed him a beer and told him to adjust his panties. They were clearly too tight and making him cranky..to each his own. If we all did it the exact same way it would be a truly boring world.

[BBQ Grail]

Originally Posted by chopshop

your basically baking your steak when the lid is down

You aren't baking anything in the short period of time it takes to grill a steak.



Sir Larry of Rocklin

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[Jorge]

Down. It's easier to maintain an even temp, and I want that heat coming back from the top as well to cook my steak as evenly as possible. That applies whether I'm using a BGE, kettle, or pellet grill.

The one exception I may make, now, is filet mignon. After losing a piece of bacon that led to a small grease fire, I might leave the lid open a little more

[eagle697]

Depends on cut of meat, how you want it prepared, etc...

Originally Posted by Grillman

I worked as a cook in many restaurants and never had any lid or cover for the
broiler or grill. Of course the broiler would put out a lot of Btu's and get very hot.
If somebody ordered a steak Well Done; we usually put it in the Microwave oven
for a few minutes as it was going to be ruined anyway; then put it on the broiler
to get some grill marks on it. That way it sped up the cooking time.

This is why i always laugh when people order a well done steak.

[Southern Home Boy]

Originally Posted by btcg

Down... I hate that occasional splatter... it burns.

Funny... I go exactly the opposite direction. I keep the lid off specifically FOR that occasional spatter and flare-up. As long as I don't have a prolonged, sustained grease fire under the meat, I like the flavor and crisp you get on the meat from the occasional flare. Gets the outside the sear I want without overcooking the inside.

[gtsum]

it depends on the cooker imo, but reverse sear is the only way I do steaks, thick chops, even burgers

[cireksu]

I always throw a chunk of wood on the charcoal so i go down with hopes it will absorb more smokey flavor.

[BobBrisket]

I'm in the minority. But then, I like my steaks.......well, still bloody and quivering.
No lid and a scorching hot wood fire. SCORCHING! Grill marks are icing on the steak. A nice thick coat of rub gives it the char and crust. About 1 min and 30 secs per side then a little rest on the grill indirect. But, that's just me, and the wife, and the kids. LOL!

Dang..........I made myself hungry.


Then off to the "cool" side to chill for another min or two. Gotta let em de-stress.

Primal!

Bob

[TIMMAY]

Well doesnt that just look tasty!

I cook mine lid down...

[Big George's BBQ]

Lid down- have it up just to turn them

[frognot]

Down (using BGE or Weber OTG)

Originally Posted by Ag76

I have always grilled steaks with the lid down in order to cut down on flameups. Just wondering what everyone else did because I had a friend give me hell about it at a mutual friend's deer lease last week. He is dead set on grilling with the lid up or off, and thinks I am totally wrong to cook with the lid down. Thanks for all of the replies.

Lemme take a wild guess that he's also an expert on everything else and the caliber of your rifle and the scope on it wasn't satisfactory either.

[Ribbin' Randy]

It depends on the thickness of the steak for me. Up to about 1" I go with lid off (weber otg) Sunday I did one of the bones I cut off of the xmas prime rib. It was about 4" thick!!! Seared on both sides, moved to indirect with probe, removed at 145...YUM!

[anamosity]

UP, its the only way to go.

But I use a Large Egg.