It’s this one:
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It’s not a big investment, like $12-$13. Don’t forget to use your AR link to Amazon, every little bit helps.
Here’s why. It’s what Meathead writes about the different types of heat transfer: conduction, convection, and radiation. And about our grill marks, and why you don’t want them.
https://amazingribs.com/more-techniq...oking-and-how/
https://amazingribs.com/more-techniq...ould-not-flip/
We all know what a great steak looks like, and what it tastes like. We also know how hard it can be to achieve that in our kitchen and back yard. I’ve seen some outstanding steaks in SUWYC, so I know there are people who have figured it out… and I also know that you get there by cooking a lot of steaks. And steaks are expensive. If only there was a way to KNOW.
There’s a lot written about steakhouses and 1000* ovens. And you can buy dedicated steak ovens for your patio that advertise 1000* and 1200*. But that is radiant heat. We can get that, sometimes. I can get it in my kamado, if I lower the grate to about an inch or two over the lump. Some IR burners on gas grills can get you close. But I’ve never gotten anywhere close to that on my Weber Kettle. I probably could, with a whole bag or more of coal, but I haven’t tried.
An easier way to make a good steak, inside or outside, is to use a cast iron skillet, or griddle, or a stainless steel griddle. Take advantage of conductive heat. And here’s where that infrared thermometer, which costs half as much as a decent steak, earns its investment. Because if you crank your grill up to its max… if you get that cast iron up to 1000*… or 900*… or even 700*… you’re going to burn that steak! I know! I burned them! Because 1000* conduction is WAY more than 1000* radiant.
So here’s what I do. I put my cast iron on the grill (or on top of the stove, of course). On the Weber, I use the half moon stainless Drip ‘n Griddle from S&S. And I get that to 500*. Like lots of things cooking, that’s not etched in stone. 475* is okay. 550* works too. But if you use 350*, what happens is your steak won’t brown until the inside is gray. If you use 700*, your outside will burn to black charred ash before the inside is even 100*.
You can say, "But Mosca. I sous vide my steaks, and that pretty much solves the problem." Yes, it does. There are many paths. I love sous vide. But it’s a PITA for me. Everything I’ve ever sous vided has come out fantastic… but nevertheless the sous vide circulator sits in a drawer. Everything comes out fantastic this way, too, and I didn’t have to get out the get out the sous vide circulator mid-afternoon.
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
It’s not a big investment, like $12-$13. Don’t forget to use your AR link to Amazon, every little bit helps.
Here’s why. It’s what Meathead writes about the different types of heat transfer: conduction, convection, and radiation. And about our grill marks, and why you don’t want them.
https://amazingribs.com/more-techniq...oking-and-how/
https://amazingribs.com/more-techniq...ould-not-flip/
We all know what a great steak looks like, and what it tastes like. We also know how hard it can be to achieve that in our kitchen and back yard. I’ve seen some outstanding steaks in SUWYC, so I know there are people who have figured it out… and I also know that you get there by cooking a lot of steaks. And steaks are expensive. If only there was a way to KNOW.
There’s a lot written about steakhouses and 1000* ovens. And you can buy dedicated steak ovens for your patio that advertise 1000* and 1200*. But that is radiant heat. We can get that, sometimes. I can get it in my kamado, if I lower the grate to about an inch or two over the lump. Some IR burners on gas grills can get you close. But I’ve never gotten anywhere close to that on my Weber Kettle. I probably could, with a whole bag or more of coal, but I haven’t tried.
An easier way to make a good steak, inside or outside, is to use a cast iron skillet, or griddle, or a stainless steel griddle. Take advantage of conductive heat. And here’s where that infrared thermometer, which costs half as much as a decent steak, earns its investment. Because if you crank your grill up to its max… if you get that cast iron up to 1000*… or 900*… or even 700*… you’re going to burn that steak! I know! I burned them! Because 1000* conduction is WAY more than 1000* radiant.
So here’s what I do. I put my cast iron on the grill (or on top of the stove, of course). On the Weber, I use the half moon stainless Drip ‘n Griddle from S&S. And I get that to 500*. Like lots of things cooking, that’s not etched in stone. 475* is okay. 550* works too. But if you use 350*, what happens is your steak won’t brown until the inside is gray. If you use 700*, your outside will burn to black charred ash before the inside is even 100*.
You can say, "But Mosca. I sous vide my steaks, and that pretty much solves the problem." Yes, it does. There are many paths. I love sous vide. But it’s a PITA for me. Everything I’ve ever sous vided has come out fantastic… but nevertheless the sous vide circulator sits in a drawer. Everything comes out fantastic this way, too, and I didn’t have to get out the get out the sous vide circulator mid-afternoon.
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