OT: Need a new grill

[jchasse]

It's time to replace my disintegrating Weber grill. Can you guys shed any light on a replacement?

Requirements:

Under $1,500

Gas, propane or possibly infrared? Has anyone cooked on infrared? How is it?

This will not a charcoal or wood grill. I may some day buy a Big Green Egg or something similar. But for now I want something I can simply "turn on" and preheat after work.

Doesn't need to be real big. But I do want something that'll get HOT.

I don't need side burners, or a rotisserie or any of that, but at least one side shelf seems pretty necessary. The ability to do some smoking would be a huge plus, but I guess I can do that on just about any grill with an add-on smoker box, right?

What are the best brands that will still come in around my budget?

What can you tell me??

[sokyroadie]

I have a relatively low end Char-Broil infrared grill (under $300 @Lowes) it has held up very well in the 3 years that I have owned it. It keeps food very moist and almost impossible to get a flare-up. With that being said I also have a Big Green Egg and find that it just about as fast to use it as it is the gas grill. I have had the BGE for 10+ years and it is still as good as day 1.

Don't sell the BGE short.

Jeff

[Andrewlcox]

Have you considered refurbishing your old Weber grill? Weber has parts for grills over 10 years old like the SIlver model that I just refurbished. I basically got a new grill for under $200 after purchasing new burners, ingnitor, grill grates and knobs.

[jchasse]

I have a relatively low end Char-Broil infrared grill (under $300 @Lowes) it has held up very well in the 3 years that I have owned it. It keeps food very moist and almost impossible to get a flare-up. With that being said I also have a Big Green Egg and find that it just about as fast to use it as it is the gas grill. I have had the BGE for 10+ years and it is still as good as day 1.

Don't sell the BGE short.

Jeff

So how do you go about heating up the BGE, and how long does it take? Can you relatively quickly get it hot enough to sear meat etc?

[dave thompson]

Refurb your Weber, or buy a new Weber.

I've had Webers for many years and I'm in the process of buying a Big Green Egg as a second grill/smoker.

[SamIAm]

So how do you go about heating up the BGE, and how long does it take? Can you relatively quickly get it hot enough to sear meat etc?

Get a green egg and a luftlighter. I can be grilling in 10 minutes.

[Tony T]

+1 on the BGE, but is is higher maintenance than a propane grill. ("Taste the meat not the heat" -- H.Hill)

BGE is great for smoking (20hr pulled pork), great for grilling (great for steaks (http://www.biggreenegg.com/recipes/the-perfect-steaks/)), and also great for pizza.

[Tony T]

Get a green egg and a luftlighter. I can be grilling in 10 minutes.

Now I want a Looftlighter :) (never knew about this, thanks)

http://i4.ytimg.com/vi/Ow7Lm6_bCf0/hqdefault.jpg?feature=og

[HenryA]

Get a green egg and a luftlighter. I can be grilling in 10 minutes.

^this^

[Ken Robb]

I have never found a gas grill that gets hot enough for me to sear steaks as dark as I like fast enough to let me still have a warm center. The best gas units I have tried were all Weber grills. Good friends have a big Vermont Castings gas grill with a radiant burner which might sear well if a user practiced with it for a while.

I had a Japanese ceramic cooker like a BGE. It was wonderful for smoking and roasting but mine lacked adjustable height grills so I couldn't get a steak close enough for that searing heat that I like.

A few years ago some friends gave me a Weber Kettle that sits in a cart with a storage bin for a bag of charcoal and A PROPANE LIGHTER! I was really surprised how much better that is than all my other lighting methods. I just pile the briquettes above the gas pipe, turn on the gas, and push the lighter button. In 10 minutes I'm ready to cook. A kettle doesn't need nearly as much cleaning as many gas grills either.

As others have mentioned Weber has terrific support for their products with every repair part readily available.

[chuckroast]

...is a Weber Performer. I have one and it's the bomb. I go turn on the gas bottle, hit the button, come back 10 minutes later and start cooking. It looks like this,

[kurto]

I'll echo what everyone has said: go Weber. You can get a sweet Summit for that $$. You could also probably get entirely new innards for your grill for just a few hundo. If the box itself is burnt out and/or rusting you should be able to warranty it. Check with your local Weber dealer. I'd stay away from infrared. A couple years ago I bought a Char-Broil infrared, and it was ok for a while. To make a log story short, my new Weber Genesis will be delivered this week. No need to overthink this. If you want a gas grill, the only question is what model Weber you want. (As an aside, for smoking nothing beats the Weber bullet - get one.)

[Tony T]

Damn, now I'm hungry :)

[Ken Robb]

...is a Weber Performer. I have one and it's the bomb. I go turn on the gas bottle, hit the button, come back 10 minutes later and start cooking. It looks like this,

Yep, that's the one.

[mod6]

A Weber genius or summit grill and a Weber Smokey mountain 22.5 and your set

[jghall]

Ditto the others. BGE.

For gas though, refurb your Weber or get another one. Get GrillGrates too.

[rice rocket]

Whoa, that Weber thing is what I've been wanting forever!

[zap]

Gas, propane or possibly infrared? Has anyone cooked on infrared? How is it?



We've been using our TEC infrared grill for 10 years now. How is it.....great. It's a very well built unit and customer service has been great.

http://www.tecinfrared.com/

We had a Webber before our TEC and well.....we would take a close look at TEC grills again if we needed a new grill.

The TEC units can get very hot so take care.

[josephr]

Just me, the wife and kids..got the small Char-Broil InfraRed. No sideburner or nothing and its awesome...no more burned chicken or over-cooked burgers...great at controlling the heat and no more flare-ups either. We don't entertain oftern but its big enough to do 12 burgers at a time if you have If you're going small, no frills, just a kick-butt gas grill, I highly recommend it for less than $300 at Lowe's.

Note: I love the taste/flavor of charcoal, but for me its hard to beat the convenience and no fuss factor of gas.

[Ken Robb]

[QUOTE=

Note: I love the taste/flavor of charcoal, but for me its hard to beat the convenience and no fuss factor of gas.[/QUOTE]

Not to be a smart alec but for this kind of cooking where I don't need the flavor of charcoal cooking I use the broiler in my kitchen range. For instance lamb chops have so much flavor that we love them done in the broiler. Last night we had them with a little Penzeys Black and Red pepper mix and Lawry's Seasoned Salt--yumeeeee--and the Brochelle Zinfandel didn't hurt the overall enjoyment either.

[Birddog]

So how do you go about heating up the BGE, and how long does it take? Can you relatively quickly get it hot enough to sear meat etc?
I can routinely get my BGE up around 500* to 600* in 30 mins using a chimney with newspaper starter. Just have to make sure you're using decent lump, not too big not to small. I get mine at WalMart, Royal Oak brand. Lump can be terribly inconsistent in size from bag to bag though.

[jchasse]

I'm really tempted by a BGE or Primo. But I'll be honest - I live in SW Colorado. We had a pretty horrible wild fire year last year, and it looks like it may be as bad or worse this year. The wash that I live in (called Dry Gulch) is a tinder box already.

The grill will be on a wood deck, and it's in a natural wind tunnel. So the idea of using charcoal several times a week has me a little jumpy. Am I being paranoid??

[mister]

^ probably not in that case

i prefer to grille with charcoal/wood, especially if it's a nice steak or something
sometimes a little bit of orange coals will fall through from the bottom of my weber to the little ash catch tray

the gas grilles are convenient though

[Ken Robb]

I don't remember flying embers from charcoal but I have had some from the newspaper I used to light the charcoal. One other advantage of my propane lighter in the Weber is that it prevents the stench of burning paper or lighter fluid.

Another surprise for me was how MUCH better the canister ash catcher is than the cursed saucer device. When it gets full I carefully detach it from the bottom of the grill and slide it into a garbage bag, close the bag around the whole container and dump the ashes into the bag. No more wind-blown stinky ashes in the patio and on my person.

[crossjunkee]

3 words, Big Green Egg.

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa110/velosprocket/IMG_1622-1.jpg (http://s201.photobucket.com/user/velosprocket/media/IMG_1622-1.jpg.html)

The Egg uses lump charcoal, much different than your standard Kingsford.

Weber is good for burgers, they don't get hot enough to sear. The BGE is a different animal all together, no comparison.

[Exonerv]

+1 on the Weber Performer. I'm on my second one over the last 15 years. Easiest, best charcoal grill EVER.

They come in some cool colors too..if that's your thing. I like black with my Ti.

[Birddog]

I'm really tempted by a BGE or Primo. But I'll be honest - I live in SW Colorado. We had a pretty horrible wild fire year last year, and it looks like it may be as bad or worse this year. The wash that I live in (called Dry Gulch) is a tinder box already.

The grill will be on a wood deck, and it's in a natural wind tunnel. So the idea of using charcoal several times a week has me a little jumpy. Am I being paranoid??

I have a Primo at the summer place in N NM and I just follow the burn regs put out by the feds/state. Lump does throw off some sparks so I always monitor it closely. I've considered getting one of those fine mesh screens for the chimney.
I certainly would keep an eye on it and probably wouldn't use it in marginal burn times, I always play it safe.

[Ken Robb]

3 words, Big Green Egg.

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa110/velosprocket/IMG_1622-1.jpg (http://s201.photobucket.com/user/velosprocket/media/IMG_1622-1.jpg.html)

The Egg uses lump charcoal, much different than your standard Kingsford.

This photo looks like you can get the grill holding the charcoal much closer to the meat than the one I had 20+ years ago. Is the white stuff under the ribs charcoal? My old unit had the coal grate near the bottom of the egg which was fine for roasting/smoking but too far away to do my steaks. Are the coal grates now height-adjustable?

[crossjunkee]

This photo looks like you can get the grill holding the charcoal much closer to the meat than the one I had 20+ years ago. Is the white stuff under the ribs charcoal? My old unit had the coal grate near the bottom of the egg which was fine for roasting/smoking but too far away to do my steaks. Are the coal grates now height-adjustable?


It's a place setter, for indirect cooking. Flip the place setter over, add a pizza stone, and you're ready for pizza. If I sear a steak the cooking grate sits much closer to the lump charcaol. I can get the temp over 700 degrees in 10 - 15 mins.

http://www.biggreenegg.com/eggcessories/plate-setters-baking-stones/plate-setter/

[pdmtong]

I've got a weber performer so i can have gas ignited charcoal on a nice rolling cart. I have the original metal table one. still going good. this is the best set up ever for charcoal

I also have a weber summit silver B - got on a great deal when they switched model lines to the current. as someone else stated...its bomber. no issue if need replacement parts. plenty of grill surface area.

Would like a BGE but just not ready to invest the $1k needed for the large. the medium is too small. would want a cart/table too. one way to get it cheaper is buying a demo from the annual BGE fest the local retailer hols. they deliver it assembled. so what it was used once at a festival. one day. but plenty other things need first especially given I have two nice grills already

[Birddog]

The BGE is far and away the most versatile piece of cooking equipment that I own. The list of "Bests" that has come out of that thing in the 4 years I've had one is incredible and I've only scratched the surface of what it can do. I think I'll do a meatloaf tomorrow, mmmm can't wait. Aside from cleaning up the ash every 2nd or 3rd time I use it, the mtnc is minimal. Winter temps and wind don't affect cooking performance either.

[mister]

Weber is good for burgers, they don't get hot enough to sear. The BGE is a different animal all together, no comparison.

i have a larger weber kettle, your right you have to build a pretty rambunctious fire to get it hot enough to sear, yes i can cook awesome steaks on it.

but my neighbor has one of these little webers
http://www.weber.com/grills/series/smokey-joe

the grate is really close to the coals, would be perfect for searing...

[Ken Robb]

Years ago I rented a lakefront place at Tahoe and bought a Smoky Joe to use on the deck over the lake. I thought I would leave it when we went home but it did such a good job for cooking meat for 2-4 people that I brought it home and used it instead of my BGE for meat searing. That was a nice one-two punch for outdoor cooking success.

[Elefantino]

I'm still trying to get my head around a $1,500 grill... :eek:

Our little Char-Broil patio caddy works excellently, but then again it's just the two of us.

[crossjunkee]

Wait for a "Grill Your Ace Off" event that's close to you. They sell BGE's for much less than normal, since they use them in the cook off. That's what I did. Turns out, they didn't use half of them, so I got a discount, and free assembly! Although, it was harder to transport assembled.

[Ken Robb]

One mistake I made choosing a gas grill: I bought one big enough for as many guests as I could imagine having assuming when cooking for 2-4 people I would just light one side. That didn't work because with only one side lit the open end of the active burner toward the middle of the large grill lost heat faster and so was quite a bit cooler than the side of the burner toward the closed end. Uneven heat is a real PITA.

[classtimesailer]

This photo looks like you can get the grill holding the charcoal much closer to the meat than the one I had 20+ years ago. Is the white stuff under the ribs charcoal? My old unit had the coal grate near the bottom of the egg which was fine for roasting/smoking but too far away to do my steaks. Are the coal grates now height-adjustable?

You don't have to get the meat close to the fire to char a steak in a BGE. I don't think that the BGE has changed.

[earlfoss]

I'm picking one of these up for a second grill.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00022OK2A
It's a searing, hot temp machine.

I'm going nuts seeing all of these posts on the BGE's....

Argh. Must buy.

[Ken Robb]

You don't have to get the meat close to the fire to char a steak in a BGE. I don't think that the BGE has changed.

Maybe I have to emphasize that I want a charred exterior and a red center on my steaks. If steaks that are more done in the middle are acceptable to you then you can wait for the exterior to get charred. I could do that with my BGE but that's a ruined steak to me.

[SpokeValley]

Have you considered refurbishing your old Weber grill? Weber has parts for grills over 10 years old like the SIlver model that I just refurbished. I basically got a new grill for under $200 after purchasing new burners, ingnitor, grill grates and knobs.

Ditto that.

I've had a Weber Genesis Gold for close to 10 years and it's like a new grill after a simple refurb. Love it.

[josephr]

Not to be a smart alec but for this kind of cooking where I don't need the flavor of charcoal cooking I use the broiler in my kitchen range. For instance lamb chops have so much flavor that we love them done in the broiler. Last night we had them with a little Penzeys Black and Red pepper mix and Lawry's Seasoned Salt--yumeeeee--and the Brochelle Zinfandel didn't hurt the overall enjoyment either.

no smart-alec taken.....our house was built in 61 and the kitchen is now what used to be the garage and is encased by windows with heating/cooling coming from the other rooms. So, we avoid using the oven during the hottest days of summer (I live in Alabama). So, that means grilling for us. During the winter we'll broil stuff and its definitely a great way to go to. Ever tried a cedar plank? thats yummy too!

[Ken Robb]

no smart-alec taken.....our house was built in 61 and the kitchen is now what used to be the garage and is encased by windows with heating/cooling coming from the other rooms. So, we avoid using the oven during the hottest days of summer (I live in Alabama). So, that means grilling for us. During the winter we'll broil stuff and its definitely a great way to go to. Ever tried a cedar plank? thats yummy too!

I was stationed at Redstone Arsenal 1967-69, married a lady from Guntersville, and had a good time in Alabama. I seriously considered staying there after my discharge but I was asked to go to SoCal by my former employer so I thought I had to have a look. My daughter graduated from Auburn in 1998. Where do you live?

[John M]

I like our Broilmaster p4. I have had it since 2001 and it is great. NG piped from the house and all parts readily available.

The comment about needed a smaller grill when you usually cook for 2-4 people is spot on.

[SlackMan]

Maybe I have to emphasize that I want a charred exterior and a red center on my steaks. If steaks that are more done in the middle are acceptable to you then you can wait for the exterior to get charred. I could do that with my BGE but that's a ruined steak to me.

You can do the following on a grill or stove top. It's the best way I've ever found to cook a steak. First, a preface. Most high-end steakhouses cook their steaks sous vide (in a vacuum-packed plastic bag in a temperature-controlled water bath with a max temperature as high as they want the interior of the steak. Since the water is no hotter than that temp, they can cook it until the entire interior is that temp, and then they sear the outside).

Now, the at-home version of that: Put your steak in a 200 degree oven with an internal temperature probe until it reaches your desired temp, e.g., 130 degrees. This can take quite awhile. When it is getting close to your desired temp, you fire up the grill on high or a cast iron skillet on the stove top. When the steak reaches the desired temp, pull it out and sear it very briefly on the grill or skillet. Here's what happens. Because you use low heat, the steak interior cooks almost perfectly evenly throughout. When you pull the steak out to sear it, the surface temp is already 130 degrees, so it caramelizes much faster than if it started out cold.

In short, you reverse the typical searing then interior cooking to be interior cooking followed by searing. Because the surface starts hot, you get a much nicer exterior crust without the problem of overcooking the interior edges. This is how they cook steaks in heaven!

Shane

[Ken Robb]

Wow Shane, who knew? I might try that although: I usually get my steaks done just right on my Weber Kettle and I had a good friend who owned one of the best steak houses in San Diego and he did them over a really hot gas grill. I am always impressed how many steaks, chops, etc. a good grill chef can manage at once. I have a hard time keeping track on one small group of steaks that start and finish at the same time if I have to do corn-on-the-cob at the same time.

[Louis]

I'm still trying to get my head around a $1,500 grill... :eek:

Some people build what's essentially a second kitchen outside. If you're going to do that, then $1.5k for a grill is small percentage of the whole project.


http://ei.marketwatch.com/Multimedia/2011/01/19/Photos/MG/MW-AI188_home_o_20110119153900_MG.jpg

[SlackMan]

Wow Shane, who knew? I might try that although: I usually get my steaks done just right on my Weber Kettle and I had a good friend who owned one of the best steak houses in San Diego and he did them over a really hot gas grill. I am always impressed how many steaks, chops, etc. a good grill chef can manage at once. I have a hard time keeping track on one small group of steaks that start and finish at the same time if I have to do corn-on-the-cob at the same time.

Trust me, just try it once. You know how pictures of steakhouse steaks in ads show a uniform pink color from edge to edge of the interior and a nice crust on the outside? It is almost impossible to get that with the really hot gas grill and cooking in the usual fashion. Almost inevitably, cooking in the usual fashion, you wind up with the section just inside the char as being overcooked relative to the very center of the steak.

To be sure, you can get a fine steak cooked in the usual fashion. I have a Weber Gold gas grill and cooked many good steaks in the usual fashion. But the slow-cook oven method yields a much better final result.

Shane

[cassa]

Maybe I have to emphasize that I want a charred exterior and a red center on my steaks.

You can cook directly on the coals. There are some YouTube videos of the process.

Or, you can do what I do and put a disk of cast iron with holes in it (I use the fire grate that came with my BGE) directly on the hot charcoal and let it get really hot. Steaks sear really well on it.

[rice rocket]

You can do the following on a grill or stove top. It's the best way I've ever found to cook a steak. First, a preface. Most high-end steakhouses cook their steaks sous vide (in a vacuum-packed plastic bag in a temperature-controlled water bath with a max temperature as high as they want the interior of the steak. Since the water is no hotter than that temp, they can cook it until the entire interior is that temp, and then they sear the outside).

Now, the at-home version of that: Put your steak in a 200 degree oven with an internal temperature probe until it reaches your desired temp, e.g., 130 degrees. This can take quite awhile. When it is getting close to your desired temp, you fire up the grill on high or a cast iron skillet on the stove top. When the steak reaches the desired temp, pull it out and sear it very briefly on the grill or skillet. Here's what happens. Because you use low heat, the steak interior cooks almost perfectly evenly throughout. When you pull the steak out to sear it, the surface temp is already 130 degrees, so it caramelizes much faster than if it started out cold.

In short, you reverse the typical searing then interior cooking to be interior cooking followed by searing. Because the surface starts hot, you get a much nicer exterior crust without the problem of overcooking the interior edges. This is how they cook steaks in heaven!

Shane

A friend of mine did this.

http://www.amazon.com/AGPtek%C2%AE-K-Type-SNR-Temperature-Controller/dp/B007H5GQUY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371608514&sr=8-1&keywords=temp+pid

http://www.amazon.com/Amico-SSR-25DA-Temperature-Control-Solid/dp/B004HZN628/ref=pd_cp_hi_1

http://www.amazon.com/Amico-Heating-Element-Cartridge-Heater/dp/B0087ZUO0G/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1371608601&sr=8-7&keywords=heating+element+120v

Get on it. :)

[mister]

a steak in the skillet just isn't the same as on the grille over coals
both are good but it's not the same

i'll even do something like
get a really nice cut of steak, about 1.5" thick
heat oil in a nice heavy fry pan 'til it's smoking
drop the steak in there about 2.5 minutes a side

still not the same...

[oldguy00]

For those wanting a BGE, but not wanting to drop the $$$, get a Vision brand Kamado. It is essentially the same thing, but half the price and includes some accessories.
A buddy has the BGE, and I have the Vision. We've cooked together on both, and can't notice a difference in performance. Vision also has amazing customer service.
Check the reviews:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Vision-Grills-Kamado-Pro-Ceramic-Charcoal-Grill-B4TV31BV3/202926563#.UcEoo-sZyRY

[rice rocket]

^^ Cheaper at Costco and lifetime returns.

http://www.costco.com/Vision-Grills-Classic-Kamado-Charcoal-Grill.product.11760270.html?catalogId=10701&keyword=kamado&langId=-1&storeId=10301

[gaucho753]

I've been impressed with the grills they sell at Costco. Worth checking out if you have a membership.

Keep in mind, you can smoke meat on a gas grill. Just soak some wood chips, put them in a tray, and only turn on the burners under the wood chips.

http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab69/gaucho510/TheFam/IMG_5249_zps3bd26c4f.jpg

[Ken Robb]

You can cook directly on the coals. There are some YouTube videos of the process.

Or, you can do what I do and put a disk of cast iron with holes in it (I use the fire grate that came with my BGE) directly on the hot charcoal and let it get really hot. Steaks sear really well on it.
I didn't have any extra stuff like that. I just had a charcoal grate near the bottom of the BGE and the meat grate up near the top.

[cassa]

I didn't have any extra stuff like that. I just had a charcoal grate near the bottom of the BGE and the meat grate up near the top.

I use the charcoal grate you mention (I replaced it with one of these: http://www.high-que.com/Stainless-High-Heat-Charcoal-Fire-Grate-Upgrade-for-Large-Big-Green-Egg-Grill_p_19.html, so I don't need the original cast iron piece for its original purpose).

That said, you don't need anything extra -- you really can cook directly on the charcoal without the meat grate, or you can fill the firebox with more charcoal so that the fire is closer to the top.

[Birddog]

For those wanting a BGE, but not wanting to drop the $$$, get a Vision brand Kamado. It is essentially the same thing, but half the price and includes some accessories.
A buddy has the BGE, and I have the Vision. We've cooked together on both, and can't notice a difference in performance. Vision also has amazing customer service.
Check the reviews:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Vision-Grills-Kamado-Pro-Ceramic-Charcoal-Grill-B4TV31BV3/202926563#.UcEoo-sZyRY

Lowes also has a knock off but don't get the steel one. If you have an Academy Sports nearby (mostly across the South from Okla to Fla), they have one too. Best price I've seen and appears to be OK. http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_10051_248506_-1__?N=77985508
Replacement parts for any of the knock offs would be my concern. I think some BGE parts might transfer.

Thanks for the info on that grate Cassa, it looks like it is indeed an improvement.

[VTCaraco]

I like our Broilmaster p4. I have had it since 2001 and it is great. NG piped from the house and all parts readily available.

We replaced a fantastic Ducane about 10 years ago with a Broilmaster. We had a sentimental attachment to the old red machine, but the Broilmaster has been terrific.
Personally, I feel like the build-quality of the Weber products is not in line with our old Ducane or the Broilmaster and that's what motivated our decision.
And we bought ours through a store out of Roanake, VA (http://www.dixieproducts.com/gas_grills.html). I'd recommend contacting them to see what they would recommend.

[josephr]

I was stationed at Redstone Arsenal 1967-69, married a lady from Guntersville, and had a good time in Alabama. I seriously considered staying there after my discharge but I was asked to go to SoCal by my former employer so I thought I had to have a look. My daughter graduated from Auburn in 1998. Where do you live?

Finished at UAB in 1993 and stayed in Birmingham and grew up in West Alabama...brother lives in the Huntsville area..he's retired, but his wife is still working at Redstone.

Its a pretty nice place to live and good riding around here too...plenty of hills to climb if you want and flats if you don't. Drivers around here certainly aren't the cycling friendly...but its a lot better than it used to be!

[josephr]

a steak in the skillet just isn't the same as on the grille over coals
both are good but it's not the same

i'll even do something like
get a really nice cut of steak, about 1.5" thick
heat oil in a nice heavy fry pan 'til it's smoking
drop the steak in there about 2.5 minutes a side

still not the same...

sounds good to me!!! I'm getting hungry!

[austex]

http://ameritasinsight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Grill75162107-e1315835998163.jpg