OT: Secrets of grilling and/or preparing of your favorite meats

Find an Argentine who wants to marry you and then just turn over the grill to her. That is my secret.

• I find that front searing is much better than reverse searing since the front searing process pushes moisture into the meat which helps with remainder of the cook.
• Before you season and sear, you MUST remove all the moisture from the beef with paper towel.  A wet steak will not sear properly because the moisture will cause the beef to get steamed, instead of seared.

I find it interesting you have these points next to each other because to me they're almost contradictory. I prefer reverse searing my steaks because the outside of the steak dries out a bit thus resulting in a better sear

This is a great topic.  My 2 cents:

I haven’t seen anything here (maybe missed it) but salmon smoked over alder is one of my favorites.  For the last 20 years or so I’ve smoked 30-50 lbs/year of AK sockeye on my Weber Smokey Mountain.  Key is to wait until it comes down in price (so like 8 bucks/lb vs 25) later in the season.  Vacuum seal and freeze it and you’ve got one meal per week of pure Alaskan bliss.

Also, IMO rotisserie is one of the most underrated/underpracticed aspects of grilling.  I usually do my Thanksgiving turkey every year on a Weber kettle over hickory and some fruitwood and it always comes out great.  The turkey self-bastes as it turns, and the juices that are shed can be collected in a drip pan to make an amazing smoky gravy.  Of course, it’s very important to stay near the grill with a good book and maybe a drink to keep an eye on things.  

If you can splurge, get a heritage bird.  You will wince when you pay for it, but it’ll be worth it. 

I find that front searing is much better than reverse searing since the front searing process pushes moisture into the meat which helps with remainder of the cook

Reverse searing is only good for really thick steaks... that amateurs would otherwise burn the outside of before the center even gets a chance to warm.

Otherwise, cooking before searing is kinda like wiping your ass before you take a shit.

Reverse-sear method on anything beef. This means low heat at the beginning of the cook (225-275 degrees) and then searing the outside when desired internal temp is reached. The key to get the best crust on reverse sear is to also pat the exterior dry before searing (and using some butter or oil).

To help with drying out the surface of the steak, "dry-brining," or salting your steak the night before you intend to cook helps tremendously. Put the steak/ribs/roast on a baking sheet after salting and place uncovered in the refrigerator.

I took to grilling/barbecue/smoking over the past couple of years with all the time I saved not having to commute, and I created an Instagram just for all the meats/drinks. It's been a fun hobby and I strangely enjoy looking at all the steaks and drinks from time to time. Is that weird?

I would also highly recommend a Meater+ meat thermometer, if you are in the market for a new thermometer - makes estimating cook time infinitely easier (since it does it for you).

Main grilling principles for me

1. Flavor.  2.  Correct “doneness” 3. Simplicity 

Steaks: reverse sear wins for me for control and simplicity. cook steaks in oven or smoker at 250 until about 110. Wrap and place in cooler for up to 2 hrs. Guests can select desired “doneness” and you grill on hot ~500 degree grill until proper temp using meat thermometer. My secret. Rub “kitchen bouquet”on both sides of steak and season with whatever you like. The kitchen bouquet gives that restaurant style blackened look without the burnt charcoal taste if you over sear it…and yes it’s easy to over sear if not careful on your temp, I use Montreal steak or Chicago steak seasoning but salt and pepper are also good. And garlic butter topping at the end (Shamys from sams club is great) 
 

Pork shoulder: use MGoBBq’s  Texas pulled pork method of 325 for about 6-8 hrs. I season mine different but Waaaay easier than waiting 12-14,hrs in low(250) and hoping it finishes before guests arrive, shred in kitchen aid stand mixer with seasoning and finishing sauce. Keep warm for hours in foil covers pan in oven on low for serving, Nobody cares how long you smoked/ cooked it. The taste/texture difference is minimal 

Chicken breasts:The  3 “s”’s Sauce, season, sauce: butterfly chicken breasts to even thickness. You don’t want a big thick end and a thin end. 1.Sauce(marinade):   Put in marinade of choice for an hour or so. Set Grill at medium heat and 2. Season with whatever you like .(I like Tajin)  Flip after a few minutes and season other side, 3. Turn heat to medium high and Sauce/baste from original marinade to finish. Flip and baste as needed until done.  Don’t let it dry out. Check temp for about 160 but after enough practice you can just tell by looking. 

Does anyone have recommendations on how to properly remove the membrane? I’ve tried to do it myself in the past but it ends up turning into a mess where I have to pull little pieces off, one at a time. I’ve even had a butcher tell me at our favorite shop that pulling the membrane off isn’t necessary.  

As for steak, I’ve stopped trusting myself on the timing for grilling it and we’ve only got a propane tank so I’m not sure I’m doing the steak any justice by cooking it there anyway. 

We use the Anova water cooker and then sear it in a pan for a few minutes. It cooks perfectly, and it allows us to marinate/season the steak however we’d like. I’m not sure how favorably that cooking method is looked upon in grilling circles but it’s a truly a foolproof method to ensure that your meat is not over or undercooked. 

There is some serious knowledge being dropped here; kudos to all the pitmasters. 

I find that just boiling pork shoulder in salt and onion before breaking it up for carnitas makes a fabulously tasty food. I cover it in a poblano chili sauce with slices of avocado and radish over corn tortillas and only corn tortillas, and it is one of the two or three most consistently dishes that--for 30 years now--my wife and I go to for celebrations. Dead easy. 

I also really like beef chow fun, and the right meat for that is a cheap skirt steak, marinated for a couple of days in soy sauce and black vinegar with a little sugar and pounded flat--not in strips--like they serve in Chinese restaurants. Sear--that is, drop into an incredibly hot wok--and immediately reduce the heat before adding your noodles (homemade chow fun noodles are to die for.) The resulting beef, cut into fairly small pieces, cannot be something you have to chew and chew, but which occupies a gratifying place between toothsome and soft. Can eat this until I pop.

I know that this is wandering a little bit far afield. . .  

This thread contains more incorrect information on cooking than I’ve ever seen compiled anywhere in my life. 

Two words:  Smoking tube.  Oh, and cook low and slow.  Smokes meat even on a propane grill.

Because it's a Friday during Lent and I gave up meat completely because I'm an aspirational vegetarian, I'll make my usual plug for fake meat.  Fake meat has come a long way and it makes being vegetarian much easier. You can definitely eat hearty without meat now. 

Trader Joe's soy chorizo is the most versatile - it's got great texture and flavor and we use it in everything. I put some of it in a veggie chili the other day and we make tacos out of it, put in on pizza and use it to beef up pasta. It also goes great with eggs. 

I'm also a huge fan of Impossible burgers and Beyond Meat. Morningstar makes some good frozen stuff and I recently discovered a plant-based Buffalo patty that is great in the air fryer. Some of other fake beef stuff hasn't really come around on the flavor yet - but adds the substance and texture you need most of the time (I'm about to have some leftover fake Philly cheesesteaks or leftover fake beef stew for dinner) .

I'm really interested to see how lab-grown 'real' meat develops in the next few years. 

I absolutely love the grill. Burgers and hot dogs. If we are going steaks I have to do the cast iron on the stove. Key is high temps and basting. Also a nice oven fan is nice if you live in a house like mine. That, or temporarily take the batteries out of your smoke detectors. 

I’ve always found the 3-2-1 method for ribs to be the best. Peel off membrane and use mustard as a bonding agent. Make a dry rub of heavy salt and pepper along with garlic powder, onion powder and brown sugar, maybe a couple shakes of slap ya mamma. 225 on the smoker for the first 3 hours with a moisture pan and spritzing every 45 minutes with a combination of apple cider vineagar, apple juice, rub and melted butter. Wrap for 2 hours in 2 sheets of heavy duty foil with honey, butter and another good spritz. Uncover for the last hour and glaze.

Edit: use oak logs. Nothing gives flavor like oak imo

Filet Mignon using sous vide is both idiot proof and spectacular.

Step 1 - buy a sous vide device.

Translated sous vide means "under a vacuum". The two main inputs when cooking is temperature and time, unlike geology which is the study of pressure and time (Andy Dufresne), but I digress.

Sous vide is cooking food in a vacuum sealed bag under water. Sounds weird, but really makes sense after a bit. Medium rare filet for example is 129 degrees. And the minimum time to cook it through is based on the thickness of the meat, that's what she said (Michael Scott).

I like to add Worcestershire sauce to the bag of filet. Then vacuum seal it and cook at 129 until it's cooked through, again based on thickness. After that just sear on a lodge skillet for about 60 seconds on both sides, cracking some pepper on it. 

Enjoy 

Been a long time since I’ve posted around here but I have to give the is board props for having given me my ribs recipe, which is an all timer. 
 

Peel off membrane. Soak ribs in pineapple juice overnight. Might as well cut the rack into thirds ahead of time as well. 
 

next morning, cover in rib rub, wrap each piece of the ribs in plastic wrap (Saran wrap), place in an aluminum pan - go ahead and stack these wrapped pieces up. Don’t use glass pan - if you do, line in aluminum foil or the plastic wrap will melt. Cook like this for 6-7 hours in oven. Take out, unwrap the wrap and finish the ribs on 400 degree grill, brushing with bbq sauce til the sauce carmelizes. The ribs will be falling apart at this point. Serve whenever you’re ready. 
 

thanks to whoever shared this with me like 12 years ago on this board. 

I love ribs on the grill...agree on remove the membrane and no sauce until the end.

Indirect heat, and a disposable aluminum tray of water under the ribs in the base of the grill and mine turnout great.

I just hate preparing ribs, takes so damn long.

I'm fine with steak, veggies, salmon*, burgers and I've been getting into sausages from the butcher shops. Endless fire emojis.

I'll do wings on the grill, but even those are now just as good out of the air fryer, take em out, toss them in homemade sauces and go to work. Easy and easy clean-up.

*Our toaster over is pretty fancy, I can bake salmon in there and get incredible salmon with the same crust and tendernes...just doesn't have the smoke.

I dry brine my steaks and lamb chops. I prefer using skin on salmon filets because it prevents the salmon from tearing while flipping. I use this Famous Dave’s seasoning on my lamb chops…it’s amazing!!

My secret before grilling: take the hot dogs out of the package first.

You'll thank me for this.

Thanks WCB!  I always salt and pepper my steaks and let sit on the counter for about an hour before searing.  I will hold off on the salt.  Thanks for the tip.

The best short ribs ever: sear first, and then sous-vide at 135 - 145F for at least 2 days. You'll get all that collagen broken down and the ribs are then tender AF.