NS Gearhead
Veteran Member
Sounds good. I'll report back.
BBQ Smokers
- Thread starter General Lee
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/pine
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FWIW...Here's an Internet article about cooking steaks using Sous Vide method without any special device...
https://www.yahoo.com/food/how-to-sous-vide-a-perfect-steak-without-buying-128263434291.html
https://www.yahoo.com/food/how-to-sous-vide-a-perfect-steak-without-buying-128263434291.html
IslandTractor
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Yep. That would work but you are basically enslaving yourself to the stove to keep the temperature of the water at exactly 135 for an hour or two. Doable but tiresome. Still it would be a great way to test whether sous vide gets you a steak the way you like it before investing $150-200 in a proper digital circulator.
I was thinking this weekend about just adjusting the home hot water heater to about 130 (pretty hot but within range for domestic HW) and then using an insulated cooler full of HW with a constant small flow of water to make up for heat loss. Sous vide at 130 for an hour or two followed by a high temp sear for a minute or so each side should get you a perfect 135 medium rare steak.
2LaneCruzer
Super Member
I cook 1 inch thick pork chops in my BGE at 250 for about an hour and 1/2 and they are usually perfect. I too have never smoked steaks, but I would think that an hour at 250 for a one inch thick steak would give you a steak that was medium to medium rare. Pork is perfect for smoking; beef is another matter. My best results (and failures) have been with brisket.
TBDonnelly
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My dad was the best at well done roasts. If there was any moisture left in the meat it just wasn't done enough. He had this dial thermometer and would always make sure to check the meat for doneness. Fast forward about 25 years, I became the proud owner of my dad's grill thermometer. I put it in the drawer with my thermometers. Next time I grilled, I grabbed a thermometer from the drawer to check the meat for doneness. Amazingribs.com always recommends using a thermometer to check for doneness so even though I've been grilling for 30 years and have a pretty good idea what finished roast or chicken looks like, thought I would check with a thermometer. When the meat looked ready, I checked with this thermometer and to my surprise, it read 20 degrees under cooked. So.....I left it on the grill for another 20 degrees of cook time. Low and behold the finished product was reminiscent of one of my dad's grilled roasts!
The thermometer I used was my dad's. When I checked it for accuracy, it was a full 20 degrees out of calibration (for years and years I'm sure.) :confused2:
IslandTractor
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AmazingRibs points out that bimetal oven and meat thermometers, almost certainly what your Dad used, are based on the best of 1850's science and notoriously inaccurate.
One of the very best bangs for the buck to improve grilling is a modern rapid read digital thermometer. They cost as little as $10 and are quite accurate and fast. The big boys spend $99 for a Thermopen that gives a highly accurate reading in two seconds. I have a $25 knockoff from Lavatools that reads in 4-5 seconds. Very nice device that folds up like a pocket knife so easy to carry.
AmazingRibs also puts out a refrigerator magnet chart of meat temperatures for about ?$5 that is very useful.
NS Gearhead
Veteran Member
Well they turned out great! I got a nice pack of strip loins from Costco. Started them like I do most steaks; coarse salt, minced garlic and rosemary left for two hours. Rinse and dry. (I challenge you to do your steaks like this...it's amazing). Smoked them for an hour turning them over half way through. Used misquite chips. Hand full at the start and a hand full half way. I let them rest about 15min wraped in tinfoil und er a towel. They came out med/ well I'd say. 3/4 of the inside was light pink. Moist, tender and great flavor. Visually, they're not very appealing... looks like it had been boiled. Next time I think I'll smoke them a little less and sear them over high heat on the BBQ for a min or two per side.
2LaneCruzer
Super Member
I take it that you like the Mesquite? I wouldn't think that it would be readily available in Canada, but what do I know. It grows wild here, so it's a known commodity. I love Mesquite and use it both for smoking and for grilling. I use small dry chunks and they last pretty much for the entire cooking time.
NS Gearhead
Veteran Member
Yeah we can get all types at the big box stores in bags. I chunked up a five gallon pail full of maple, so I'm gonna be using that for pork and poultry. I just read somewhere that mesquite is best for beef. I have a bag of hickory to us as well.
I'm doing 5lbs of jerky tomorrow. Last time I did some I found it to have too strong of a smoke flavor. I used the same wood and intervals as the steaks....so I'll skip the mid way chips this time and see how that does.
I'm doing 5lbs of jerky tomorrow. Last time I did some I found it to have too strong of a smoke flavor. I used the same wood and intervals as the steaks....so I'll skip the mid way chips this time and see how that does.
