Steak Cooking Methods

[BBQchef33]

Originally Posted by willkat98

Phil

If I may be so bold...

Can you look at the link I posted to your 600 Degrees thread (really 700 in the hot spot per your report) and read what you just posted on tonights cook.

Although you didnt get smoke penetration, is there anything from thread #1 to this thread you would change to get better results?

I skipped using foil on the grate to wait to bring the grill up to temp in place of an inverted baking sheet. Don't know the temp, but the grates are glowing.

But I practice 1nce a year at best,

I know you do more, and might do more now as you are on a "bender"

Thanks for posting the pics

Edit: This thread will quickly become a Roadmap thread once everyone chimes in. I'm interested in Phils response, plus Midnight or Neils 2 cents (same Northern cooking conditions as me mod)

dunnno

The hight temp technique I used in the BYC is more like wood roasting. The flavors are great, but the smoke flavor is very light. Its more like rotiserre flavor.. Works well on steaks too, but wasnt what i was trying to do tonight. I figured by starting at lower temps, and heavier smoke, the meat would absorb some smoke prior to the grilling, but that did not seem to happen. it tasted like a grilled steak, while the roasting technique definately has more smoke flavor, but the end product still has hints of low and slow BBQ... including a bit of smoke ring. The steak at the restaurant had none.. I was even wondering tonight if they cheated with a smoky rub or even(cringe) liquid smoke rubbed lightly on it. I like the high temp technique, but the end result, although excellent, is different from what i was trying to duplicate.

I think maybe a cold steak(mine was room temp), at 200 in smoke for a little longer and maybe allowing it to start to cook in the chamber a bit. The steaks tonight were still raw when i moved them to the grate. The next change will be longer smoke, higher internal temp before grilling.

then again.. u may be on to something.. High temp in the hot spot and quick stint on the grill may just be it.. I have done it before.. that technique may just need some "steak" tweaking.. i only did steaks a couple of times, usually chicken and roasts are usually along side the steaks and they get the attention.. there may be something in that technique.. An 800+ degree offset hotspot is achievable with mesquite and oak(or apple). Thats worth a try too.

the thing is.. this started with the Steak at the Salt Island restaurant.. they dont go thru this when they cook it.. My steaks tonight took about 45-50 minutes... at S.I... they are at your table 15-20 minutes after u order it. There is a trick somewhere.

[cmcadams]

Originally Posted by BBQ_MAFIA

How big is that streak Curt? Nice grill lines.

They were prime grade porterhouse steaks, each over 2 lbs, at about 1 1/2" thick. I thought I would let the pic do my talking. :)

Phil, have you thought about calling the restaurant? You never know... they may tell you what they do. I've gotten stuff like Carrabba's grilled chicken recipes just by asking how they do it.

[Trout_man22]

One thing that we have missed is the fact that the best places use DRY AGED meat. This is so much better (and differant) then wet aged you would not belive it. The price of dry aged is a lot more also.



admin edit.. This started another great topic of Dry Aging.. I split it to another thread to keep both going as roadmap entries.. We're on a roll !!. (kaiser or Biscuit?)

[NCGrimbo]

I'll post my method. I'll probably get kicked off the boards for admitting this:

Step 1) Buy a full ribeye and have the butcher cut it into 1.5" steaks.
Step 2) Vacume seal 1 to a bag and stuff in the freezer.
Step 3) Come home from work and want a steak.
Step 4) Look at frozen steaks in the freezer.
Step 5) Take out frozen steak.
Step 6) Crank up charcoal grill and chimney starter.
Step 7) Lay out coals in the center of the grill and surround with mesquite chips.
Step 8 ) Place frozen steak on grill.
Step 9) Cover and go inside.
Step 10) Drink beer to make you forget what you're doing to that steak.
Step 11) Wait 10 minutes and then go out and flip the steak.
Step 12) Drink another beer.
Step 13) Wait 10 minutes and then go get the steak off the grill.
Step 14) Eat the Medium Well steak.
Step 15) Pray no brother sees you going this.

[BBQchef33]

and... where is the part where something is wrong with that?

maybe the Frozen steak on grill part? I would think that would make charred outside, raw inside.. but hey.. if it works.. good eats!!

[JohnMcD348]

Originally Posted by BBQchef33

and... where is the part where something is wrong with that?

maybe the Frozen steak on grill part? I would think that would make charred outside, raw inside.. but hey.. if it works.. good eats!!

I've heard that refered to before as a Pittsburg rare steak or something like that before. Came from the days back when the steel workers would take a frozen raw steak to work for lunch and cook it on the steel furnaces or something like that. A couple of seconds on each side gave you a thick steak charred on the outside and cold on the inside. Heard it on Tony Fatso show on my local radio station 970 WFLA.

[BBQchef33]

Took Bills advice and went back to basics..... High temp, hot spot that i have been doing for chicken and steaks... . I think hes right.... this is the start of where i want to go..

I started with a large bed of lump and 3 logs, hickory and cherry and mesquite..(had no split oak and I was lazy). Pit was 450 in the cool spot when i put the steaks in the hotspot...directly over the baffle from the firebox.. flames were shooting in and just touching the meat.

about 10 minutes steaks were at 120. i took them off and threw them on a grate in the firebox about an inch over the coals for about a minute each side.

Well they were just like the hightemp steaks I have done before, smokey, super tender and as u can see, about as juicy as they can be. Soft char outside... the climbed from 120, to 130 quickly so i pulled them off. When i took them in to rest, found the analog instant read thermo was off, digital had them at 125 still, so retuned it to the hotspot for about 5 minutes more. They could have spent another minute or two on the firegrate and gotten a better char, but i wanted to get a taste and not risk overcooking it for the experiments. I think this is a technique that will make something close to that orgasmix porterhouse, but the key at Salt Island was the wood, just pure wood, some kind of oak, no lump charcoal, maybe some supplimental gas for higher heat. Im going to stay down this path, next try will be pure oak, nothing else, high heat and a late seer.


this is fun, steak every night till i get it right...

anyone know an artery donor?

[FatDad]

Gee thanks Poobah !!
I worked late tonight and got home about an hour ago and
threw some chicken in the oven.

I see this picture and almost took a bite out of my monitor.

Oh yea...I also saw Joe's frito/tamale/chedder jalepeno/fatty/potato/
....awwwww chit....I'm hungry !