Grilling

[Whiskeyjack]

I've been on a quest to perfect my steak recipe recently, and I stumbled across an excellent resource-- the Serious Eats blog.

First, here's an article on 7 myths about grilling steak. If you read back through the thread, I recommended several of these practices, but have since stopped them without any decrease in the quality of my steaks.

Second, I tried searing in a cast iron skillet recently, which worked amazingly well. Now I just need to figure out how to scale this up for the big family dinners at my parents' house every Sunday night. Might need to invest in a griddle for use on the grill.

Third, my next experiment is to try bringing all the steaks to temperature sous vide by using a beer cooler and Ziplock baggies, and then searing in cast iron. Will report back once I have results.

 

[IrishSteelhead]

Grilling

Cast iron skillet seared steak is incredible, but makes a HUGE mess if you don't put a screen over it. I learned that the hard way and spent an hour cleaning my oven vent.

*You have to make sure the skillet is beyond hot to do it right, and put just a tiny spat of butter in the pan right underneath the steak when you drop it.

 

[CanadianIrishFan306]

 

[Cackalacky]

That is a good article. Lots of good information. I do also love a cast iron seared steak. Depends on the cut though for me. I was taught to always thaw meat in the fridge for 1-2 days, and make sure it remains dry, and season it at least 1 day before cooking.

 

[scUM Hater]

Use charcoal.....cook it to the desires doneness. Put a pat of butter on it, let it sit for 7 minutes and eat. It will be delicious. Just use a good grade of meat

 

[greyhammer90]

I've been on a quest to perfect my steak recipe recently, and I stumbled across an excellent resource-- the Serious Eats blog.

First, here's an article on 7 myths about grilling steak. If you read back through the thread, I recommended several of these practices, but have since stopped them without any decrease in the quality of my steaks.

Second, I tried searing in a cast iron skillet recently, which worked amazingly well. Now I just need to figure out how to scale this up for the big family dinners at my parents' house every Sunday night. Might need to invest in a griddle for use on the grill.

Third, my next experiment is to try bringing all the steaks to temperature sous vide by using a beer cooler and Ziplock baggies, and then searing in cast iron. Will report back once I have results.

I read serious eats all the time! Me and my Dad did the sous vide thing this summer. It was very good, but I feel as though it is a little trendy and overhyped. Cast iron skillet searing is my preferred method. I use olive oil instead of butter in the pan, but like to top my steak with a small pat immediately after taking it off.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

I read serious eats all the time! Me and my Dad did the sous vide thing this summer. It was very good, but I feel as though it is a little trendy and overhyped.

I'm just trying to minimize the internal temperature gradient, and this beer cooler sous vide method seems like the most cost effective way to achieve perfect pinkness throughout. Any tips before I make my first attempt?

 

[greyhammer90]

I'm just trying to minimize the internal temperature gradient, and this beer cooler sous vide method seems like the most cost effective way to achieve perfect pinkness throughout. Any tips before I make my first attempt?

Not saying it's not worth trying, just not so much better that I'm willing to wait two hours for a steak every time lol. I dont have any tips that are likely to be helpful, as it's a fairly simple method to pull off. Definitely make sure that you have an accurate thermometer and keep the water moving though.

 

[wizards8507]

Has anyone smoked pork or chicken without using any flavor wood? I'm thinking I might get enough of the smokey flavor I'm looking for just using natural lump charcoal. I'll be doing two racks of back ribs and one or two chickens.

Might need to invest in a griddle for use on the grill.

Have it. Love it. A couple of cautions though.

1. It's freaking heavy. If you use it on the stock stainless grate that comes with a Weber kettle grill, for example, it can warp the surface pretty significantly at high temperatures.

2. Be sure to invest in some HARDCORE oven mitts because that thing gets hot. I was using mine last weekend and it started burning through my Ove' Gloves. I proceeded to drop it and it started melting my deck. I flung it over the edge and burned a hole in my back yard.

 

[Ndaccountant]

Has anyone smoked pork or chicken without using any flavor wood? I'm thinking I might get enough of the smokey flavor I'm looking for just using natural lump charcoal. I'll be doing two racks of back ribs and one or two chickens.


Have it. Love it. A couple of cautions though.

1. It's freaking heavy. If you use it on the stock stainless grate that comes with a Weber kettle grill, for example, it can warp the surface pretty significantly at high temperatures.

2. Be sure to invest in some HARDCORE oven mitts because that thing gets hot. I was using mine last weekend and it started burning through my Ove' Gloves. I proceeded to drop it and it started melting my deck. I flung it over the edge and burned a hole in my back yard.

I have done it many times and it turns out well. I would just make sure that your rub fits the flavor profile you are looking for.

 

[Cackalacky]

I have done it many times and it turns out well. I would just make sure that your rub fits the flavor profile you are looking for.

This. I have found that true smokey flavor comes from long term smoking in smoke house and is very hard to "really" get from a small/personal smoker (ie no penetration deep into the meat). So IMO purchasing wood chips is a waste of money generally. Get a good rub/marination and all is good. If you want to cheat buy some liquid smoke and add it to your rub/marinade.

 

[adsnorri]

As far as steak cooking, I marinate mine in a combination of siracha, garlic salt and a flavor of the month seasoning I try to switch from time to time. Let is sit in baggies over night in the fridge and pull it out well before grilling. Let it come to room temp and have the grill at approx. 400-450 degrees. The steaks have a great seared outside with a really tender inside. Beyond good!

The Siracha breaks the meat down pretty well and it adds ton of flavor with a great spicy kick. Right up my alley.

 

[wizards8507]

Bed time for piggies. Until the morrow!

 

[scUM Hater]

I would use a little more seasoning. Did you marinade them?

 

[wizards8507]

I would use a little more seasoning. Did you marinade them?

They're drenched in rub. The salt and sugar will form a sort of glaze overnight, then a final dusting before they hit the smoker tomorrow.

 

[scUM Hater]

Post pictures when done with them. Are you smoking them?

 

[scUM Hater]

Here's a pic from a couple months ago.

 

[Irish Insanity]

^Feel free to post next time as your smoking something, I'm probably 45 mins from you. It looks like it'd be worth the drive down. It would only be me and maybe my son, the GF and other kids don't like smoked food.

 

[scUM Hater]

And my plate after.....

 

[scUM Hater]

^Feel free to post next time as your smoking something, I'm probably 45 mins from you. It looks like it'd be worth the drive down. It would only be me and maybe my son, the GF and other kids don't like smoked food.

They are crazy.....my daughter is the same way though.

 

[Irish Insanity]

They are crazy.....my daughter is the same way though.

She doesn't like BBQ of any sort either.

I could live on just that alone. Smoked BBQ. Every meal, even desert.

Are there any actually good BBQ joints here in Michigan that you know of?

 

[scUM Hater]

She doesn't like BBQ of any sort either.

I could live on just that alone. Smoked BBQ. Every meal, even desert.

Are there any actually good BBQ joints here in Michigan that you know of?

Still searching. Barrett 's smokehouse in portage is pretty good. Still looking for more/better. Do you ever come to KZOO for ribfest?

 

[Irish Insanity]

Still searching. Barrett 's smokehouse in portage is pretty good. Still looking for more/better. Do you ever come to KZOO for ribfest?

I grew up in Kzoo. Live 16 mins east now. We didn't make it to rib fest but went down for the Taste of Kzoo. I've been to Barrett's once. I bought what I thought was like jerky, it was more like long pieces of steak. To thick for my jerky liking. I'd like to find a place I can get about any hot smoked meat, with a thinner homemade BBQ sauce. None of the store type shit. I stopped at a place in Battle Creek last week that I was told was good. Red Line Smokehouse. And it may have been the worst I've had. The brisket was so salty, and the pork had no flavor. I asked for their house sauce, and it was thick like Sweet Baby Ray's, and looked like it was from a bottle. Extremely disappointed.

 

[scUM Hater]

I grew up in Kzoo. Live 16 mins east now. We didn't make it to rib fest but went down for the Taste of Kzoo. I've been to Barrett's once. I bought what I thought was like jerky, it was more like long pieces of steak. To thick for my jerky liking. I'd like to find a place I can get about any hot smoked meat, with a thinner homemade BBQ sauce. None of the store type shit. I stopped at a place in Battle Creek last week that I was told was good. Red Line Smokehouse. And it may have been the worst I've had. The brisket was so salty, and the pork had no flavor. I asked for their house sauce, and it was thick like Sweet Baby Ray's, and looked like it was from a bottle. Extremely disappointed.

So disappointing. Myself, wife and son are going to do a bbq trail for spring break this year. Head to Texas and back. Can't wait. We usually go to Mississippi to visit the in laws and always go to The Shed....my mecca for bbq.

 

[wizards8507]

First off the smoker: Italian sausage that now tastes remarkably like kielbasa.

 

[wizards8507]

 

[dshans]

This .. this .. this ... this

Meat rubbed, slathered, heated, turned, rotated, poked, prodded, cherished for crust, grill marks and heat ...

Leave me wondering.

And drooling.

HELP!!!

 

[Irish Insanity]

It's the off season. Time to bring back to life the best off season thread ever. One about food, grilling, and smoking.

My question is about a smoker. I had an ECB electric. It's time has come. I was in deep plans to build an UDS, I just don't have time. Now my question is what smoker do any of you use, and why? What do you prefer for heat and why? I've never charcoal smoked or grilled but would love to get started. I just don't know if jumping waste deep in charcoal smoking with no experience is a good idea. Mainly like smoked pork shoulder and brisket. Not a ribs fan.

 

[Cackalacky]

It's the off season. Time to bring back to life the best off season thread ever. One about food, grilling, and smoking.

My question is about a smoker. I had an ECB electric. It's time has come. I was in deep plans to build an UDS, I just don't have time. Now my question is what smoker do any of you use, and why? What do you prefer for heat and why? I've never charcoal smoked or grilled but would love to get started. I just don't know if jumping waste deep in charcoal smoking with no experience is a good idea. Mainly like smoked pork shoulder and brisket. Not a ribs fan.

Long time foodie here and take my opinion with several heaps of salt but I think smoking meat is not a great idea. Smoking historically has been primarily used to preserve meat with additional flavor just a byproduct. Plenty of rubs bring more flavor to meat than smoking. Also there are plenty of "liquid smoke" flavors available that are far superior to traditional wood smoked meat and lack the cancerous nitrosamines and benzopyrenes. Whatever the reasons are for smoking meat, it can be achieved by much cheaper, less labor intensive methods.

FWIW I recently used an infrared cooker to do a turkey and it worked excellently.

 

[Irish Insanity]

Long time foodie here and take my opinion with several heaps of salt but I think smoking meat is not a great idea. Smoking historically has been primarily used to preserve meat with additional flavor just a byproduct. Plenty of rubs bring more flavor to meat than smoking. Also there are plenty of "liquid smoke" flavors available that are far superior to traditional wood smoked meat and lack the cancerous nitrosamines and benzopyrenes. Whatever the reasons are for smoking meat, it can be achieved by much cheaper, less labor intensive methods.

FWIW I recently used an infrared cooker to do a turkey and it worked excellently.

I like smoking meat/food because the flavor is at another level after 10 hours of slow cooking. The light smoke flavor is a bonus that adds to the over all dish. However, fake smoke is a big no no with cooking. It just feels wrong and doesn't taste the same.