Need help creating good char crust layer on my Rib Eye Steak

Most every picture in grill recipes shows the steak lwitha 90 degree cross hatch pattern looking gray on the outside, but I wanted to have more of a charred layer tasty outside to my steak, but not burnt. So you don't want a burnt outside of your steak which would defeat the purpose, you just want something charred and tasty.

Maybe some powdery flavorful layer that might char up nicely. I am using a LP gas grill with an infrared searer, so I can get it real hot.

I have recipe writer's block here, I can't think of what kind of rub or powder to come up with to leave a nice charred tasty layer.

I'm thinking maybe parika as a base, but not sure, or some baste that I can mop on, which could carmelize and char over?

Anyone got any ideas on this? Any idea what high end steak houses do?

I'd also love a good mushroom recipe if anyone has one. Thanks!

My most successful chars are with a bone-dry steak, and the grate as high as it can get. Morton's and Ruth's Chris get their grill temps up and beyond 900F !!

It's doubtful you'll get there with your gasser, so if you have one, get your cast iron grate as hot as it will go.

This is kinda uncommen of a question. but that happens where Hot metal meets up to meat and drys and burns it, you could use a flat griddle and sere each side, seasons will crisp up but after along cooking time, you steak will be on the well done side.

With my liquid propane gas grill, my infrared burner gets up to 1600 degrees. It's made up of a special ceramic element with mini honeycomb patterns that causes the gas to heat up. It's so hot, Ithat even with my long tongs, I can barely stand to put my arm over the grill long enough to flip the steaks when I sear them.

Like I said, I can char the steak, but it would most likely burn the outside, not just char it, and there would not be much flavor. This is why I want some type of charred flavor layer which would still allow the steak to sear without burning, but the charred layer wouls have flavor, so I would have to be some sort of thick rub.

Got any ideas?

You'll need to use your IR burner to do what you want to do. Give it a good sear on each side for 2-3 minutes per, then move to the grill and cook at medium until desired temp.

Edit: also don't use pepper or sugar or paprika. It burns and will give an off taste to your meat. Stick with a heavy dose of slat (much of it will come off when you flip).

I just use salt and pepper. I prefer to use mesquite wood, and get a HOT fire. I let the steak sit on the counter for a couple hours to get well at room temperature. I toss on the meat close enough to the fire so it flares up some. Get a nice carmelization on the fat. Flip and let fat on that side get carmelized.
That's it. Crisp fat and good char (grill) marks, but red in the middle.

I'd definately use some olive oil and a rub with a little sugar in it. I was having the same issue as you with tri-tip and added a little sugar to the rub and it worked great.

Try this:
http://www.charcrust.com/index.html

One time my dad made this mop(can't describe it any other way) for some t-bones he was going to grill. It was basically garlic, onions, butter, salt and pepper all liquified in a blender. There was probably a little beer in it too. We always use beer. Anyway, it was very thick and he slathered it on with a brush to each side on the steak. It looked like they were coated with buttermilk. Once they hit the grill, a good majority of the mop fell off but what remained did char up quite nice and gave the steaks a great flavor. After they were cooked you couldn't tell he had coated them with this mixture but you could taste it in the char.

From the Naked Whiz's website, here's a step-by-step method to "T-Rex" a steak. Perfect crust with lots of flavor. Just modify the recipe for your cooker (hopefully you can get the "nuclear temps", 800+, required).

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/trexsteak.htm

Dan