Reverse sear with a charcoal or wood fire is how I do my steaks, and have at times been concerned with the wastefulness of stoking a big fire at the end.
In those times I pull out my 500k BTU weed burner that I use to light the coals. Hit the steaks with that thing blazing and they’re seared right quick!
I've seen lots of people here and other places using the charcoal chimney. While it looks very effective, it also looks a bit unstable and dangerous. Kind of an accident waiting to happen. It also limits you to one steak at a time.
I am curious about this; can I get as good of a sear using less charcoal on a smaller grill (Jumbo Joe, Smokey Joe etc.) where the distance between the charcoal grate is less, as I can on a 22" or 26" kettle with the Slow n Sear or Vortex? Or do I need the deeper coal bed the Slow n Sear and Vortex provide? Still looking to use charcoal without wasting a bunch just for a sear.
Maybe I should look for a killer deal on a small used Kamado. I've heard they can get crazy hot but you can snuff out the fire easily... Maybe an Akorn Junior???
A hibachi grill such as the Lodge Sportsman could be great for searing as well, but due to the open nature, you really cannot shut it down and conserve charcoal for future use.
I don't think you have to necessarily fill the SNS to the top, even halfway full of glowing red coals can produce a good sear - just make take a few extra minutes. I often sear on my SNS Kamado above the SNS, but on the elevated grate, and get good results. I think the SNS was about 1/2 full with lump in this case. Lump burns a lot hotter than briquettes. I had run the steaks indirect on the right side of the grill, then moved them about 6 inches or more above the charcoal on the elevated grate to finish them.
I still think you need to seriously consider trying the Blackstone next time. Searing steaks does not make much of a mess to clean up on a griddle. I get great char on my smash burgers and my flank steak on my griddle, with it running around 350-400 degrees. For that matter, I can sear the snot out of a steak on the stove top in a cast iron skillet.
I don't know why you guys even mess with setting up a charcoal source, my SuVGun is my weapon of choice. This thing is the chit as well as legit .......
I was not contacted IdahoJim but thanks for the heads up. I've used mine maybe 10 times since I bought it a year or so ago. I haven't noticed any issues but will for sure find out.
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I use the 22" sized SnS for my 26" Weber. It works perfectly and a full chimney mostly fills it. With it just about full that sear zone is nuclear hot. With the XL I would maybe use a brick to block off part of the SnS chamber so that a lit chimney fills the rest of the space. It will deliver a great sear with the same charcoal you are using for whatever else you are grilling.
I use either my Blackstone or my "mini gasser". A Charbroil Grill2Go X200. The X200 is a searing machine and heats up very fast. It has a Platinum rating here on the free side...
Can you get an all over sear with the Grill2Go X200? From what I've seen, it creates very small, defined grill marks. I want the all over sear.
I have something similar from Big Horn that I believe was later pulled from market. I wasn’t impressed, but it might have just been the particular one I had, it didn’t cook very even across the tray. If you lived closer, I’d say you could have it to play with. It’s also a lot of cleaning for 3-4 minutes of cooking and the smaller ones like that are probably one steak at a time.
The reviews for something like this are better but....$$$$
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I like searing on my GrillGrate Griddle on the Weber gasser or the BS. Like Spinnaker wrote 500ish degrees is plenty hot to get a good sear. We do it all the time for steaks, burgers and grouper/tuna but I am careful with pepper prior to searing. That can give the food a bad taste if seared too high as it gets burnt on the outside.
Retired, living in Western Mass. Enjoy music, cooking and my family.
Current cookers Weber Spirit 3 burner. A 22" Kettle with vortex SnS and OnlyFire pizza oven. A Smokey Joe and the most recent addition a Pit Barrel Jr with bird hanger, 4 hooks and cover. ThermoWorks Smoke 2 probe, DOT, ThermoPop and a Thermapen Mk4. Recently added 2 TempSpike wireless meat thermometers.
Ok, look what I found on the free side. The Cook-Air wood burning grill. Meathead seems to be a big fan as far as using it for searing steaks etc. See his review at https://amazingribs.com/grill-tailga...-grill-review/ . For something to sear just a steak or two after smoking on the pellet grill, or front sear some smaller steaks this thing sounds great. Ready to cook in less than 10 minutes, crazy hot temps and it uses and therefore wastes very little fuel.
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