Advice for first cook please!

[terriblecook91]

Hello, as the title suggest's first cook on my kettle tomorrow and I have some nice sirloins.

I'm confused with indirect and direct cooking with the GBS,

Am I supposed to sear in the center and then move steaks to the outside of the grill? or is it best to set up one basket on one side and sear over the basket and then move to the opposite side (with no basket)

hope that makes sense!

[HoosierKettle]

There tons of different ways and opinions and most of them all work great if executed well.

I would set up a straight forward 2 zone fire. Light coals, spread even on half of the grate, wait until coals get white hot, sear steaks on direct side turning until desired color reached, check internal temp and slide over to indirect to finish if needed. No baskets needed. Coals spread on the charcoal grate is a little more forgiving than baskets with coal close to grate. Then once you get that down you can experiment with different set ups. Just my opinion.


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[toolhead]

I set my 2 baskets on outer /opposite sides.

Direct sear first both sides of steak

1lb ribeyes foes 7 mins per side.

Should be a pull off grill after 2 sides are direct seared for 1lbers for medium rare.

Adjust for thickness.

I dont see anytime for indirect cooking on 1 lb steaks

[toolhead]

Btw if you are not confident buy a thermapen
It saves you money....meat is expensive

[Shoestringshop]

There tons of different ways and opinions and most of them all work great if executed well.

I would set up a straight forward 2 zone fire. Light coals, spread even on half of the grate, wait until coals get white hot, sear steaks on direct side turning until desired color reached, check internal temp and slide over to indirect to finish if needed. No baskets needed. Coals spread on the charcoal grate is a little more forgiving than baskets with coal close to grate. Then once you get that down you can experiment with different set ups. Just my opinion.


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What @HoosierKettle said and I'll add one thing... just before you take it off take a small slice of butter and place on steak.

As far as zone setups I found this on google images.

[techdavis]

One thing... if your steaks aren't very thick, don't bother with 2 zone. For normal steaks, 1/2" or so, just cook direct over high heat. Season with salt and pepper before lighting coals. 2 minutes and turn 90 degrees, then flip and repeat. Perfect medium rare. Add a minute per side for medium. Rest for 5 minutes (minimum) with a pat of butter on each steak.


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[Davescprktl]

Set up a two zone medium fire.  If it's a normal thickness steak and you like medium rare use the two (2) method.  Two min one side flip...two min second side move over to indirect side.  Flip again in another two min.  If steak is thicker adjust.  This works great for me.  Again you will need to adjust for steak thickness and how hot your fire is.  Good luck!

[kettlebb]

Forget timing, too many variables. Cook your sirloin direct flipping every few minutes. Use a fast digital instant read thermometer and cook to your desired temp.

One thing that completely changed my results was my Thermapen. You can really get caught up in accessories and such but a good thermometer will have you eating great food.


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[cookingjnj]

I am far from an expert in anything kettle as you can see from the number of post.  I have just started using a kettle a few months back.  However, all of my steak cooks I have used the method HoosierKettle uses.  I get my coals started in a chimney and once started dump them all on one side of the grates.  I am usually cooking 1.5 or more inch steaks, so I do direct heat over the coals for 1 minute, then rotate the steaks for another minute, flip the steaks and repeat on the second side.  After the sear, pull the steaks to the indirect side, cover until it reaches the medium rare doneness we like.  This part ranges in time due to the thickness of the steaks, how hot the direct flame got etc.

[ReanimatedRobot]

*Sits back with eating popcorn while everyone gives their best method. 

In all honesty there are lots of great ways to cook a steak. A lot of the fun is experimenting.  I have done the two zone searing without baskets and even the reverse sear method SnS likes to use.  Still good steaks either way.  Having a good thermometer is key to getting it done just right though.

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[kettlebb]

@ReanimatedRobot I agree.  I prefer reverse sear for nice thick steaks but really it will turn out fine if you cook to temp.  Don't forget about resting.  Cook a few degrees less than your desired temp and let it rest. 

[socal-griller]

If you are grilling at home and don't mind a bit of smoke in the house, you can always sear your steaks on a Baking Steel griddle. I prefer not to sear on the grill after an SnS reverse for two reasons: 1. Usually need to spread the charcoal to increase the searing area. 2. Usually need to add charcoal to bring temps up. I take the steaks off the grill when temp is hit, coat with avocado oil, sear it on a BS (or equivalent) griddle preheated to 520-600. Gives a wicked sear > cast iron and fills the entire house with a wonderful aroma as well

[Don-in-Vero]

Techniques for the fire depend on the thickness of the steak. Less than 1 inch thick calls for a direct fire, flipping as needed. From 1 inch up to 1 3/4, I like to use a basic half grill fire, sometimes putting the sear on first and sometimes putting it on last, depending on how I am feeling. If I am cooking a great big bone-in ribeye, I put a couple of skewers through between the bone and the meat, to balance it on edge with the bone edge down over a center drip pan with coals on both sides. Then for the last few minutes, pull the skewers and put it directly over the coals to sear.
Regardless, always let it rest under loosely tented foil for 5-10 minutes, again depending on thickness. Since it will continue to cook as it is resting, the instant read meat thermometer is your best friend. My medium rare for a 1 1/2 inch NY strip is 122 degrees with a 10 minute rest, which brings the temp up to about 128. For the thicker cuts of meat, as well as whole turkey, whole chicken, and roasts, I use a remote probe digital thermometer which transmits real time to a receiver in the house. I use a ThermoPro TP20, but there are a lot of other brands.
As a newby to grillling, you may want to consider the Cooks Illustrated line of cookbooks. Their main one, Cooks Illustrated Cookbook, has grilling recipes for meats, fish, poultry and veggies. The real advantage to their cookbooks is that all the recipes were developed using a Weber kettle grill and contain instructions on the amounts of charcoal, fire setup technique, air vent settings and timing.
I've been cooking three or four times a week on a Weber for over 30 years. You are getting into something that will not only provide you and the family with wonderful meals, but will additionally provide you with a lot of satisfaction and enjoyment from seeing the meals come together. Good luck.