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Searing on a Flat Top

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    Searing on a Flat Top

    Ok, this question came up today in an online chat with a coworker in the Orlando office, who is building a new house, and doing an outdoor kitchen area. He got rid of his Kamado Joe a couple of years ago, and his only outdoor cooker in the current house is a Woodwind 24, which he recently upgraded with their new Wifi controller. He told me he was thinking of removing the sear box and building in some sort of cook top or griddle top in the outdoor kitchen. He plans to build out a half wall to sorta build the Woodwind into the kitchen area on the new back porch/patio. He asked me if I thought my flat top would do a good sear on a steak, and I had to tell him I just don't know...

    So the question is:

    Will a griddle get hot enough to put a good sear on a steak that is being reverse seared indirectly on another cooker?

    I know they are great for smash burgers, but everything I tend to read says to stay in the 350F to 400F range for griddle cooking. And Camp Chef warns in the manual and on their website against leaving it on high heat, as you risk warping the griddle.

    I am tempted to tell him that he needs to either keep the Camp Chef sear burner on the side of his Woodwind, and he can get a quick connect hose and adapt it to the natural gas that will be in the new outdoor kitchen area, or he should get a 2 or 4 burner natural gas cooktop built in, and sear stuff in cast iron skillets.

    So - what do you guys and gals think? I am wondering about this myself, since I have this new flat top, and just don't know all the capabilities yet.

    Jim
    Last edited by jfmorris; June 30, 2020, 03:53 PM.

    #2
    I have a Blackstone 22" tabletop griddle. It does a great job of searing, just as well as a CI pan will do. To sear, you won't be running the griddle on high long enough to warp it. It is kind of funny CC states that - Blackstone explicitly has you run the griddle on High to season it. That's almost an hour long process to put the 3-5 coats on.

    Comment


    • Uncle Bob
      Uncle Bob commented
      Editing a comment
      CC tends toward higher BTU burners, so the difference in "opinion" may be based on Blackstone being lower burner power.

    #3
    You bet it will that 100% surface area contact will give you a great sear.

    Comment


      #4
      I think it does a great job searing. I like to get solid contact for the best results. That's why I use this handy foil wrapped paver brick. Click image for larger version

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      Comment


      • mnavarre
        mnavarre commented
        Editing a comment
        Yeah, I just use the press to smoosh it down and then let it sit for 10 seconds or so, just enough to make sure it's in contact.

      • barelfly
        barelfly commented
        Editing a comment
        I use to use a stack of left over tile wrapped in foil! Haha. I like the brick!

      • HouseHomey
        HouseHomey commented
        Editing a comment
        I have 2 of those bricks In my kitchen. I find I’m just lazier now.

      #5
      I found a couple of pics.

      Click image for larger version

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      Click image for larger version

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      Here I should have press down on the steaks for a full surface sear.


      Click image for larger version

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        #6
        Ok, so basically we are saying that you don’t need 1000F warp 10 to get a good sear. I’ll let him know. And I will be trying it myself soon - if I can find a steak that I can afford!

        To be honest, I’ve done some excellent sears on steaks that smoked up the house, with a cast iron skillet on the stove, and I doubt that a 12,000 BTU stove burner could get the skillet more than 500-600 or so.
        Last edited by jfmorris; June 30, 2020, 07:49 PM.

        Comment


          #7
          Yup, griddle will do a Final Sear, an I do use grill presses, at that point...I have multiple

          Comment


          • Mr. Bones
            Mr. Bones commented
            Editing a comment
            Go fer it, Jim, an splash some oil on yer Grill Press, as well

          • texastweeter
            texastweeter commented
            Editing a comment
            Agreed. I use avocado oil.

          #8
          I’ve used my 28” Blackstone to put a sear on a reversed seared steak many a time. In my opinion it is a completely different tasting sear than you get when doing it over screaming hot coals. Not Different Good or Different Bad, just different.

          Comment


            #9
            I use my griddle for searing and have had great success as well. That Camp Chef you have will get very hot. You should be good to go! jfmorris

            Comment


              #10
              I dunno if he would be happy with the sear he will get. See my pic below. That's with my camp chef and the black iron griddle top. Will that do?
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