Steak Fest

[Uncle JJ]

Fellas - I've been asked to help a friend cook steaks for 40+ people.  I'm going to use two 22" kettles and one 26er.  My thought is to have the two 22's set up with snakes where I bring the steaks up to 100* IT, then have the 26er blazing hot with a large bed of coals to sear the steaks (a searing station).  That way I can cook to order temps with reverse sear.

How does this sound?  Will the snake set-up be hot enough to bring the steaks to 100*?  I think it would work.  Appreciate your thoughts.

[Texmech]

100 IT seems a little low to me. I guess you really want to finish them on the direct grill then. Sounds like a good system though. I did some last week and I think I went direct around 135 to 140 IT

[chefn58]

I like your thoughts with reverse searing but I would actually do the exact opposite. Have one of the 22's set as a searing grill them finish everything Indirect on the other 22 and 26.

Just my thoughts.


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[CharliefromLI]

I like your thoughts with reverse searing but I would actually do the exact opposite. Have one of the 22's set as a searing grill them finish everything Indirect on the other 22 and 26.

Just my thoughts.


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same here. The 26" will have significantly more room for the indirect and thats whats going to take the most time. I would use a 22" as your finishing sear station. Steak Temp is a personal preference but i do mine to 125, quick sear and then rest. They get served at 135.

Are you cooking big cuts and slicing or doing 40 individual steaks?
If you are doing a large number of steaks, especially if doing them to order, i would start cooking them in order of desired doneness (well done down to rare).

You might want to use a couple of coolers as faux cambro's to hold steaks so you can cook in shifts and serve almost simulanteously.

Someone with more experience then me might have better advice but if it was me:

Set up 2 or maybe all 3 grills to get going indirect:

Cook in two batches
5 steaks on each 22 and 10 on the 26 if they fit. they can be a little closer together for indirect

cook all steaks indirect to 15-20 degrees under my target temp place in aluminum pans to rest,cover pans with foil and place in cooler with towels to rest and hold (the temp will continue to rise at this point, but they will only be in there a few minutes. )

Repeat for second batch. Ideally if you can use only two grills for the second batch you can start warming the third as a sear station. if not i would start warming up a few extra chimneys of hot coals for searing.

Once second batch is nearing temp allow them a rest. Set up your sear station(s). Give the grill and grate s a few minutes to reach your new high temp.

Once your sear fire is ready start searing the first batch you cooked. if you get a REALLY hot fire you can sear each side in a minute or 2 per side. If you want "style points" rotate each cut 90 degrees half way through before you flip and half way before you remove to get cross hatches.

If you prefer to do the traditional "sear and slide (direct sear first, indirect finish second) then this is a guide you can use:
http://www.fix.com/blog/how-to-grill-steak/

[Uncle JJ]

Good advice, thanks.  Sounds like I only need to do 20 individual steaks.  I like the idea of holding them at 100* in a cambro, then bumping up the temp on 2 (or all 3) grills to sear.

[CharliefromLI]

@Uncle JJ  two things i forgot to mention:

If you have a maverick or another probe therm, it will allow you to monitor the indirect cook with the lid on which will help maintain temperatures and even out the cooking time.

A good instant read therm before and during searing will make sure your at the ideal temperature.

Good Luck, and post photos!

[Uncle JJ]

@Uncle JJ  two things i forgot to mention:

If you have a maverick or another probe therm, it will allow you to monitor the indirect cook with the lid on which will help maintain temperatures and even out the cooking time.

A good instant read therm before and during searing will make sure your at the ideal temperature.

Good Luck, and post photos!

Yep - I have two Mavericks - will use both!

[demosthenes9]

JJ, what kind of steaks are you cooking ?

[Uncle JJ]

JJ, what kind of steaks are you cooking ?

The guy I'm cooking for will buy the steaks.  He buys sirloins and has this ritual that includes everyone at the party.  He puts all kinds of seasonings on the meat, then has everyone stand around a table and "fork" the steaks - jabbing the meat repeatedly with dinner forks.  All sorts of "fork" jokes commence.  It's strange, but the steaks do end up tasting pretty good.

In the past, he used an old gas grill - I had to put an end to that.

[Metal Mike]

Reminds me of an Monty Python skit:

so its a forking party. As the chef I think you should get "two fork on the table..."

[EricD]

JJ, just my .02, I would stick with the reverse sear.  But I would use the bigger kettles for indirect and the smaller to sear.
But what the fork is he thinking with stabbing a steak?  Never!  I wont even use a fork to flip my steaks.

[demosthenes9]

Sounds pretty cool.  Does potentially change things.   If he's buying large sirloins that will be portioned after being cooked,  8-10 of them will probably take care of 40 people.  That's a single cook,  3 on each 22 and 4 on the 26.  You could survey the group, and get a rough count of tastes for doneness. 

[ClubChapin]

I'd sous vide them to 110 - 115F, and sear on demand to bring to finished temp.

[austin87]

There is no need to reverse sear unless the steaks are at least 1" thick, and thicker is better. Most of the time when I go to a place where 40 people are getting served steaks we are talking about 1/2" thick sirloin steaks and those go hot and fast in a couple minutes per side and could probably be done on one 22" and one 26".

[CharliefromLI]

JJ, what kind of steaks are you cooking ?

The guy I'm cooking for will buy the steaks.  He buys sirloins and has this ritual that includes everyone at the party.  He puts all kinds of seasonings on the meat, then has everyone stand around a table and "fork" the steaks - jabbing the meat repeatedly with dinner forks.  All sorts of "fork" jokes commence.  It's strange, but the steaks do end up tasting pretty good.

In the past, he used an old gas grill - I had to put an end to that.

So i have learned the ways of a nicer steak as an adult, but as a kid we would often get a marinaded sirloin london broil.

It was lean....it was tough....It was CHEAP!!!!

We would Tenderize with forks sprinkle some meat tenderizer then marinate with soy sauce and garlic.

It was a good steak for slicing because there was no fat so you would get even slices all the way through.

Again, not the way i cook anymore but when my parents were feeding kids on a budget we had no complaints!

@Uncle JJ Hope you guys have a forking blast!