Group steak cook help please

[marshall]

I got asked if I could cook 20 steaks tomorrow on these grills (I’ve never used) at the company I started at 3 months ago, I want to do a great job as they do lunches monthly and I would love to be the grill man ! I confident in my grillin skills and charcoal is my main way of cooking at home, but wanted to get y’all’s opinion cause you’re the best!!!
The grate the coals go in are adjustable, I’m thinking lay a nice bed of hot coals across the bottom 3/4(leaving room for a cool zone) cook until about 125 degrees, then raise coals to sear steaks and serve…. Season with spg and a dash of Worcestershire, thoughts and opinion great appreciated!!!!

[bmillin]

How much time will you have? That's a lot of steak to keep track of on a grill you never used. Can you do a slow roll on them to get them all up to temp, then fire up the grill to sear?

[marshall]

Should have plenty of time…. Slow roll as indirect first? Then yes

[DavidNorcross]

I think your plan sounds good. I would not take to 125 before searing. Your cooker will be hot and once you raise the coals the steaks will cook fast. I would let them go to 110 and then sear. By the time they rest they should be to temp. That is just me, I am sure others will have some thoughts.

[marshall]

Thanks , I was wondering about that temp.

[CHNeal]

Hopefully not cooking to individual temps or seasoning! 20 is a bunch and the grill just doesn’t look that big…
I agree with slow rolling a bunch to 110 then sear and serve if you can do it in batches. If not slow roll all to 100 or so stack them on low zone and rock them out with a good sear.
Sounds like a blast, have fun.

[marshall]

Not to individual temps thank God! Just want a not over cooked safe to eat stake!

[marshall]

I have two grills that size to use and an oven

[CHNeal]

Nice! That will make it a bunch easier! I’d set two zone using both grills. Bring them slow up to the 100-110 range on one and shift to the high heat grill for a one flip sear assembly line style working 5-6 at a time on each grill

[Oak Smoke]

This is trivial but I’d leave the Worcestershire on the side as an optional add. A good steak with SP&G is hard to beat. Sometimes one more ingredient is too many. As I’ve talked about here before I saw a cart full of gorgeous ribeyes ruined with what I think was blue cheese.

[marshall]

Thanks for the input , I do like simplicity in my foods!

[tbob4]

I actually like the 125 idea because a lot of people will appreciate a steak medium. Rare or well done turn people of the opposing preference off. Cooking in volume, I wouldn’t worry about a cool zone. Load it up with charcoal, uniformly, and let it rip. I would sear first on both sides, then lower and flip every three minutes. As I flipped, I would rearrange positioning of the steaks and would simply temp those in the middle. By rearranging, you are getting a good read. Once you hit your target temp, put them in a tray and cover with foil. Start your next steaks. If you plate the second batch from the grill, they will have less carryover and will be the rarest. Those in the pan will be mor done but pout the settling juices over them.

[marshall]

Thank you, much appreciated!!!

[DTro]

One grill hot one grill low-- I have cooked on similar grills quite a bit. Using two grills and assuming your steaks are an inch or more thick, I would set the first grill up for low and slow. Put the fire only under one grate section, on the air intake side of the grill. Smoke the steaks, away from the fire, to 110F as mentioned above. You can use the top shelf for more space. On the second grill, raise the coals to the highest setting. Put an even layer of charcoal under three grate sections. Sear the steaks on the second grill as they get to 110 on the first grill. Have fun!

[shify]

Unless the steaks are fairly thin, this seems like the best approach. 20 steaks seems like a lot to fit on one grill with a hot zone/cool zone and having a large enough hot zone to adequately sear all the steaks. Feel like you’d have to do it in 3-4 batches that way.

[marshall]

Thanks so much, great approach!

[Greygoose]

How thick are the steaks ?
If not too thick,,,
U can do the flipity flip flip

[marshall]

Not sure what I’ll be getting!!!

[DavidNorcross]

Let us know how it goes!

[Murdy]

In addition to a cool zone, have something available to get the steaks off and to keep warm for a short wait while serving. They will likely continue to cook a little in the cool zone. You could do 2 batches, take one to 115-120 and let set in the cool zone while you bring the other to 110, move the second to the cool zone and monitor and be read to get them off into the serving tray. Keep separate and call the first batch "more done" and the second "less done" so people can get closer to their preference.

[Skip]

For what it's worth when our Men's Group at Church had Steak Fry Night there were always a few people who wanted well done steak. We found that a Foil Pan flipped over works really well to finish off those WD Steaks or to hurry along some other steaks if needed. It just helped hold the heat in since we used an open top grill. The pan can be recycled or thrown in the garbage. I also suggest having your Instant Read Thermometer close by. Good luck.