Do you use the lid for steaks?


 
J

Joel Oliva

TVWBB Member
When cooking steaks, should you use the lid or should you BBQ the steaks without the lid since they cook pretty quick?

Joel
 
I used to leave the grill open...
Now it's covered.

How do you use the grill now Joel? Open or closed?
 
I always use the lid, Joel. I feel it helps control flare ups, and makes things more consistent.

JimT
 
Thicker steaks like NY strips, t-bones, porterhouses and ribeyes I use the lid. Thinner steaks like skirts (our favorite) and flanks I grill uncovered, turning and flipping often.
 
Lid, unless the steaks are very thin- and I try not to buy any that thin. I'll do a two zone fire, put the steaks on over the coals, lid to help control flare ups, take the lid off flip, put the lid back on, and then when both sides are seared, lid off, move the steaks to the cool side of the grill, lid on, close vents slightly, and finish indirect with the lid on.

Pat
 
Lid. Even though I cook most steaks if not all indirect for most if not all of the time - lid on.
 
depends on what you're going after.

Personally, I can't seem to burn anything on charcoal - that's why I'm a convert.

While I could elaborate like no other, I usually cook my steaks for >5 minutes per side, direct, lid on, & I prefer a rare/med-rare. Now if we're talkin' ribeye, I'll go to what I consider well-done; just too much raw meat n fat otherwise (IMHO, of course)
 
Originally posted by Pat Smith:
Lid, unless the steaks are very thin- and I try not to buy any that thin. I'll do a two zone fire, put the steaks on over the coals, lid to help control flare ups, take the lid off flip, put the lid back on, and then when both sides are seared, lid off, move the steaks to the cool side of the grill, lid on, close vents slightly, and finish indirect with the lid on.

Pat
Click to expand...

Yep that's how I do it...
 
Ha! It's a funny world...that's exactly opposite of how i do it
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I cook indirect lid on and then sear to finish.
 
Originally posted by Noe:
K, at what temps r u cooking the steaks indirect? I assume HH around 500.
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Or, perhaps, higher. I don't stick a therm in the vent when I cook them so I don't know the number. But I heap the lit high. I spin the grate before placing the steaks on, so that the portion of that grate that was over the lit gets spun away; the steaks go on that portion. (I do not use CI grates, not being a fan of their thickness - and the thick lines they make.)
 
Cook direct with the lid on. I like my steak rare so no worries about over searing the outside. If anyone wants it cooked more than medium
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I throw on a burger for them, I'm not ruining good steak.
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Hello my fellow Q'rz!! I just bought my weber 22.5 OTG Gold this past weekend and used it for the first time with rib in roast. I cut that bad boy into slices of steaks and threw it on the grill. The only mistake I made (I believe) was that the grill wasn't hot enough to begin with (the coals weren't grayish). When i threw the steaks on the grill, i didn't get the sizzling sound. My wife was uber hungry which is why I threw the steaks on there quick. Needless to say, patience is the key to good food. They still turned out awesome although it didn't have much searing color on them. I used a thermometer to gauge it from rare to medium rare which turned out good. I was just disappointed that it didn't have much sear into it.

My grill was set up with the 2 individual charcoal holders off to each side of the grill which had the direct heat and the center of the grill with no charcoal for indirect. I didn't have much flare ups but I kept putting the lid on and off a ton of times to make sure my steaks didn't get medium to well done. This was why I asked the question to if we should put the lid on or not. I just thought that since I wanted the steaks rare to medium rare I would leave the lid off as it should be a quick BBQ.

Correct me if I'm wrong but do you get what I mean by any chance? I think if I wanted them well, I wouldn't have a problem leaving the lid on.

What do you guys think?
 
Joel leaving the lid off will give your coals lots of o2 which will give you a nice hot fire to start with but if you get a good breeze going,especially in winter, you might not keep the temp at the grill high enough. I sometimes just put the lid on a little off kilter to allow the coals more air to keep it good and hot. You have to keep an eye on it though due to flare ups and scorching of your steaks. I use lump which tends to burn hotter anyways.
 
Originally posted by K Kruger:
Lid. Even though I cook most steaks if not all indirect for most if not all of the time - lid on.
Click to expand...

Do you not like a dark almost blackened sear/crust on your steak? Why this method?
 
I don't like a black crust on my steaks so i do them like Kevin. i usually add some Oak wood to the lit as well. depending on the cut i might finish over the coals to get a decent sear, but i don't want it black or crunchy.
 
Well caramelized, yes. Black - from flare-ups or too long in direct heat, no. I dislike the bitterness.
 
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