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Steak disaster number two....

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    #16
    I guess my wife and I like some fat AND some char, but to each their own... I only cook strips versus ribeyes, so consistency is a little different.

    I think I would do as others suggest and try the front sear next time - just get some color, then cook indirect until it gets close to where you want. Personally, I'm approaching the time of year when I end up cooking steaks in a cast iron skillet on the stove, due to being too lazy to grill a steak in the dark and cold. I might even bust out the Anova that has sat idle for a year or more, sous vide them to a perfect temp, and sear in the Lodge 12". My wife is not a fan of the sous vide steaks though, so maybe not.

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    • mrteddyprincess
      mrteddyprincess commented
      Editing a comment
      I agree that a steak seared in a cast iron skillet and then put in the oven at 250 F until internal temp is 125-130 is a really tasty way to go and usually spot on!

    • grantgallagher
      grantgallagher commented
      Editing a comment
      Ive pretty much been banned from searing in cast iron inside due to the inevitable smoke cloud

    #17
    Well I’m just gonna say it..... Listen to FireMan also pictures would help.

    Sounds like you are just crushing it. Let off the gas a little. You may have burned the avocado oil too.

    it’s hard to tell if you cooked over live Fire the whole time or not?

    You will get it right. Right = just how you like it.

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      #18
      Here is my method: Weber kettle, 1/2 chimney in SNS, cook temp. 250-300. At 110 internal I start cold grating, turning every minute for 4 minutes total. Like jfmorris I do not trim steaks. Not healthy, but I love the charred fat on a steak. I rarely cook and eat quality steaks so healthy be damned when I do !

      Keep at it and you will get what you want. Once there, repeat as necessary :-)

      Comment


        #19
        Reverse sear requires more attention than meets the eye. If I don’t have 50 minutes to cook a steak or I know I will have other distractions I will front sear. For me a steak that is pink top to bottom is more of an aesthetic achievement than a taste achievement. The difference in taste with a little grey around the top is negligible.

        I know this is blasphemy on this forum but we rarely grill steaks anymore. My family likes cast iron steaks better than grilled and, frankly, it’s more fun to cook them that way. We grill tri-tips and thick rib eyes. Other cuts we cook in the skillet.

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        • HouseHomey
          HouseHomey commented
          Editing a comment
          No sir!!! I’m with Ahumadora
          I cook my steaks mostly on my Cast Iron as evidenced by my posts. Blasphemy sir? I think not.
          Here we ponder, make and eat great food. Ok we screw it up too. I love my cast iron.

        • jfmorris
          jfmorris commented
          Editing a comment
          I have to agree with you. Some of the best steaks I've ever made were in my Lodge 12" CI skillet on the gas stove, in the dead of winter when I don't feel like hassling with the grill. The downside is that the hood often doesn't keep up with the smoke...

        • Reds Fan 5
          Reds Fan 5 commented
          Editing a comment
          Do you guys finish under the broiler when you cook cast iron steaks? I know that is one method but haven’t tried it yet.

          We recently renovated our kitchen and now have a powerful hood. We don’t need to open all the windows and remove batteries from smoke alarms to cook steaks any more.

        #20
        Maybe this will make you feel better - have you gone to a nice local steakhouse, ordered a steak to your liking and found that the chef screwed it up? It happens to me with some regularity. I screw up a steak every almost every time while experimenting with a new BBQ or new method. That is why you see so many people disagreeing about SV vs reverse and front searing. They all have their own techniques that turn out really good steaks. Keep going with this and it will pay off. There will even be a time when you have developed your own method to the point you are no longer temping your steaks. You will just "know" based on time, temperature and your experience. When that happens you will just be going to steakhouses for the ambiance. Keep going and keep asking questions.

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        • Michael_in_TX
          Michael_in_TX commented
          Editing a comment
          Actually, yes and very recently....the steak I did last night was only a hair less tasty than the $62 one I got at Ruth's Chris!

        • tbob4
          tbob4 commented
          Editing a comment
          Then you screwed nothing up! To be only a "hair less tasty" has nothing to do with your cooking method - it is the steak. I read Meathead 's response. He is obviously, spot on. You are doing really well. Some day I suspect I will be learning from you.

        #21
        Crucial factors: Quality of the meat to begin with. Make sure you are getting USDA Choice or Prime or CERTIFIED Angus Beef which is guaranteed to be Choice or above. Do not be fooled by just plain Angus. The next crucial issue is thickness. 1" or less, just sear it hot and fast. 1.5" or more, reverse sear. 1 to 1.5" is sorta gray area and depends on how you are cooking, your setup. I recommend 1.5" or thicker for great steaks all the time. Get a good cut, ribeye or strip are my two faves. And then make sure your therm is accurate. You sound concerned about the Thermopop. Test it in boiling water and ice water. STAND BY YOUR GRILL sang Tammy Wynette. Repeat 5 times: I am smarter than a dead cow. You'll get it and never have to go to a steakhouse again.

        Comment


          #22
          Thank you everyone for the advice and encouragement. Disaster may have been to strong of a word; the steaks were still edible.

          I will be testing my Thermopop and I may just spring for a Thermapen. The Thermopop works and is decently responsive, but wow it is ungainly to hold, especially with a glove on.

          And everyone is right, every time I grill something, I get a little bit better at it. (I am light-years beyond where I was a year ago when I first started.) Even on this cook, where somethings went significantly backwards, some things did improve over last week's steaks.

          And next time I do this, I will use larger steaks....from the local butcher shop and not my grocery store. Every Youtube video that shows a successful grill uses a larger steak. The smaller ones seem to be exclusively flank or skirt.

          One thing I may experiment with is doing the cast iron outdoors. (I remember trying a cast iron steak years ago and the smoke that filled the house even with the stove vent on and windows open was overwhelming.) A cast iron pan has two advantages over the grill grate -- it keeps the steak out of the flames and it is flat for a better sear.

          I'll get there!

          Comment


          • Huskee
            Huskee commented
            Editing a comment
            You will!

          #23
          I reverse sear cold grate thick ribeye's. Tbey aren't always perfect but even my failures taste great! I use a full chimney on sns. If I don't I'm disappointed. Flip and spin until you get your temp. If not eating right when it comes off the grill pull a little earlier. Make sure you see the cut before you buy at the butchers. Look for that marbling. Have fun learning!

          Comment


            #24
            Yeah, that is what I intend to do from now on. At the end of the day, if I'm looking to cook 1.5"-2" steaks, then that is what I need to cook. Cooking with smaller steaks is a different technique. My original disaster last week really wasn't that terrible. The reverse sear worked, but I cooked the steaks to 112 F -- which was too high for those thin steaks -- and then only could sear them for a minute per side until they hit 130, so I didn't get really any crust.

            This reminds me of one of Malcom Reed's podcasts on learning to cook brisket. He says to learn to cook a full packer brisket, you need to cook full packer briskets....not try to approximate it with 4-5 lbs small ones.

            Comment

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