Porterhouse on the CGSP SFB

[coyote-1]

Got a 2" aged porterhouse and grilled it on the side firebox of the CharGriller Smokin'Pro last night. Used half a chimney of Cowboy** lump, tossed in a few mesquite chips right before putting the steak on. Seasoned the steak ONLY with fresh-ground pepper and salt, lightly. Wife made a caesar salad and we paired it with a bottle of Silverado cabernet.

It was AWESOME.

I'd done one like this back in November of last year, and had been craving it ever since. We got a supermarket porterhouse in January, but the wife didn't trust my process and waaaay overseasoned it. It was good, but the seasoning overwhelmed the pure smoke-grilled concept. Then in May we had company over. Got a tenderloin filet and sliced it, and grilled it on the Weber kettle. Problem was there was not enough room on the grill (not my choice), so once again it was good but less-than-stellar.

I made up for it this time

I think the wife is finally learning to trust my cooking instincts.




**When smoking I use RoyalOak lump. But Cowboy lights faster, so it's better for this type of grilling IMO.

 

[chisoxjim]

hey... where are the pictures, I want to see this steak.

sounds like you did it great, with aged, prime beef less seasoning is the best way to go.. less is more..

 

[mcp9]

i think that the grate is way too close to the fire to grill on that side fire box. thats just my opinion.

 

[meatball]

Agreed with ChisoxJim on 2 fronts - less is best with good steaks..and WHERE ARE THE PICTURES?!! Such a tease, I love porterhouses!

 

[coyote-1]

Question of technique. You have to use a thin layer of coals, not a heaping pile. The depth is roughly the same as on an average hibachi, and steaks are done successfully on hibachis all the time.
My results tell me the CGSP SFB is great for steaks, burgers, and whatnot. I've used it that way a number of times and always gotten great results, without ever once getting burned product.

 

[chisoxjim]

I agree, before I dedicated my chargriller to smoking only, and bought a Weber kettle for grilling, I grilled items in the firebox alot. Steaks especially came out great. but then again I like my seared on both sides, and rare..

 

[coyote-1]

And I've essentially gone in the other direction: Unless I'm doing a large grill for company, I use the side firebox of the CGSP. Turkey burgers, steaks, chicken parts, veggies, etc... for some reason they are coming out better on the SFB than they ever did on either the Weber kettle or the Weber gas grill. And those Weber products generate better results than any of their competition, so I'm really in grill heaven. :).

 

[chisoxjim]

its all good, whatever works..

BTW I am still waiting to see a pic of that porterhouse..

heres some pics of a a couple of sirloins I got hand cut at my butcher(came in a little over 3 lbs total) that I had to snack on a small piece of on Friday night(note the chunk missing from the steak on the right...).

Perfectly rare, about 4 minutes per side. Sirloin steak is one of my favorite cuts.

 

[mcp9]

could be i used too much. just wasnt happy using the sfb.

 

[kingudaroad]

Big pecan fire...


Burnt down to coals...


Oh yeah!! Grilled venison!

 

[coyote-1]

Wife's gonna steam a couple artichokes to go with it. YUMMMM

 

[coyote-1]

Did it again tonight. Made 2 baked potatoes and salad; chopped fresh chives from the garden for the potatoes.

Got a 1.5" aged porterhouse this time. Grilled it on the CGSP side firebox, over a 1/3 chimney of Cowboy lump with a few small mesquite chips. Lightly salted and peppered before going on.

Cooked it directly over the coals 2 minutes, then turned it 45 degrees and cooked another 2 minutes. Flipped it, and slid it to the non-coal side for a minute or so... this allows the cook to work its way through the meat a bit. Then slid it back over the coals, and repeated the above.

Brought it in, let it sit for a minute while I prepped the potatoes. Then I cut it. Wife likes the bone so she got it this time, while I got the larger shell portion. Perfectly medium-rare throughout! No raw stuff, yet all red and juicy. And this was a perticularly good piece of meat, possibly the best steak I ever made. I'm getting a real formula for success.

 

[coyote-1]

And yet again on Jan.1.

It wasn't easy. Temps were around 12 degrees F, and the wind was blowing steady at 20mph with gusts more than double that. But I fired up the CGSP and put the aged porterhouse on the side firebox - and it came out awesome. Opened a '95 Margaux that I'd cellared some years ago to accompany it

I will never go back to non-aged steak. We don't have it often, so the extra expense is justified by the huge increase in enjoyment over a standard supermarket steak.

 

[mballi3011]

If theres no Qview it didn't happen ........................................... either of them

 

[st barnard]

Coyote--I'm with mballi. Your KILLIN us man! Where are the Qviews?

 

[coyote-1]

Maybe next time. Taking pics of my food ain't at the top of my list when I can be eating it instead

Sometime this spring we're gonna host a dinner where I make three or four of these. I'll definitely take pics of that and post 'em.

 

[john3198]

Sounds great - especially the 95 Margaux. Where's dinner next!

 

[coyote-1]

I have a few more bottles in the cellar. It's perfect now, so there might not be any left for the next steak.
Not to worry though, I have plenty of other good wine for it. And a good beer would also work... as I'm gonna start brewing this week, maybe it'll be ready in time.
Wife was never a big steak eater, but she's becoming addicted to these. The quality of your raw materials has a huge impact on the quality of your product.