Need Advice from Vets

Balls Brunswick · Joined: 14 Jul 2011 Posts: 3

Hey guys,

Very pleased to find this forum. I'm a relatively novice BBQer. I absolutely love BBQing and steak is by far my favorite food but I rarely get a chance to engage in this excellent passion. I'm going to a BBQ in two weeks and I'm hoping to grill some steaks that give my fellow BBQ'goers taste orgasms. I've developed two recipes (Teriyaki and NY Strip Steaks) that I'm looking forward to cooking up.

My question for you good people is that I know relatively little about BBQing. I've had some smashing successes but also some pretty epic failures grilling steaks. I'm expecting to serve about 30 people here and I want to make sure I get this right.

So my questions for you good people...

1. Could of you direct me to some basic 101 information on the art of BBQing steaks? I'd really like to brush up on my basics and go into this as prepared as possible.

2. What kind of steaks would you recommend for this event and where would you recommend I go on a budget to get them?

3. Also what are some of the steak BBQ recipes that you personally enjoy?

Thank you very much, I hope to learn a lot from this community. Cool

GF · Posted: Jul 14 2011 Post subject:

Balls Brunswick, I'll see if I can Help a little.
It sounds like you are grilling vs.smoking, most folks consider BBQ to be a low and slow affair, temps around 225-250 for longer times.
If you are in fact grilling them there is a grilling section you may find helpful.
I would suggest london broil for 30 people on a budget.
You can buy several and try different ways, terriyaki, etc.
I personally like a good dry rub and grill away.

Hope this helps.

Pinkelephant · Posted: Jul 14 2011 Post subject:

your leaving a few things out. Smile

what kind of grill are you cooking on?
are you using gas or charcoal?
how do you light your charcoal if your using it?
have you been smoking with wood? what did you use and how did it come out?

when you do get advice on a whole new way to do it, consider trying it without witnesses before cooking for 30.
_________________
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Allen
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BBQMAN · Posted: Jul 15 2011 Post subject:

There is an excellent section of this forum dedicated to grilling.

But since I'm here I will offer up a few tips:

Steaks in general cook hot and fast
The general rule is you only want to flip once

I'm a big fan of ribeyes, and due to fat content they are relatively forgiving.

Good luck with your grilling ni patricular, and your BBQ in general! Wink

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"I Turned A Hobby Into A Business".
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Balls Brunswick · Joined: 14 Jul 2011 Posts: 3

I am such a novice I wasn't even sure of the right place to put this. If a mod could move this thread to the correct sub-forum I'd be grateful.

To answer the questions here.

what kind of grill are you cooking on? One of the grills at the park

are you using gas or charcoal? Charcoal

how do you light your charcoal if your using it? Sparingly lighter fluid and a match

have you been smoking with wood? what did you use and how did it come out? I have not...

I'm sorry this mix-up guys, but I appreciate your help very much.

Balls Brunswick · Joined: 14 Jul 2011 Posts: 3

Hey thanks for moving this thread Ezzy.

I feel dumb for making the most obvious mistake in this hobby's community Laughing

Anyway I've been reading quite around here and other sites. You guys have such a passion for this art that it's making me want to become a master like all of you. I'm enjoying learning here.

I appreciate the Rib Eye and London Broil suggestions, I'll look into and try both. I definitely plan to experiment and practice a few times before the real thing.

Thanks guys for your advice. I appreciate it.

Inner10 · Posted: Jul 15 2011 Post subject:

Balls, personally I think steak is easy to cook, but its also easy to ruin real quick without knowing the basics.

Personally I'm a rib-eye man but I'll take a NY strip any day of the week as well.

I like em thick, at least an inch. Season with salt and pepper maybe a little coriander...a good steak doesn't need a world of spices, and herbs and sugar will just burn at the high temps.

If you are cooking 30 then having 2 grills is the way to go, one with the lid on at med-high heat, one lid off with a pile of coals hotter than hell.

Scrub your grill but don't oil it. Once it is up to temp throw the steaks on. The steaks will immediately stick to the grill like glue, but after about a min or 2 the fat will begin to render and the steak will release itself telling you its time to flip!

Now you have the decision, flip 45 degrees to get a cross hatch for good looks, or just flip it over. Laughing

Do the same on the other side.

Now move the steak to indirect heat and "bake" it on the grill until you reach your desired temp. Personally I like med rare, which takes a couple minutes.

If your grill is insane hot then the steak will be blue before you bake it, if its just hot then it will be rare.

Now your time will be different since your meat and temps will never be the same. Don't cook with time, cook by poking the meat and recognizing the resistance, a rare steak will feel smooshy like poking your cheek, a well done one will feel stiff and springy like...well never mind.

Here's a few steaks I cooked with a bit of wind blowing, after searing on the hot side I put them on the side with no coals, shut the vents off and let em bake.

http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/ab42/Inner10/BBQ/IMG00531-20100908-1847.jpg

GF · Posted: Jul 15 2011 Post subject:

Balls Brunswick, glad you got moved to the right spot. Very Happy

I have to agree with BBQMAN, and Inner10 about the rid-eyes and strips, I just can't afford to feed them to 30. Embarassed

FWIW, I would get a chimmney starter and loose the fluid.

Good luck with your cook.

Dr Obvious · Posted: Jul 15 2011 Post subject:

Welcome aboard! Truth be told, we're a pretty laid back group here, and I don't think anyone is going to bust your chops if you just didn't know any better.

Inner10 has about the right of it. I would mention that

1) You should do a test run with one or two steaks before the big cook, just so that you feel more comfortable with what you are doing.

2) Get yourself a digital meat thermometer, and use that to determine when the steaks are done baking. You can look up steak doneness temps with Google internet search. You'll eventually learn to figure this out by eye, but I've been grilling for...(counting)...18 of my 30 years on this planet, and I still prefer to use a thermometer if I can.
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Pinkelephant · Posted: Jul 15 2011 Post subject:

I'm starting with a disclaimer. I'm not one of the pros on this site, but I have used enough charcoal to fill a pickup or 3. most barbequers are self taught and have a prefered way to do things. the advantage to this site is getting tips from the "pros".
I'm going to go thru all the obvious stuff. you will know 4/5th of it from common sense but I don't know what 4/5ths you know, so don't feel like I'm talking down to you.
there are better grills to use and better ways to light charcoal and all that but, I'm sticking with what you've got and going with that.

if your cooking on a public park grill with the open top box with the moveable grate that has 3-4 height options, you don't have to get fancy.
(You can smoke with 2-4 chunks of hickory or 5-6 chunks of mesquite or 1/2 bag of jack daniels oak chips.)
1st time, just stick with hickory and stay with hickory until you have had it that way so many times you need a change. Hickory is EASY to over smoke with (in a weber) but steaks cook quick so it's not a huge issue.
Searing the meat and cooking indirect like explained above is the best way to do it. it's the best way to use a weber type grill. it also throws a lot of variables into the cooking process. you have to be good at the Gordon Ramsey style "poke test"( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg21EbxVn5k ) to know when it's done (or you have to probe it with a thermometer) because after you sear it, it looks done but the center is still raw. I cooked some ribeyes 2-3 months ago that were not totally thawed and I cooked them this way. They were the best steaks I have ever cooked in my life. I was home alone and wanted a witness so I cut it in half and shared it with my neighbor. Smile

I would learn the art of just grilling it first and move up to that later. it takes a little practice and you are needing a speed course in grilling.

I prefer ribeyes. I buy a loin for about $80-100 and get them to cut them to just under 1" thick. If your feeding a crowd, you may want 3/4 inch thick steaks to save money. A trick I use when cooking for a lot of people is cooking the steaks and just before I take it off the grill, I cut them in half. That way, I see for certain how they are cooked, the person who is selecting his piece can see how it's cooked and the steaks last longer if you have plenty of sides because a person rarely eats a whole steak when given this option with plenty of sides. (unless the 30 ppl is the football team). I like mine with a little pink in the middle but ONLY if I got it at the meat market. I wouldn't eat a rare Wal Mart steak and I definately wouldn't give it to someone else.

dept store steaks may look the same but a meat market steak will taste better. People around here talk about shopping at Costco and Sam's Club. I can't tell you about that. I don't have any close by.

In the spices at wal mart, Mc Cormics has those salt and pepper grinders. in those grinders, they have a steak seasoning grinder. I like that stuff. then there is (I'm not home, I'm guessing the name) grill mates, montreal steak seasoning?

Get a few bags of name brand charcoal (Royal Oak or Kingsford), some hickory chunks.
bring:
metal salad tongs or grill tongs
something to stoke the fire. I have a mini shovel. (tire iron, 2 foot stick)
supplies to wash your plate and tongs half way thru the cooking process (be very clean when feeding others)
seasonings
steak sauce (VERY optional, if you cook it right, you won't be reaching for the sauce. you can use the sauce bottle as a gauge of how you did. if nobody touches the bottle, you did good!)
you can cut slices of onion and skewer them on shish kabob bamboo skewers and fry them over the coals.
have a roaster or a foil covered cake pan to hold the steaks. keep them away from the flies and don't let them sit too long before eating.
leather gloves or garden gloves are handy when working with grill and coals. dont touch the grate handles without oven mitts.
If your cooking multiple batches, you can have 2 sets of tongs. one set for raw meat and for the first flip and another set for after that.

OK, with all that in mind.
the park grill has no flame control and you will be dropping a butt load of grease on the coals before 30 steaks are cooked. you will have a lot of flare ups. If we are talking about the small grills, I would cook 3 steaks at a time and move them back and forth from left to right as each side flares up. if you fill up the rack, you will have one real large grease fire. I have a relative who uses a squirt bottle and keeps the flames down that way. I think that is a real bad idea. the grease will keep building up to where that is most of the fuel and your cooking with fat.

someone chime in on this subject. park grill, open charcoal flames and a bunch of steak drippings flaring up... what's the best way to cook 30 steaks??

skipping that problem,
move the rack to the top most position and flip it up. dump enough charcoal to make a layer 2 coals deep (they will burn down before you cook). Now, stack them into a pyramid in the center and (cringe) dowse it with lighter fluid. get them wettened down like your going to light them but dont light them yet. wait 3-4 minutes and spray just enough more juice to wetten the outside layer a little and quickly light it. if you dowse and light it without doing this, it will go out and the 2nd time you light it, it goes BOOM. if you light it a second time, squirt a little on a stick for a mini torch and toss it on the coals from a safe distance (or from the backside of the grill). once it's lit, walk away and do something else for 15-20 minutes. most people are done cooking thier hamburgers right when the coals are ready to cook. the (lighter fluid) flame will go out, the coals will turn white and as it burns down, you may get some more flame. just let it go. when the coals are all white and you can't smell any more lighter fluid, give it a few more minutes, then mix a little fresh coals in and spread them out. I would think you would want more than 1 layer of coals but not fully 2 layers. you want good heat when the rack is lowered but you also want to be able to cool things off by raising the rack.
now lower the rack and let it steralize for a while. (it's a state park, you don't have any idea what was on it last.) scrub it with a grill brush or wetten a wad of paper towels and sizzle it on the grill to clean it after the burn off.

Add the wood chunks (dry, don't soak them) when the steaks go on.

After the cookout, have a plan on how to put out the coals. don't go home and leave a fire in the grill. pouring a few buckets of water on things until they stop sizzling is the easiest way.

OK, that covers everything but the original question of "how to cook them?". your going to have a grease fire with that much meat getting cycled over the coals and I would be guessing if I told you how to manage that. I would let the grease burn off between steaks. when you take some off, let the grease burn off before starting the next batch.
can you borrow 2 webers??[/b]
_________________
It's all about the smoke!
Allen
._______________ H ___
| _Trucks-n-BBQ _ | H|--[ ]\____,
|_______________| H|___|____|
(o)(o)"""""""""""(o)(o)****(____)(o)

1buckie · Posted: Jul 15 2011 Post subject:

Balls Brunswick~~~~>good info all around
Pretty much everyone has suggested ribeye, which would be my choice also...
..but kinda expensive for 30 people.
A middle road you could consider is top sirloin, which would be less $$$$ & also a bit less fatty, sparing some grief with the flare-ups.
It can be had in whole roast form & cut into 1" steaks.
An average size roast would produce about the 30 pieces you are looking for.
They are like a big half round piece about 12-14" long by 10-12" across & 7-8" high.
Cut across the 10-12" way into 1" steaks all the way down the length & you will have about 12 or so large steaks that can be then cut into 1/2's or 1/3's(on the larger end), producing approx. 30 pieces you need...

If this seems too complicated, print this out & take to the butcher's counter & they'll explain or just have them cut it out for you...
For seasoning, I tend to go light so steak flavor can come thru on it's own
Maybe a little "Pappy's or "Stubb's"or "Monteral Steak" BBQ rub on one side & a little garlic powder on the other...GO LITE...

Those park grills are a bit of work & if you don't have a Weber or two to use along with it, then maybe a small gas grill that you could run on very low to keep the done steaks warm as you finish cooking the rest of them
I would just pile them up in a disposable aluminum pan as you go & keep them heated to a bare minimum on a separate gas unit, if that is workable
You may still be able to do the sear over the coals then move to a heated area not above the direct heat like Inner10 is suggesting if the grill box is large enough, just pile your coals to one side...
If I'm cooking at a new location, I make it a point to GO THERE & look at the set-up so there's as few surprizes as possible... Do this ,if you can...
AND pay attention to what Pinkelephant is saying about the use of separate tongs & containers/platters!!! It's important !!!

Good Luck on your cook & let us know how it comes out!!!
~~>K

1buckie · Posted: Jul 15 2011 Post subject:

edit double post Embarassed

Dr Obvious · Posted: Jul 15 2011 Post subject:

Ok, here's a trick I learned from the pros:

if you have to make batches, you can keep the cooked food warm by putting them in a cooler. Put a few towels in the bottom, put an aluminum pan on top of the towels, and the cooler will do a better job of keeping in the heat.

Let the steaks rest for 10 minutes before people cut into them. If you are feeding a crowd, it might take 10 minutes just to get everyone organized and picking up their steak. Resting allows the juice of the steak to even out.

Flare ups were mentioned. That happens when flammable grease from the steak drips onto the charcoal. If that happens, just lift up the steak with your tongs until the flare up stops, and set it back down where it came from.
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