Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Decided to use something I once saw on one of America's Test Kitchen shows, and take a porterhouse that was frozen like a rock and cook it in the least amount of time possible, without using a microwave. So, I built a hot (600°) fire in the Kamado Joe set up with direct cooking for the cast iron grates, and indirect for the wire grates. Once it it cooking temp I seasoned the steak with coarse salt and coarse ground pepper and put it on the cast iron grate, turned it 90° after 30 seconds, then flipped it and repeated the two turns. Then stuck two temp probes into it - one for the sirloin and the other for the tenderloin, and moved it to the indirect side of the grill. I moved it around a bit to try and get a little more heat on the sirloin, which was a little thicker. I took it off when both probes reported 128° for medium rare, which with carryover heat would end up at around 133°. I like Sriracha for steak sauce, mixed with the Jus - but I can't stand the California product which has a nasty taste and only offers heat as its redeeming value. I much prefer the Thai one, which as a full symphony of flavor and heat. The ubiquitous Sriracha has the Rooster graphic on the label, the better Thai one has a flying goose. If you can find it buy it - you won't be disappointed.

The sides were leftover roasted Brussels Sprouts tossed with basil pesto, and a fried "rice" made with riced cauliflower and Thai seasonings and condiments. The beverage was a Three Notch Brewing Co. Hazy/Juicy NE IPA (New England IPA) made with New Zealand Motueka hops for a bright lemon-lime accent - with 8% ABV and a very mild 10 IBUs. The brewery is in Charlotsville VA, which goes to show you that a good NE IPA can come from just about anywhere as long as the brewmaster knows what he/she is doing.

The detail shot is the tenderloin.

A little fine tuning on the temp and timing will yield a better result (I hope!)

(Download)


(Download)

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

Interesting technique. I would have sous vied it for 4 hours. Seared it in a hot frying pan with butter. The shots are nice but it looks just a little too rare for me.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Thanks!

I normally reverse sear - I season it simply with salt and pepper, and while it comes to room temperature I fire up the kamado with a slow 235° indirect fire, with a couple of chunks of post oak to provide a bit of flavor. Once the meat gets to around 120° I take it off the fire, then open up all the vents and bring the temp to 600° or so for a final sear. This mimics what you (and I) do with sous vide.

I like to chase my steak around the plate, and often eat it less done than this, but this was only about 3/4" thick, frozen when I put it on the fire, and it was seared first to get it to melt so I could get a temp probe into it, and then slow cooked/smoked to 128°. The sirloin side was a little overdone (medium rare) to my taste, but the tenderloin was almost perfectly rare.

When I use sous vide I rarely exceed 2-1/2 hours and never go past 130° That is my finishing temp AFTER searing.

This was just an experiment based on this experiment:

https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/8741-the-science-of-cooking-frozen-steaks

I substituted the 600° sear for the pan sear, but pretty much ended up with a similar result. I think the fire was a little uneven, which resulted in the sirloin getting a little more heat.

nimbushopper Loc: Tampa, FL

Photo looks great but too rare for my taste!

Papa j Loc: Cary NC

Very nice meal Gene, the steak looks perfect. I think I would have gone the Sous vide route a little less work

Thanks for the post and detail I’ll check out the sriracha flying goose

Joe

yorkiebyte Loc: Scottsdale, AZ/Bandon by the Sea, OR

Now.... THAT's somthin' I'll be tryin'!! Looks like a fun cook time and a Perfectly done steak to me!
Excellent writeup and images here, Gene51!! ..... Whooohoo!!

(Goose bottle in my Amazon cart now....)

Tito14 Loc: Central Florida

Interesting. I need to try that. Thanks

I love my sous vide and reverse pan seared

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Thanks!

I've seen the Goose on Amazon, but I usually have my daughter send me some from Ireland, where it is the go-to sriracha. They can't get the California rooster version.

I decided to try the frozen-to-grill method because 1)I was hungry, and 2)it was getting late. Sous vide would have required defrosting and another 2 1/2 hours - I might have eaten by midnight, if I was lucky. At midnight I was happily sawing wood.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Is it the red color reminding you of blood? Blood is removed from beef (and other meats) during processing, so that red liquid is not blood - it's 25% oxymyoglobin (myoglobin that has been exposed to oxygen) and 75% water. But its presence signals that there is still moisture in the meat.

Quixdraw Loc: x

Good photos, steaks looks great! You guys are way ahead of me. Best I can do is nuke it in the microwave in stages till thawed and then grill broil or stove top it! Suppose I need to get a bit more modern.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Thanks!

Or walk away from the box. Out of the box cooking is always an adventure - sometimes producing amazingly good and surprising results, other times not so much. . . Just like photography.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Thanks!

Once seared, the challenge is getting the temp down in the Kamado to allow it to cook to medium rare. Stuff happens very fast.

Paul B. Loc: North Carolina

👍👍