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What am I doing wrong?

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    What am I doing wrong?

    I've got one of Meathead's recommended instant read thermometers. Generally it works perfectly for me. But I'm doing something wrong on thinner pieces of meat. The other day I was cooking some flank steak that was about 3/4" thick or so. So I have all my coals banked to one side so I can have a nice, hot sear - Kingsford competition coal plus some recycled coal from my last cook.

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    I started with the meat a little off to the side for the first two flips. Then I put it directly above the coals for the next 4 minutes - flipping every minute. I pulled it off to the side again when it was temp-taking time. At that time I got a reading of 118 or so, which made sense. Last time I did this, it took about 8 minutes. So I did two more minutes right above the coals. Then I moved it back to the side. But THIS TIME no matter where I took the temp it was WAY high. Like 180s. I thought I'd completely screwed up. But when I cut it open:

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    Nice and pink. (And the shadows, color cast, etc hide the fact that it was perfectly medium pink color on the inside)

    What did I do wrong? I had a similar problem a couple weeks ago with some ribeyes I was grilling. I knew, based on the fact that I was cooking those on gas and had the timing perfectly that they should be medium, but I kept getting past-well done temps on the thermometer.

    I know the thermometer's not broken because I have had no problems with chicken or thicker pieces of beef. (At least I think I know....I could do a freeze/boil test if needed)

    Am I just screwing up on something simple?

    #2
    I would test your thermometer. I have found that in checking thinner cuts of meat there can be a wide variation in temp readings. Maybe you need more readings before you decide to move the meat from cool to hot. I don't believe Meathead recommends reverse sear on meat that is less than 1" thick. That cut looks thicker than 1", but what about the other cooks?

    Comment


    • djotaku
      djotaku commented
      Editing a comment
      I'll definitely give it a check.

    #3
    Chances are good on a thin steak that you either put the probe in too far or not far enough because it is easy to do. The actual bi-metal junction that measures temperature is not readily apparent looking at the probe. Here's an example from the Thermoworks site:

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      #4
      My guess is you have the probe too far through to the other side, or not far enough, in other words you're not in the center but the hotter edge perhaps.

      Comment


        #5
        Not to get technical, but these guys are all right. Thin meats are a bit tricky with the gadgetry end of things. My question is, since it was pink inside, was it moist & did it taste good. If so or close, everything is cool. Enjoy.
        Now if it was tough & dry, back to the drawing board. By the looks of things, it looked OK. Sometimes cooking is by sight & feel, and not gauges.

        Comment


          #6
          How fast does your thermometer read? If it's slow, (more than a few seconds), it may not be reacting fast enough. I use a Thermopen and if I move it slowly while it's in the meat, I can see the temp change. I suggest you move the probe slowly up and down until you find the coolest spot. I also suggest sliding the probe in at an angle. That will move the probe through the thickness a bit slower. sticking the probe in through the side is another option - just be careful to keep it in the center.

          Comment


          • djotaku
            djotaku commented
            Editing a comment
            A heckuva lot faster than my leave-in probes. Actually, I'm pretty surprised how quickly it changes at the tenth of a degree level. But I like your technique - I will try that next time.

          #7
          i sometimes find that a slanted angle gets me a better reading for thin meats. sometimes i will go in at about 30 degrees from the surface of the meat to get most of the point of the thermometer in the middle.

          i also find that if i hover over the grill too long with the thermometer it will read too high for a while and i have to pull it back and let it cool a few seconds before i go in for another reading. i think the whole shaft of the needle is getting warm and contributing several degrees too many to the meat temp

          Comment


          • djotaku
            djotaku commented
            Editing a comment
            hovering also probably was screwing me up. Thanks for that tip.

          #8
          djotaku, At the NDSU's BBQ BOOTCAMP, The Temp is always checked from the Edge of Thin Cuts of Meat! Basically this requires to Pick the Meat Off the Grill to Check the Temp! Just an observation on My Part, It seems to Me You have a lot of Charcoal Burning in Grill❓ Do You Normally Cook with the Lid On or Off❓ Typically I will Cook a Cold 1 1/2” Steak for 15-20 Mins on the Cold Side of the Grill (Indirect) W/Lid On and then I will Sear It Lid Off
          through Several Flips! As there are Only Two of Us, I typically cook Steaks on My Weber Performer Deluxe with a Med. Vortex, with one Weber Mini Chimney of KBB Charcoal❓ I'm Not Saying I'm Right, I am just Saying This Is What I Do! Good Grilling! 👍👍👍👍👍
          Eat Well and Prosper! From a Backyard Cremator in Fargo ND, Dan

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          • djotaku
            djotaku commented
            Editing a comment
            Yeah, in this case, with the thin cut, I just did it with the lid off. Lots of charcoal for a nice sear. However, I do like your setup with the hole in the middle grate and just using the chimney itself. I'm going to have to look into that for smaller cooks.

          • Bruce54
            Bruce54 commented
            Editing a comment
            Yeah, what he said. With an instant read, just grab with the tongs and go in straight on an edge.

          #9
          Thanks for all the advice everyone. Next time I'll try going in at an angle to see if that helps. I knew going in from the top it was easy to overshoot so I was trying to go in the side, but it's possible I was screwing up there. I will admit that I have a hard time keeping things level.

          Comment


            #10
            I agree with all above. 👍

            Comment


              #11
              With something that thin, I don't even try to get technical. 3 minutes a side direct, on a hot fire, buhdum! Won't be far off.

              Comment


              • djotaku
                djotaku commented
                Editing a comment
                There's definitely something to that. And I'm trying to develop that level of knowledge w/ my charcoal grill. On my gas grill I've got everything written on my personal wiki as times because a medium setting is always going to let out the same amount of LP.

              • EdF
                EdF commented
                Editing a comment
                Understand. We all have our learning styles, and our ways of organizing ourselves. Keep it on!

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