Steak crust without “Sharpie” grill lines
- Thread starter Jon Tofte
- Start date
Jon Tofte
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
We had someone post some time ago sneering at my grill marks as "cheap" and then putting up a picture of one of their steaks burnt to a black crisp on the outside and way to rare - at least for me - on the inside. I agree with you that a real crust is a very good thing, but I will take a GrillGrates "Sharpie" line steak over one scorched on the outside!
LMichaels
TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
That's like people who say you put too much cheese on your pasta. You don't need that kind of negativity in your lifeWe had someone post some time ago sneering at my grill marks as "cheap" and then putting up a picture of one of their steaks burnt to a black crisp on the outside and way to rare - at least for me - on the inside. I agree with you that a real crust is a very good thing, but I will take a GrillGrates "Sharpie" line steak over one scorched on the outside!
Jim C in Denver
TVWBB All-Star
Jon -- since you are a GG guy, you can have both.
Flat side GGs (like a CI skillet) are a great tool for searing. Because conduction (meat in contact with hot metal) is the most efficient way to brown something. For searing, hot metal >>> hot air (i.e. convection, which is what you mostly get from a gasser). Conduction is why you get stripes from any hot grate.
Next best after conduction is radiation. Charcoal direct or an IR burner are best, gasser is weakest for radiation. But GGs rail side up give your gasser an IR boost -- the metal underplate less than an inch from the food adds some good IR action to your cook.
So set up your grill half GG flat, half GG rails up. That is what I do. Since I'm an overall crust preferrer, I sear first on the blazing hot flat side, and then finish the cook on a cooler rails up side. If you are more a stripe guy, I guess you would do the reverse.
Flat side GGs (like a CI skillet) are a great tool for searing. Because conduction (meat in contact with hot metal) is the most efficient way to brown something. For searing, hot metal >>> hot air (i.e. convection, which is what you mostly get from a gasser). Conduction is why you get stripes from any hot grate.
Next best after conduction is radiation. Charcoal direct or an IR burner are best, gasser is weakest for radiation. But GGs rail side up give your gasser an IR boost -- the metal underplate less than an inch from the food adds some good IR action to your cook.
So set up your grill half GG flat, half GG rails up. That is what I do. Since I'm an overall crust preferrer, I sear first on the blazing hot flat side, and then finish the cook on a cooler rails up side. If you are more a stripe guy, I guess you would do the reverse.
Darren Lebner
TVWBB All-Star
Somehow I've put on weight just by reading this blog. Or to put it another way: does this website make me look fat?
PeteJackson
New member
I prefer a full top sear, however the "sharpie" lined steaks don't bother me. They can taste good also. Heck, those "sharpie" lines are winning steak cook-out championships so it can't be that bad.