First steak cook on new EP330, advice?


 
J

J. T. in Michigan

New member
Going to try out some steak on the new 330 today, could use a little advice. The 330 has the 3 full burners and the sear burner, so if i'm cooking 2 steaks should i turn on the left 2 burners and the sear burner to full power, but leave the far right one off and move the steaks to the right side after searing for indirect cooking finish?

any other suggestions or tips?
 
not good. outside was burnt tasting, meat was chewy and very little flavor. I was a ribeye, i only used salt and pepper to season. inside was mid-rare to mid, which is what we like, but it just wasn't a good steak. not sure what i did.
 
w/o knowing the cook details, sounds like a heat issue to me. or just a low quality beef.
 
Did you take pics?
It shouldn't taste burnt...
Unless the fat got burnt on the side but you could of ate around it.
 
The hotter the better for the sear, how long were they on each side? Did they get charred up? If they did you just had them on the sear too long. But it could be just not so great meat to begin with.
 
i preheated the grill with all 4 burners on for about 15 mins, hood temp was around 650F. charred up would be a good way of putting it, definitely had a burnt taste on the black sections. i put it on with the steaks facing 10 o'clock for 2 mins, then rotated them to 2 o'clock for a couple mins, and by that point one of them was charred black and starting to curl up on the end. then i flipped it and just seared the other side for a minute or two and moved them to the other side of the grill for indirect cooking to finish them.

how can i tell good meat from not so good meat?
 
J. T. in Michigan said:
how can i tell good meat from not so good meat?
Click to expand...

I always go for USDA Choice or better. I'd say most grocery stores have choice. and look for good fat marbling.

When I do steaks on the gasser, I like to use a reverse sear method. I'll slowly bring the steaks up to about 120F internal over indirect heat, then I'll toss them on the sear burner for about 45secs - 1 min a side. I get a nice medium rare that way.
 
JT the meat might of been OK, it sounds like the first half of your sear just got away from you. I try to listen to the sound it makes when it hits the grate. If it is a full blown hard sizzle I will lift and look after the first minute. Sometimes with my Genesis the temps can get to over seven hundred at the dome. That means at the grate with the sear burner on especially it would be much hotter than that.
Thats cooking Man! Especially if you were getting some flare up to. And if the meat was not a well marbled thick piece it will be very quick cooking to well done like that.
 
yes i did get a big flare up. i'm still learning just how hot this thing can get, i think you guys are right and i seared it too long on that first side. i'll chalk it up to a learning experience and try again next weekend. I appreciate all the advice, you guys are very helpful.
 
J.T one more thing, JMHO, if you get the opportunity to do so get yourself some Grill Grates. I bought myself the three panel version that lets me cook on any of my grills. The single best purchase I ever made for cooking. If I am not cooking my steaks Caveman directly on the coals that is what I use. Flare ups are a thing of the past, dripping get sizzled right back into the meat, cook at a little lower temp than you need direct on the grate cause they are so efficient and the steaks are perfect every time.
Just a thought, do your own research.
Bill
 
Sounds to me like you might have burned the pepper. If you are going to sear like that you should try it without pepper and then add the pepper after the sear if you want it.
 
wow, looks great Bill! Where did you purchase those grates? (if that question is agaisnt forum rules please let me know and i will delete)

also, i have a question about the salt. I have read to salt the steak while it's warming up to room temp so the salt has time to get into the meat, but i have also read that if you let a steak sit with salt on it, the salt can draw out the moisture of the meat.
 
Not sure of the chemical reasons but a steak (especially an aged one ) is wonderful when salted with Kosher like I did. It draws a little moisture to the surface with proteins in it and they caramelize on the surface when you cook. Most of the saltiness disappears in the cook but the carmelization creates a beautiful taste. Sometimes I use a little finely ground Ethiopian Coffee (very lightly) to along with some white or black pepper fresh ground.
 
And not sure if they are available through this site via Amazon but that is where I got them. I would check through what is available above through this site and go from there.
 
Depending on how thick the steak is and how hot the grill is, but I think you seared too long. 2 minutes and then rotate is 4 minutes per side....way to long IMHO on a red hot Genesis.

I would preheat the grill super hot just like you did , place the steak (olive oil, S&P) right above the sear station and cook 1 minute then rotate, another mintue and flip. Cook for another minute and rotate, and after one more minute move it to the cool side of the grill for a couple of minutes and check. This works out to be 2 minutes per side for the sear and with a nice thick steak should be plenty. For thinner steaks I would dial the temp down just a bit and cut back even more on the sear time.

I would hold off on buying Grill Grates. You wont' need them with a Genesis 330. You just need to get a feel for how the Genesis cooks. Cut back on your sear time and I think you'll see a big improvement. Good luck!
 
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M Nowc said:
I always go for USDA Choice or better. I'd say most grocery stores have choice. and look for good fat marbling.

When I do steaks on the gasser, I like to use a reverse sear method. I'll slowly bring the steaks up to about 120F internal over indirect heat, then I'll toss them on the sear burner for about 45secs - 1 min a side. I get a nice medium rare that way.
Click to expand...
I'm in the USDA choice or better camp now. I grilled choice grade rib eyes the Sunday before last and then prime grade rib eyes last Saturday and were both WONDERFUL. But on the sear I sear first with the very hot (hot as possible) coals which are elevated so that they are just below the meat grate and keep turning the steaks so that burning does not occur. Don't worry too much about the flare ups. If you have the room directly over the coals than utilize it, if not just the constant turning will prevent burning. The sear is done on both sides in 2-3 minutes if the fire is extremely hot as it should be. Now if the steaks are thick (1.25" or more) move to the side of the coals cover and let them come up to temp for the desired doneness. If they are thin they are pretty much cooked after the sear is finished unless maybe you want them well done. I'm too chicken to sear last because I'm afraid the searing process will put me over the internal temp for medium doneness and I don't want an over cooked steak.
 
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