medtran49
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Gave both techniques a whirl. I'll give them both another try using what I learned today. The steak was pretty good, but it was obvious I made some mistakes.
First, I used too much salt, which I realized today when I was looking up how long to sous vide. You are apparently supposed to use 3/4 tsp per pound. I used a lot more than that. That's what you get when you are only half, if that even, paying attention to a cooking show using the dry brining technique. You pat the steak dry, then salt it, including the sides.
The steak sat on a rack over a pan in the extra refrigerator for about 76 hours, uncovered. Next time, I will only let it set for 24 to 48 hours. The difference in the appearance and feel of the outside was dramatic from yesterday to today. Yesterday midday, the color had deepened some, but the outside still looked pretty much the same. Today, the color was a deep dark red and the outside looked and felt almost leathery, and it crusted that way too when seared. It was a bit unpleasant to chew, but by no means inedible.
I set the temperature for the sous vide at 123 F because that's what one of the articles at Serious Eats recommended for rib eyes. Next time, it will be 120 or maybe even a little less. The steak cooked for almost 2 hours in the sous vide.
Craig set up the charcoal in the chimney, I think it was caseydog who wrote he did it that way, lit the briquettes, let them ash, then put a small grate over the top of the chimney, and seared the steak for about a minute or so on each side.
BTW, we just replaced Craig's Weber 22 inch kettle grill because the bottom air doohickey was toast. Be careful if you are in the market, they are making aluminum grills that are the same price as the last steel one we bought years ago. The steel ones have gone up almost $100. The steel ones come with the side hinged grate, combined with the 10 inch removable round center grill standard. While I was looking at the grills, saw Weber is now making a cone accessory that the wide end goes over the coals on the lower charcoal grate and the smaller end under the upper grate, making a hot spot for searing or stir frying or whatever you might need a small super hot spot for.
Please post your experiences and I'll post what happens next time with the changes noted above.
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