Not to tangent the thread onto Mammoth sized steak searing, but as it's come up I thought I'd share the cast iron trick.
I love to take a 12" cast iron pan, put in a couple tablespoons of butter or oil, and get it just below smoking hot, then flash sear the Meat (could be a 3" thick steak, or 1" thin Ahi tuna, or Scallops or prawns for that matter) But you just sear them quick and briefly.....
for thick steaks like these boneless Rib-eye in my Fred Flinstone 3" thick cut, sear them in the pan on the side burner, then finish off for 15-20 minutes low and slow over indirrect heat on the bbq while adding some wood chips in an alum pan over the heat for smoked goodness.
Step ONE: Buy 16 pound package of Boneless Ribeye. YUM
Step TWO: Steak out whole cut of meat, freeze some and make roast into some.......for tonights meal, Whittle off two steaks, one about 3" thick and a 3 pound hunk of meat for me, and a smaller 1.5-2 pound cut for the wife. Get the oil hot in the cast iron and sear.
STEP three, finish steaks low an slow over indirect heat in the BBQ, and slice up potatoes 1/4" thick and some mushrooms to finish in the left over beef fat in the cast iron pan...... Let the meat rest, slice and searve.
Next Meal - Seared Ahi Tuna Steaks.
1" thick tuna, soak in Teryaki sauce for 1 hour marniade, put in cast iron pan and lightly sprinkle with black/white seaseme seeds. QUICK QUICK sear is all that is required, like only 1 minute a side! It should be very pink / raw on the inside, slice very thin, and serve with Wasabi dipping sauce.
Hope this helps motivate people to use their side burners more often......on most peoples grill they don't know what to do with it and it never gets used?......Cast Iron Pans are often found cheap at Garage Sales, Thrift Stores, or even Harbor Freight. Get one at least 10" if not 12" is perfect.
I bbq year around under a covered deck, and I mean YEAR around! 25F outside this night. Looks like that night was some New York Steaks, searsed on the grill from the hash marks. Note the perforated wok skillet for onions/mushrooms drizzled in olive oil and garlic powder, and some bread getting toasted right at the end too.
DANGGG I'm hungry now! Hope you all are too.......