Flippity, flip, flip or flip, flip?

[ModelMaker]

I've been researching steak cooking procedures. One way is to flip your steak over hot coals every 1 minute until you reach the desired temp. The other train of thought is steak on, flip, steak off.
I had some butcher sirloins that by time I trimmed them I had 7 pieces of varying size and cooked them flipping once every minute and moved around to get even color on all pieces. Pulled them at 140* and let sit for a few minutes, they were fantastic!
When you Google the question it's pretty even on which style cooks use.
How about y'all?
Ed

 

[SirPorkaLot]

I’m a 5 minutes each side kinda guy.
On/flip once /off

I’m far too lazy to do all that extra flipping, when I could be sitting enjoying my adult beverages instead

 

[bschoen]

I too am in the flip once camp.

 

[ronbrad62]

Put me down as a flip once type.

 

[NCGrimbo]

I'm a flip every 3 minutes until it reaches the internal temp I desire. Some nights that's 135, other nights it's 120. It just depends on my mood. So, it can be on-flip-off to one night where the coals didn't get very hot on-flip-flip-flip-flip-off.

 

[Fooball]

Just flip once here.

There was a recent thread about JKF (just keep flipping) if you want more opinions:

https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=298484&highlight=flip

 

[halfcocked]

I flip often unless I reverse sear.

 

[cholloway]

Don't y'all rotate once 90 degrees for those pretty grill marks?:bow:

 

[SirPorkaLot]

Don't y'all rotate once 90 degrees for those pretty grill marks?:bow:

Only for those silly contests.

Otherwise, I can’t tell the difference when I’m eating

 

[Evan]

If you're cooking to 140 I doubt it makes much difference. The idea behind 1 min at a time is to develop more of a sear on the outside while keeping more of the inside less done.

 

[cowgirl]

I like to get good color on one side, then I start flipping. lol I cut thick steaks so standing the steak on it's side to sear the fat is a "must" for me too.

 

[bowhnter]

I usually flip once, but I do turn them 90* too, but mostly because it’s a habit and to move a thinner or thicker part of steak to what heat zone I want.

I might try the flip flip flip next and see what happens.

 

[SonVolt]

Frequent flipping 100%. You're less likely to overcook the interior by letting the top side cool a bit before blasting it with heat again. You may not have a crust formed on your first flip, but be patient. It'll develop just as well and you'll have less of an overcooked gradient from crust to center.

Flip once used to be dogma... just like searing to seal in juices. Now it's bad advice.

 

[SonVolt]

Don't y'all rotate once 90 degrees for those pretty grill marks?:bow:

If I'm getting grill marks I stop what I'm doing and revaluate my cooking situation.

 

[SirPorkaLot]

Frequent flipping 100%.

If you enjoy playing with your meat, this is certainly the better approach, otherwise, nah, I’ll pass.
Simple is almost always better and it certainly is in this case.

 

[captndan]

In a high end restaurant mark one side and move to a cooler side. When the order comes in mark the other side and cook to the order specs.

 

[Fooball]

If you enjoy playing with your meat, this is certainly the better approach, otherwise, nah, I’ll pass.
Simple is almost always better and it certainly is in this case.

:tongue:

 

[SonVolt]

If you enjoy playing with your meat, this is certainly the better approach, otherwise, nah, I’ll pass.
Simple is almost always better and it certainly is in this case.

I understand you may not prefer the method, but to claim "simple is better" in this case is misguided and simply untrue.

https://www.seriouseats.com/the-foo...and-burgers-multiple-times-for-better-results

https://amazingribs.com/more-techni...-we-want-grill-marks-and-you-should-not-flip/


“If perfect grill marks are necessary [flip] once or twice. If texture and moistness are more important, then flip every minute. Frequent turns mean that neither side has the time either to absorb or to release large amounts of heat. The meat cooks faster, and its outer layers end up less overcooked.” - Harold McGee

 

[SirPorkaLot]

I understand you may not prefer the method, but to claim "simple is better" in this case is misguided and simply untrue.

https://www.seriouseats.com/the-foo...and-burgers-multiple-times-for-better-results

https://amazingribs.com/more-techni...-we-want-grill-marks-and-you-should-not-flip/


“If perfect grill marks are necessary [flip] once or twice. If texture and moistness are more important, then flip every minute. Frequent turns mean that neither side has the time either to absorb or to release large amounts of heat. The meat cooks faster, and its outer layers end up less overcooked.” - Harold McGee

That’s a whole bunch of words, but experience tells me, that my steaks that I only flipped once, will be just as tasty as the ones flipped constantly, so why bother?

As a side note..I don’t consider amazing Ribs to be a reliable source (like many others)

 

[SonVolt]

I too don't put a lot of stock in Meathead's gospel... so I'll agree with you on that alone.