Steak Grilling question

[anthonyk]

I just spent 400 bucks on a new gas grill. Yea, I know everyony says charcoal or wood is the way to go, but I figured a quality grill like this one would make it easier (more convenient) to just throw a steak on.
I seem to have been wrong
It's a Charbroil "Commercial" model in stainless, about 60,000 BTU's.
It's even got a side burner that you can cook on.
For some reason, it just doesn't seem to cook steaks the way I'd like 'em.
Maybe it's not hot enough, I don't know. I preheat it for over a half hour,
But still can't seem to "flame" the steak the way I could on the old charcoal one (69 bucks!)
Any suggestions? I've heard that different grills have hot and cold spots.
I've tried cooking in different places on the grill. The Ribeyes come out either raw, or if you cook them longer, too well done. Can't seem to get that flamed outside, rare or medium rare inside, but still cooked right.
Any tips from any of ya'll that use a gas grill would be appreciated.

anthony

 

[LMTC]

Temperature is certainly a possible culprit. You can buy infrared temp guns in the $40 range these days....we have a good one for the shop (still only cost $100) and I check the cast iron grate on our charcoal grill before tossing on a steak. I like to see the grate at least 700*, and preferably closer to 800* as it will cool quickly when the steak is tossed on. We have a small gas grill we keep on the front porch for burgers, dogs, & metts....when weather prohibits using the larger charcoal grill...but I know ours won't do steaks well, as it doesn't get hot enough.

Or it may simply be learning the nuances of your new grill. If the steaks will not sear on the first side in 20-30 seconds, it's not hot enough IMO.

 

[Dusty]

I had the same problem with my new stainless steel grill, and it turned out to be a defective gas regulator. I still haven't decided if I like it as much as the old one, but I haven't had a bad steak on it either. It also might have something to do with the cut of beef that you are cooking. I have found that very lean meat tends to dry out when cooking over the gas grill, unlike meat that has a little more fat content.
Dusty

 

[MikeD74T]

Make sure your gas connection is giving you full flow. Some of the new bottle valves need to be connected just so & bottle exactly level to get full gas flow. Had problems with an out of level bottle last week. MikeD74T

 

[davemhughes]

After cooking with wood and charcoal for 20+ years I also bought a big 4 burner Weber grill. I experienced the same thing.......3 months later I am finally getting the hang of this gas cooking grill. IMHO.....it just takes time to learn to cook on a gas grill when you have been use to charcoal. Sounds like a great excuse to grill more.

 

[goaliedad]

Not sure if this will help, but it can't hurt- with the new LP as tanks there is a possible problem with high demand- there is some sort of flow restriction in the valve- turn the tank off, then slightly crack it open, wait a little while then open it all the way. I was told to do this with a small space heater. Haven't used it yet, but food for thought.

 

[JoeL4330]

coat the steak with olive oil before grilling

 

[cp1969]

The steak itself probably makes more difference than anything. It's getting hard to find good meat these days. It seems to me like our old charcoal grill did a better job but it was such a PITA. I'm tempted to get one of these outdoor firepots and try cooking over firewood.

FWIW, Ruth's Chris Steak House says they cook their steaks at 1800 degrees...I don't know if that's what makes their steaks so good, but they are good.

 

[johnk]

Give me the good ole charcoal. I save the gas grill for the reheats when the company arrives.......Just kidding. I use the gas grill quite a bit cause it's a lot easier but the food sure tastes better when I cook on charcoal. A lot of the new and better grills, Weber etc have the flame bars over the burners so they can't flare up. Good in some circumstances but poor for others. Enjoy your new grill............Happy New Year...

 

[Chuck52]

Does your grill even allow direct flame to reach the meat? Some gas grills are designed so that the gas heats a grid, which then does the cooking, and the flames aren't supposed to reach the meat. I've got one that lets the flames through, and I've been pretty happy with it. However, after just one year the burners are somewhat stopped up so that the heated area is much less uniform than when it was new. I've tried cleaning out the little holes in the burners with a wire brush without much luck. I may end up using a wire to clean each individual hole.

Chuck