Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

[Redacted01]

re: Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

Heck, you can even go the awesome way if you live an apartment and use your broiler - I did this the other day for the first time (with a strip and a rib eye, about a pound each) and was thoroughly impressed with both how the meat was finished (a better medium rare than expected) and tasted (daresay it came close to the grill).

Bonus points for making my apartment smell delicious for almost the next full day.

If you seared it, though, your apartment was also filled with smoke for quite awhile I imagine. Been there, done that. Old *** apartments with no ventilation basically.

[wwharton]

re: Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

If you seared it, though, your apartment was also filled with smoke for quite awhile I imagine. Been there, done that. Old *** apartments with no ventilation basically.

Doesn't make it any less worth it, lol.

[Redacted01]

re: Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

Doesn't make it any less worth it, lol.

Oh yea, I love doing it. Just about warm enough where I can start up again and the fan on the AC unit should get it out fast enough.

[ubernoob]

Oh yea, I love doing it. Just about warm enough where I can start up again and the fan on the AC unit should get it out fast enough.

Meh, searing is overrated for the most part. It does not help at keeping juices in and has minimal impact on the taste.

Definitely more aesthetically pleasing though, I will say that.

[Curahee]

re: Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

Meh, searing is overrated for the most part. It does not help at keeping juices in and has minimal impact on the taste.

Definitely more aesthetically pleasing though, I will say that.

I personally dont usually sear any meat, but here is some info on searing meat. I'll SPOILER it cuz its long...

Spoiler

Does Searing Lock in Juices? This is the oldest one in the book, and still gets repeated—by many highly respected cookbook authors and chefs!—to this day. It’s been conclusively proven false many times, including in our own post on How to Cook a Perfect Prime Rib, where we found that when roasting a standing roast, it in fact lost 1.68% more juice if it was seared before roasting rather than after! The same is true for pork roasts, steaks, hamburgers, chicken cutlets, you name it.
On the other hand, searing does improve flavor by catalyzing the Maillard browning reactions, a series of chemical reactions that rapidly take place when proteins and sugars are heated to around 300°F or so, improving the flavor and texture of the dish. But in almost all cases, it’s better to sear the food after it’s roasted, not at the start.
But the paradox remains: If searing a piece of meat leads to less umami juiciness, then why do we believe otherwise? It turns out that our intuitions about searing protein aren’t totally wrong. While a well-seared steak is literally drier – the sizzle in the pan is the sound of all those interior juices boiling away – it still tastes juicier. The disquieting explanation of this culinary illusion is that a well-seared steak – its Maillard crust crisp and crackling, its interior plush and bloody – makes us drool in anticipation. As a result, when we eat the more appetizing (yet less juicy) steak, the meat seems to be juicier. However, what we are actually sensing is our own saliva, which the brain induced our salivary glands to release. Our personal decision to drool warps our sensory experience of the steak.

[ubernoob]

I personally dont usually sear any meat, but here is some info on searing meat. I'll SPOILER it cuz its long...

Spoiler

Does Searing Lock in Juices? This is the oldest one in the book, and still gets repeated—by many highly respected cookbook authors and chefs!—to this day. It’s been conclusively proven false many times, including in our own post on How to Cook a Perfect Prime Rib, where we found that when roasting a standing roast, it in fact lost 1.68% more juice if it was seared before roasting rather than after! The same is true for pork roasts, steaks, hamburgers, chicken cutlets, you name it.
On the other hand, searing does improve flavor by catalyzing the Maillard browning reactions, a series of chemical reactions that rapidly take place when proteins and sugars are heated to around 300°F or so, improving the flavor and texture of the dish. But in almost all cases, it’s better to sear the food after it’s roasted, not at the start.
But the paradox remains: If searing a piece of meat leads to less umami juiciness, then why do we believe otherwise? It turns out that our intuitions about searing protein aren’t totally wrong. While a well-seared steak is literally drier – the sizzle in the pan is the sound of all those interior juices boiling away – it still tastes juicier. The disquieting explanation of this culinary illusion is that a well-seared steak – its Maillard crust crisp and crackling, its interior plush and bloody – makes us drool in anticipation. As a result, when we eat the more appetizing (yet less juicy) steak, the meat seems to be juicier. However, what we are actually sensing is our own saliva, which the brain induced our salivary glands to release. Our personal decision to drool warps our sensory experience of the steak.

That's exactly why I don't sear. It's counterintuitive to keeping juices in, though it does seem like a very plausible theory when taken at face value.

Here's what I normally do for my steaks. The ones I get are normally 1.5 - 2 inches thick.

I bring them to room temperature, then dry them off (just a paper towel) and load up each side with some coarse thick sea salt. Absolutely load it. I let it sit out for about 2-3 hours, depending on how big the steak is covered with the salt.

Completely wash it off, dry it again and put some rub on it (I use the rub somewhat moderately). The rub that I use takes the place of searing, because the little bit that's one there gets nice and crispy naturally during the course of cooking the steak.

[Redacted01]

re: Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

I may give it a try just under the broiler next time, see what I get.

[ubernoob]

I may give it a try just under the broiler next time, see what I get.

I had never used the broiler before in my life. Always cooked everything on the grill, and to be completely honest wasn't even sure how a broiler worked, I just understood the general concept.

Left my oven cracked a bit, threw a chunk of butter on top of the steak (don't do it too big though or the steak won't cook there) and flipped after about 5-7 minutes, put another chunk of butter on and let it sit.

Honestly a couple of the best steaks I've ever had (not the mention made). Easiest and best 10-15 minute meal (save for the couple hours of prep I posted above) known to man. Don't even need to preheat, the broiler just heats up like crazy.

[wwharton]

re: Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

I personally dont usually sear any meat, but here is some info on searing meat. I'll SPOILER it cuz its long...

Spoiler

Does Searing Lock in Juices? This is the oldest one in the book, and still gets repeated—by many highly respected cookbook authors and chefs!—to this day. It’s been conclusively proven false many times, including in our own post on How to Cook a Perfect Prime Rib, where we found that when roasting a standing roast, it in fact lost 1.68% more juice if it was seared before roasting rather than after! The same is true for pork roasts, steaks, hamburgers, chicken cutlets, you name it.
On the other hand, searing does improve flavor by catalyzing the Maillard browning reactions, a series of chemical reactions that rapidly take place when proteins and sugars are heated to around 300°F or so, improving the flavor and texture of the dish. But in almost all cases, it’s better to sear the food after it’s roasted, not at the start.
But the paradox remains: If searing a piece of meat leads to less umami juiciness, then why do we believe otherwise? It turns out that our intuitions about searing protein aren’t totally wrong. While a well-seared steak is literally drier – the sizzle in the pan is the sound of all those interior juices boiling away – it still tastes juicier. The disquieting explanation of this culinary illusion is that a well-seared steak – its Maillard crust crisp and crackling, its interior plush and bloody – makes us drool in anticipation. As a result, when we eat the more appetizing (yet less juicy) steak, the meat seems to be juicier. However, what we are actually sensing is our own saliva, which the brain induced our salivary glands to release. Our personal decision to drool warps our sensory experience of the steak.

So instead just flip through the SI Swimsuit addition while the steaks are cooking and get your drool on... best of both worlds.

[Redacted01]

re: Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

I had never used the broiler before in my life. Always cooked everything on the grill, and to be completely honest wasn't even sure how a broiler worked, I just understood the general concept.

Left my oven cracked a bit, threw a chunk of butter on top of the steak (don't do it too big though or the steak won't cook there) and flipped after about 5-7 minutes, put another chunk of butter on and let it sit.

Honestly a couple of the best steaks I've ever had (not the mention made). Easiest and best 10-15 minute meal (save for the couple hours of prep I posted above) known to man. Don't even need to preheat, the broiler just heats up like crazy.

Only difference in what I normally do is I sear in cast iron skillet for 1-2 minutes a side, then add butter, put in 500 degree oven for 2 minutes a side. Gets me my perfect medium rare steak every time.

[Chef Matt]

re: Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

I did a couple steaks on the grill last night and forgot to take pictures

Charcoal is the only way to go in my book. It is slightly more clean up, but as when it comes to time gas is only quicker by about 15 min.

I did the exact same thing. Cooked up those Choice NY's for my wife and kids and some friends for taking care of our electrical needs. But didn't snap a pic. damn. They were specatular. Salt and Pepper, over mesquite, cooked a perfect medium rare. :drool:

[Phobia]

re: Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

I did the exact same thing. Cooked up those Choice NY's for my wife and kids and some friends for taking care of our electrical needs. But didn't snap a pic. damn. They were specatular. Salt and Pepper, over mesquite, cooked a perfect medium rare. :drool:

I used Pecan, medium rare also. Perfect 135 to 140

[shugknight]

re: Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

Between this thread and the Fishing thread.. I hate living in Chicago.

I want to fish, I want to grill. But I need a new grill and there's too much snow to fish.

[Phobia]

re: Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

Between this thread and the Fishing thread.. I hate living in Chicago.

I want to fish, I want to grill. But I need a new grill and there's too much snow to fish.

You would really hate to see my freezer lol. I have at the minimum 100lbs of fish. I can take out a bag every day all year and I would struggle to eat it all. At the rate I fish and catch it is a problem so I end up giving a lot away to family and friends.

[shugknight]

re: Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

Want to be friends?