Lazy Old Weber Guy Here - Thinking of the Searwood: What's all the fuss over Grill Marks?


 
Robby-Ribeye

Robby-Ribeye

New member
I’m 67 and have been grilling and smoking with Weber kettles and the WSM (after the Brinkman) my entire life. I’ve always been a fan of Weber products, but I’m starting to get too damn lazy and I’ve decided on the Searwood 600 to smoke and grill. Seems like so many others are looking for the same. I’m not worried about low temp smoking just in the ability to grill. So, before I spend almost 1k on this unit, something is confounding to me on YouTube (T. Horsman), this and other forums. People complaining about searing. They’re looking for “grilling marks” as a sign that it’s properly seared. I’ve cooked steaks for 50 years and with great results, but too many people assume grill marks = cooked right or that it’s authentic, flame-kissed flavor, even though a perfectly seared steak should ideally have an all-over Maillard crust. I had a good Weber kettle buddy who got a gas grill years ago and was so proud of his “crosshatch” marks as if it proved his gassers’ bona fides. I can’t imagine a thick steak on a 600-degree surface doesn’t get a good crust. If not just cook until it hits 115, then finish on a griddle. I’m not expecting it to grill like my kettle, but if I can do a decent steak and burger, I can convince my sweetheart to pull the trigger. Help!
 
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Honestly I think on tis subject Horsman's complaints are mostly due to his crazy fascination with stipes on his meat and constantly opening the grill to look at his little pucks and such. I have a large Z Grill 1100 2B, and a Members Mark Pro Series pellet grill. Both have "top speeds" of 500. But, I'm here to tell ya, reaching that magical number is very very time consuming and fuel consuming. When I crank them up (at least in mild spring/summer weather) they will climb up to 400 fairly easy. But then from 400-450 is slower. And that final elusive 50 deg takes as long as getting to the 400. So, when I am doing steaks I go for a "middle ground". As a qualifier here if a steak is not 1.5" thick minimum it has no business in my grill :D That outta the way. I run the grill on "smoke" setting orr just slightly above (say like 190-220). Let the steak cook until just under "rare". Then I remove, tent with foil and set the grill to 425. This seems to be a happy temp the grills reach pretty easily. Once up the steaks go back in, I do NOT open the lid (a pellet grill cooks like a convection oven no need to be opening and playing with the steak). Just leave it alone when my thermometer reaches my desired level of "done" steaks come off, rest a couple min at most (since they already rested previously) and serve. They come out with a nice crust, perfect level of done and taste incredible every time. No I don't have stripes but really all they add is "visual" or bragging rights. At my table the taste does all the talking that is needed
 
LMichaels said:
Honestly I think on tis subject Horsman's complaints are mostly due to his crazy fascination with stipes on his meat and constantly opening the grill to look at his little pucks and such. I have a large Z Grill 1100 2B, and a Members Mark Pro Series pellet grill. Both have "top speeds" of 500. But, I'm here to tell ya, reaching that magical number is very very time consuming and fuel consuming. When I crank them up (at least in mild spring/summer weather) they will climb up to 400 fairly easy. But then from 400-450 is slower. And that final elusive 50 deg takes as long as getting to the 400. So, when I am doing steaks I go for a "middle ground". As a qualifier here if a steak is not 1.5" thick minimum it has no business in my grill :D That outta the way. I run the grill on "smoke" setting orr just slightly above (say like 190-220). Let the steak cook until just under "rare". Then I remove, tent with foil and set the grill to 425. This seems to be a happy temp the grills reach pretty easily. Once up the steaks go back in, I do NOT open the lid (a pellet grill cooks like a convection oven no need to be opening and playing with the steak). Just leave it alone when my thermometer reaches my desired level of "done" steaks come off, rest a couple min at most (since they already rested previously) and serve. They come out with a nice crust, perfect level of done and taste incredible every time. No I don't have stripes but really all they add is "visual" or bragging rights. At my table the taste does all the talking that is needed
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That Z grill looks like a beast. Should I consider?
 
It's a nice grill BUT Z Grills support software for the PID controller is primitive at best, and their customer support is very sllllooooowwww to non existent. If I was gonna buy another I'd buy a Searwood, or a Traeger both of which have far better customer support where you don't have to email China and wait and wait and wait
 
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