Let's Talk BBQ
FORUM SPONSORS => MAK Grills => Topic started by: smoker pete on February 05, 2017, 01:01:34 PM
-
(http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab105/papa_peter/Beef/MAKstripSteaks02022017/NYsteak4_zpsj49bqice.jpg)
Grilled a couple New York Strip steaks last night on my MAK 2 Star using the FlameZone. You gotta admit that those are some beautiful grill marks! Served with a side of cauliflower bake and a small green salad ...
(http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab105/papa_peter/Beef/MAKstripSteaks02022017/NYsteak2_zpsgnhvdtll.jpg)
(http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab105/papa_peter/Beef/MAKstripSteaks02022017/NYsteak3_zpsqsqixzt3.jpg)
-
WOWZER!!!!! Looks Fantastic. :thumbup: :thumbup:
-
Beautiful Pete, Look fantastic! :thumbup:
-
Dang Pete, that looks incredible! That cauliflower bake looks delicious too! :P :P
-
Fantabulous Pete!
-
Slide my cauliflower to Muebe and hit me with some steak
-
That looks great!! Super curious...how would you compare a high heat MAK Flame-Zone cooked/seared steak to one cooked directly over a burning pile of lump charcoal. Reason I ask...we are moving in March. There are times I think about cutting down my cooking arsenal (smaller backyard), and buying a 2017 MAK 2 Star for not only smoking, but weeknight grilling. I've been a charcoal guy FOREVER...so a bit nervous.
-
That looks great!! Super curious...how would you compare a high heat MAK Flame-Zone cooked/seared steak to one cooked directly over a burning pile of lump charcoal. Reason I ask...we are moving in March. There are times I think about cutting down my cooking arsenal (smaller backyard), and buying a 2017 MAK 2 Star for not only smoking, but weeknight grilling. I've been a charcoal guy FOREVER...so a bit nervous.
Wish I could answer your question but I have not cooked anything over charcoal of any type for over 20 years. I will say that I highly recommend a MAK 2 Star for any and all your smoking/cooking/baking/grilling needs. It doesn't get any easier or tastier. Nothing to be nervous about ... If you have any more questions about a wood pellet smoker-grill you can always PM me and I can go into more detail.
There are many others on the Forum that can better address your questions. Hopefully they'll chime in.
-
Wow that looks so tasty :thumbup: an I have another hour and half to dinner.
-
Hey Pete...is that cauliflower bake recipe in your book? And...Could you possibly share it with us in the side dish Recipes section? It looks great!
-
That looks great!! Super curious...how would you compare a high heat MAK Flame-Zone cooked/seared steak to one cooked directly over a burning pile of lump charcoal. Reason I ask...we are moving in March. There are times I think about cutting down my cooking arsenal (smaller backyard), and buying a 2017 MAK 2 Star for not only smoking, but weeknight grilling. I've been a charcoal guy FOREVER...so a bit nervous.
Food for thought: At searing temperatures the fuel used contributes less to the flavor of the meat than at smoking temperatures. My experience in cooking steaks on my pellet machines has been that only very strong pellets impart any wood flavor at all (mesquite is good and will give a light "tang"). The setup of the grill mechanism itself and the skill of the cook is more critical than the fuel (charcoal, chunks, pellets, gas). Good grate/heat reflector setup yields better grilled flavor. I use GrillGrates on both my pellet cookers and my gas grill. Having the "sizzle" right under the meat is a huge contributor to good flavor.
If you want a "smoky" steak you can use a reverse sear technique. See Epilog No. 4 at the end of this article:
http://www.letstalkbbq.com/index.php?topic=707.0
I would urge you also to read my pellet cooking articles before you jump in the pellet pool. Temperature's fine, but moving from charcoal to pellets is a process, not an event.
Hub
-
That looks great!! Super curious...how would you compare a high heat MAK Flame-Zone cooked/seared steak to one cooked directly over a burning pile of lump charcoal. Reason I ask...we are moving in March. There are times I think about cutting down my cooking arsenal (smaller backyard), and buying a 2017 MAK 2 Star for not only smoking, but weeknight grilling. I've been a charcoal guy FOREVER...so a bit nervous.
Food for thought: At searing temperatures the fuel used contributes less to the flavor of the meat than at smoking temperatures. My experience in cooking steaks on my pellet machines has been that only very strong pellets impart any wood flavor at all (mesquite is good and will give a light "tang"). The setup of the grill mechanism itself and the skill of the cook is more critical than the fuel (charcoal, chunks, pellets, gas). Good grate/heat reflector setup yields better grilled flavor. I use GrillGrates on both my pellet cookers and my gas grill. Having the "sizzle" right under the meat is a huge contributor to good flavor.
If you want a "smoky" steak you can use a reverse sear technique. See Epilog No. 4 at the end of this article:
http://www.letstalkbbq.com/index.php?topic=707.0
I would urge you also to read my pellet cooking articles before you jump in the pellet pool. Temperature's fine, but moving from charcoal to pellets is a process, not an event.
Hub
Thanks Hub! Probably should have mentioned that I have a MAK 1 Star...and prior to that, had a US made Traeger. I have become pretty familiar with pellet munchers and how they operate...at low n slow temps, and mid temp indirect cooking. Have never really liked them at grilling temps. BUT, I have never cooked on a pellet muncher that allows more direct exposure to the heat/flame like the MAK 2 Star Flame Zone does...so, that is what really has my curiosity.
I 100% agree...it's the cook, not the cooker. I know that if I bring GrillGrates or a cast iron griddle into the picture w/ my MAK 1 Star...it's gonna change the "grilling power" by a LOT! Using these tools with the reverse sear method can turn out an amazing end product! :-)
With that said, I am more curious about weeknight grilling. Loading the ENTIRE grilling surface with the basics (chicken, burgers, sausage, tri-tip, veggies, etc.). Does the MAK 2 Star, w/ the Flame Zone, have the ability to apply enough heat to the food being grilled? Sometimes I like a bit of char on the meat, not just "brown". Can it do it?
Oh yeah, when you use GrillGrates on your pellet cookers, have you ever tried covering the entire grilling surface with them? If that were to work without screwing with the temp probe reading/airflow....that would be an awesome setup for grilling. I used to have a Weber Genesis setup like that. LOVED IT!!!!
-
Oh yeah, when you use GrillGrates on your pellet cookers, have you ever tried covering the entire grilling surface with them? If that were to work without screwing with the temp probe reading/airflow....that would be an awesome setup for grilling. I used to have a Weber Genesis setup like that. LOVED IT!!!!
Please allow me to inject my experience in this....and try to save you a lot of frustration, and potentially...danger: I thought it was a good idea to cover the entire grilling surface with Grill Grates. I tried it in my MAK 2 Star. It works. It works so well that you can really get decent grill marks with a controller temp. setting @ 350F .... Impressive!
HOWEVER.....you do NOT want to do this. Because the while the MAK has a fantastic controller and can minimize any negative effects - the heat build up in the belly of the grill can lead to some issues. I warped the metal on mine doing this. On the MAK...not too bad and - when I re-finished it, you can't tell.
BUT WORSE....and to illustrate more clearly the potential downside - and before I understood what I was doing that could cause harm - I absolutely destroyed a Weber Genesis 310. How? Again - I filled the grilling area end - to- end with Grill Grates. And - turned the grill on HIGH. I left it on for an hour or so - because I was using the Weber to clean the regular grates from the MAK.
It cleaned off all of the carbon an grease, beautifully so...But the Weber's needle on the temp. gage was pegged - and did not return from that position even when the grill cooled down.
And - when I used it the next time - I noticed that soot and staining began to build up on the front lower corners of the Weber - where their had never been a problem before. And - for some reason - the lid did not seem to "fit right" when I lowered it.
What happened was this: The cast aluminum lower half of the Weber body had gotten SO hot from the heat trapping from the Grill Grates covering the surface - that I had softened the cast aluminum to the point that it began to bow or - sag. I shudder to think what may have happened had I not turned off the grill when I did.
Now - let me be CLEAR...and if you read NOTHING else in the above "Saga of Stupidity" on mY PART...Know this. THE event above was MY FAULT..... NOT ANY MANUFACTURER.
But, like most of us - I often look at a product and think..."wonder what would happen if I used it this way - or in a way other than recommended"?
So, please allow my experience in this regard to merely give one pause - to reason out further why or ..more importantly - why not to do something off-script.
I do not want to create fear or panic....Just up the "careful consideration" aspect of our having fun when playing with fire. That is not just an expression! :D ;)
-
Hey Pete...is that cauliflower bake recipe in your book? And...Could you possibly share it with us in the side dish Recipes section? It looks great!
It is not in my book ... and yes I will share it in the side dish recipes section and also below ... It tasted great!
Cauliflower Bake:
Ingredients:
•1 large head cauliflower
•4 tbsp butter
•½ cup heavy cream
•2 tsp minced garlic
•2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
•1 cup grated Parmesan
•1 tsp dry thyme leaves
•1 tsp salt
•½ tsp black pepper
Directions:
•Boil or steam cauliflower florets until tender (9 to 13 minutes)
•Preheat oven to 400ºF
•Spray baking dish with non-stick spray
•Place half the florets on the bottom of the baking dish
•Pour half the heavy cream over florets
•Season with half the salt and pepper
•Dot with half the butter and sprinkle half the garlic
•Sprinkle half the cheddar and Parmesan cheese
•Repeat with remaining ingredients
•Bake for 30 minutes until cheese is melted and golden brown
•Let cool for 5 minutes before serving
-
Oh yeah, when you use GrillGrates on your pellet cookers, have you ever tried covering the entire grilling surface with them? If that were to work without screwing with the temp probe reading/airflow....that would be an awesome setup for grilling. I used to have a Weber Genesis setup like that. LOVED IT!!!!
Please allow me to inject my experience in this....and try to save you a lot of frustration, and potentially...danger: I thought it was a good idea to cover the entire grilling surface with Grill Grates. I tried it in my MAK 2 Star. It works. It works so well that you can really get decent grill marks with a controller temp. setting @ 350F .... Impressive!
HOWEVER.....you do NOT want to do this. Because the while the MAK has a fantastic controller and can minimize any negative effects - the heat build up in the belly of the grill can lead to some issues. I warped the metal on mine doing this. On the MAK...not too bad and - when I re-finished it, you can't tell.
BUT WORSE....and to illustrate more clearly the potential downside - and before I understood what I was doing that could cause harm - I absolutely destroyed a Weber Genesis 310. How? Again - I filled the grilling area end - to- end with Grill Grates. And - turned the grill on HIGH. I left it on for an hour or so - because I was using the Weber to clean the regular grates from the MAK.
It cleaned off all of the carbon an grease, beautifully so...But the Weber's needle on the temp. gage was pegged - and did not return from that position even when the grill cooled down.
And - when I used it the next time - I noticed that soot and staining began to build up on the front lower corners of the Weber - where their had never been a problem before. And - for some reason - the lid did not seem to "fit right" when I lowered it.
What happened was this: The cast aluminum lower half of the Weber body had gotten SO hot from the heat trapping from the Grill Grates covering the surface - that I had softened the cast aluminum to the point that it began to bow or - sag. I shudder to think what may have happened had I not turned off the grill when I did.
Now - let me be CLEAR...and if you read NOTHING else in the above "Saga of Stupidity" on mY PART...Know this. THE event above was MY FAULT..... NOT ANY MANUFACTURER.
But, like most of us - I often look at a product and think..."wonder what would happen if I used it this way - or in a way other than recommended"?
So, please allow my experience in this regard to merely give one pause - to reason out further why or ..more importantly - why not to do something off-script.
I do not want to create fear or panic....Just up the "careful consideration" aspect of our having fun when playing with fire. That is not just an expression! :D ;)
Great points!!! Thanks for taking the time to reply. Couldn't agree more about the heat buildup...NEVER ran my Genesis higher then medium. Even at medium...that was some serious heat. Worked great though.
So maybe 3 or 4 GG panels on a 2 Star...leaving at least a couple of inches of open space on each end. Thinking that would be ok, yeah??