Thick Steaks

I get these thick, 1.5-3 inch, steaks (from Costco) and it has been a little hit and miss in terms of cooked, undercooked, over cooked.

I use a Weber and my general formula is:

High High High until both sides are seared (grill lined)
Medium Off Medium until the steaks "feel" (using the "nose method") medium.

I grill all year long so I might be outside when it is 95 degrees I might be outside when it is 15 degrees (what? I like steak!)

I am trying to get consistent to avoid being called "the incinerator" by my wife and being the first family to die of e coli on my block.

Is there some "formula" I should be using?

i get those super thick steaks from costco, too, and they are great. sometimes i get the t-bones, other times the sirloins.

i go about eight minutes per side for rare/medium rare.

i know this is grilling sacrilege but since the steaks are so cheap i always grill an extra one or two for leftovers and i have no qualms about cutting one open to see how done it is.

I use the cooking guide that comes with Omaha Steaks and it usually gets me pretty close. It assumes a red-hot grill (which the [u]Barbecue Bible[/u] or [u]How to Gril[/u]) can help you with). Here's the URL to the chart:
http://www.omahasteaks.com/gifs/2002_03 ... k_fnl2.pdf

I also occasionally use an instant read thermometer if the steaks are expensive.

I have cooked steaks like that on a weber, from BJ's though.
Usually, I heat the grill up to max (over 500) then leave on the high heat for about 2 minutes per side to sear as well as get some nice crosshatching. Next what i'll do is kill
the center burner, and adjust the front and back burners to maintain a constant 350-400 inside the grill. Since its using indirect grilling, you dont need to worry about flare ups from oil or fat. I let them cook for about 6-7 minutes per side or more if necessary. Also, a good trick is too keep dousing it with Worchesitre (dont think that spelled right) sauce as a baste,
it keeps the meat really moist as well as adding an extra layer to sear the juices in.

BTW. This technique works for ALL seasons, because like you, i grill all year round.

Start with a grill in excess of 450 degrees to sear the meat. then take the guess work out of it: get a digital meat thermometer. use it per the manufacturer's instructions and you can't lose. You can get one at Lowe's or Williams-sonoma for $15-30. Over time, you'll develop a better idea of how long is long enough.

By the way, I mean not insult your intelligence, but you CAN leave these thermometers in the meat while it grills. They have a long cord that plugs into a digital readout. I'm telling you this because I had no idea you could do that until I saw a guy using one on the Food Network. With the success I've had with it, I won't chance thick cuts of many meat without it.

Good Luck

On Fathers Day, my son gave me a "Thermo Fork" to help me with my grilling. This takes the guess work out. It beeps, and blinks when you hit the desired temperature for how you want you meet cooked. You even select the type of meat that you are cooking. I mentioned this post, and was told that this "Thermo Fork" is available at Meijer department stores for normally $12.99. I think he got it on sale for even cheaper than that. It really comes in handy with chicken and pork when undercooking is a concern. Ot runs on two AAA batteries and is really easy to use. Helps you cook to perfection every time. Good luck!

This is how I do it and what I recomend to friends. I have the heat up to med on a propane gas bbq. With the lid down I cook the steaks just until the blood starts to come out of the steak. This may take up to 5 minutes. Then I turn it over and cook the steaks for another 3 minutes tops. You get good grilling marks and one side may be a little darker then the other side but then you have a choice for your presentation. You should get great med-rare steaks with this method. Once you get the med-rare steaks check the doness of it with the palm method. The doness should be the same as the bottom right side of your left palm. Let the steaks sit for almost 5 minutes before serving. ( I may let it sit for only 3 minutes as I'm hungry).

The main point here is cook the one side till it bleeds. It may take longer thatn 5 minutes depending on the thickness of the steak s.