Slow cooking steaks
- Thread starter D Badger
- Start date
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by D Badger:
I need help on how to use my new 18 WSM to slow cook some steaks or roast. Do I use the water pan with water or not? The steaks I like to cook are aproximately 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick so what temp should I try to maintain? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
What cut are you cooking, and why the slow cook? What are you trying to achieve here? Need more info than "slow cooking a steak/roast"
I need help on how to use my new 18 WSM to slow cook some steaks or roast. Do I use the water pan with water or not? The steaks I like to cook are aproximately 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick so what temp should I try to maintain? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
What cut are you cooking, and why the slow cook? What are you trying to achieve here? Need more info than "slow cooking a steak/roast"
Bill Comerford
TVWBB Pro
Sounds like you might be trying the "Reverse Sear" method, are you?
Hmm slow cooking steaks in the WSM. Don't know that I would slow cook steaks. They turn out better with hi temp, short duration since they are typically a lean cut. The long smoke/cook would render them overcooked, dried out for my taste.
You sure you want to slow cook steaks or are you talking about thick cuts of chuck roasts? Some folks would call them steaks I suppose?
I guess we need to know what cut of beef you are talking about first
If all I had was a WSM and no grill I would remove the mid section entirely set the fire ring up in the bottom. Toss in a chimney full of lit coals, place one of the wire racks directly on the ring and grill the steaks on top of that. 5-10 minutes on each side depending on thickness and how you like them done. Some folks have a more elegant way of using their WSM as a grill to cook steaks.
I've even (as some others on here) grilled steaks directly on top of a chimney of lit coals. But that's another topic
You sure you want to slow cook steaks or are you talking about thick cuts of chuck roasts? Some folks would call them steaks I suppose?
I guess we need to know what cut of beef you are talking about first
If all I had was a WSM and no grill I would remove the mid section entirely set the fire ring up in the bottom. Toss in a chimney full of lit coals, place one of the wire racks directly on the ring and grill the steaks on top of that. 5-10 minutes on each side depending on thickness and how you like them done. Some folks have a more elegant way of using their WSM as a grill to cook steaks.
I've even (as some others on here) grilled steaks directly on top of a chimney of lit coals. But that's another topic
Scott Piccolo
TVWBB Member
I cook steaks on my WSM all the time. What I do is load the ring with a full chimney of hot lump and add another half chimney of lump and let it burn. Add a couple of pieces of oak and let them burn completely until they are giving off little or no smoke. This will give your steaks a light smoke flavor without over powering them. Assembly the smoker with no water pan and only the bottom rack. leave all vents 100% open and prop the upside down door open at the bottom to increase air flow. Let it get hot and put the steaks on the lower rack. Cook your steaks to your liking as you would on a regular grill turning only once (I cook 1.5 in ribeyes about 10 to 12 min to med rare). This will give them a nice sear and it is hard to burn even the fattiest steaks as the fire is far enough away but still plenty hot.
Phil Hartcher
TVWBB All-Star
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Scott Piccolo:
I cook steaks on my WSM all the time. What I do is load the ring with a full chimney of hot lump and add another half chimney of lump and let it burn. Add a couple of pieces of oak and let them burn completely until they are giving off little or no smoke. This will give your steaks a light smoke flavor without over powering them. Assembly the smoker with no water pan and only the bottom rack. leave all vents 100% open and prop the upside down door open at the bottom to increase air flow. Let it get hot and put the steaks on the lower rack. Cook your steaks to your liking as you would on a regular grill turning only once (I cook 1.5 in ribeyes about 10 to 12 min to med rare). This will give them a nice sear and it is hard to burn even the fattiest steaks as the fire is far enough away but still plenty hot. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Sounds like a lot of trouble to do what I can do simply in my Q220 in a third of the time. The steaks that come off the Q are restaurant quality.
Cheers
I cook steaks on my WSM all the time. What I do is load the ring with a full chimney of hot lump and add another half chimney of lump and let it burn. Add a couple of pieces of oak and let them burn completely until they are giving off little or no smoke. This will give your steaks a light smoke flavor without over powering them. Assembly the smoker with no water pan and only the bottom rack. leave all vents 100% open and prop the upside down door open at the bottom to increase air flow. Let it get hot and put the steaks on the lower rack. Cook your steaks to your liking as you would on a regular grill turning only once (I cook 1.5 in ribeyes about 10 to 12 min to med rare). This will give them a nice sear and it is hard to burn even the fattiest steaks as the fire is far enough away but still plenty hot. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Sounds like a lot of trouble to do what I can do simply in my Q220 in a third of the time. The steaks that come off the Q are restaurant quality.
Cheers
Scott Piccolo
TVWBB Member
This thread was asking about cooking steaks on the WSM
. I was giving the OP a detailed explanation of how I like to do it. I am sure your Q220 is wonderful and does turn out some great steaks. I only have the WSM for cooking over charcoal. BTW, there is nothing difficult about firing some lump, throwing on a couple of chunks of wood, and then cooking over it. I would imagine it would be about the same effort regardless of the cooker.
Just to clarify my post a bit further. To me, to slow cook a steak you are really talking about something very thick, say 2.5 inches or thicker IMHO. More like 3-5 inch. Something like that. I think I would leave the water pan in but dry no water. Or if I wasn't using any smoke wood just let it drip on the fire. Top rack. Sear at the end. Temps about 250-300, but even 200-250 if you want to cook even slower.
In the end though this is cooking a roast to me not a steak. Personally steaks 2" or there abouts don't benefit that much at all and you rick drying them out IMHO.
I've done standing rib roasts plenty of times on the WSM with great results. Run them at 250-300.
But that's a roast not a "steak" to me. "Steaks" get grilled, typically indirect then reverse sear at the end. 2" or less don't think I would bother with the WSM unless that's all I had available.
In the end though this is cooking a roast to me not a steak. Personally steaks 2" or there abouts don't benefit that much at all and you rick drying them out IMHO.
I've done standing rib roasts plenty of times on the WSM with great results. Run them at 250-300.
But that's a roast not a "steak" to me. "Steaks" get grilled, typically indirect then reverse sear at the end. 2" or less don't think I would bother with the WSM unless that's all I had available.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Phil Hartcher:
Sounds like a lot of trouble to do what I can do simply in my Q220 in a third of the time. The steaks that come off the Q are restaurant quality.
Cheers </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
So what you are saying is that everybody should go out and buy a Q220? Oh please!!!
I cook all my steaks in the WSM on the lower grate with no water pan over lump, been doing it like that for many years. My steaks are better than you can get at a Restaurant.
Sounds like a lot of trouble to do what I can do simply in my Q220 in a third of the time. The steaks that come off the Q are restaurant quality.
Cheers </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
So what you are saying is that everybody should go out and buy a Q220? Oh please!!!
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bryan S:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Phil Hartcher:
Sounds like a lot of trouble to do what I can do simply in my Q220 in a third of the time. The steaks that come off the Q are restaurant quality.
Cheers </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
So what you are saying is that everybody should go out and buy a Q220? Oh please!!!
I cook all my steaks in the WSM on the lower grate with no water pan over lump, been doing it like that for many years. My steaks are better than you can get at a Restaurant.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I don't think he is saying everyone should buy a Q. From the description that was quoted it sounded like some work to grill a steak that could be more easily done on a different grill.
Not that you can't do the lower grate routine - I'm sure you can with GRATE results !
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Phil Hartcher:
Sounds like a lot of trouble to do what I can do simply in my Q220 in a third of the time. The steaks that come off the Q are restaurant quality.
Cheers </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
So what you are saying is that everybody should go out and buy a Q220? Oh please!!!
I don't think he is saying everyone should buy a Q. From the description that was quoted it sounded like some work to grill a steak that could be more easily done on a different grill.
Not that you can't do the lower grate routine - I'm sure you can with GRATE results !
Scott Piccolo
TVWBB Member
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Mark B:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bryan S:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Phil Hartcher:
Sounds like a lot of trouble to do what I can do simply in my Q220 in a third of the time. The steaks that come off the Q are restaurant quality.
Cheers </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
So what you are saying is that everybody should go out and buy a Q220? Oh please!!!
I cook all my steaks in the WSM on the lower grate with no water pan over lump, been doing it like that for many years. My steaks are better than you can get at a Restaurant.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I don't think he is saying everyone should buy a Q. From the description that was quoted it sounded like some work to grill a steak that could be more easily done on a different grill.
Not that you can't do the lower grate routine - I'm sure you can with GRATE results !
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Maybe I should have left out all the details to help the original poster and just said cook steak in WSM on lower grate with now water pan. Then it would have been simple enough for some of these guys to get that it is no more work than cooking on any other charcoal grill.
Fire charcoal, load cooker, cook meat
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bryan S:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Phil Hartcher:
Sounds like a lot of trouble to do what I can do simply in my Q220 in a third of the time. The steaks that come off the Q are restaurant quality.
Cheers </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
So what you are saying is that everybody should go out and buy a Q220? Oh please!!!
I don't think he is saying everyone should buy a Q. From the description that was quoted it sounded like some work to grill a steak that could be more easily done on a different grill.
Not that you can't do the lower grate routine - I'm sure you can with GRATE results !
Maybe I should have left out all the details to help the original poster and just said cook steak in WSM on lower grate with now water pan. Then it would have been simple enough for some of these guys to get that it is no more work than cooking on any other charcoal grill.
Fire charcoal, load cooker, cook meat
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bryan S:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Phil Hartcher:
Sounds like a lot of trouble to do what I can do simply in my Q220 in a third of the time. The steaks that come off the Q are restaurant quality.
Cheers </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
So what you are saying is that everybody should go out and buy a Q220? Oh please!!!
I cook all my steaks in the WSM on the lower grate with no water pan over lump, been doing it like that for many years. My steaks are better than you can get at a Restaurant.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Nah, I think he's agreeing with you - AKA, grill the steaks! That's what he's doing on a Q220 and you're doing on the bottom of your WSM.
No need to go to all the trouble to slow cook a steak IMHO. We just have to agree on what a steak is vs a roast
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Phil Hartcher:
Sounds like a lot of trouble to do what I can do simply in my Q220 in a third of the time. The steaks that come off the Q are restaurant quality.
Cheers </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
So what you are saying is that everybody should go out and buy a Q220? Oh please!!!
Nah, I think he's agreeing with you - AKA, grill the steaks! That's what he's doing on a Q220 and you're doing on the bottom of your WSM.
No need to go to all the trouble to slow cook a steak IMHO. We just have to agree on what a steak is vs a roast