When I make roast beef in the kitchen I typically have these two cooking steps:
- Sear on all sides in a frying pan on high(ish) heat;
- Slowly roast it in the oven on low(ish) temperatures.
I've varied the temperature in step 2 from 160 degrees celsius down to 80 degrees (about the lowest temp my oven can consistently provide). I've found that the closer (lower) I get to 80 degrees, the better the result.
I want to bring this process to my BBQ now, preferably doing both steps using the BBQ itself. I'm unsure how to deal with the fact that the BBQ should be rather hot for step 1, yet a lot cooler for step 2.
From experience I know that the heat I'd want for step 1 would at a minimum lead to 180 degrees on my BBQ when the lid goes on (or higher if I'd fail to reduce air flow).
The only workarounds I could think of:
- Do step 1 in the kitchen with a frying pan (feels like cheating / will reduce BBQ-flavor);
- Do step 1 on a lot of coal, and remove some coal before moving to step 2 (feels wasteful);
Do you guys have any suggestions on how to handle this?
Some more details:
- I have a Weber BBQ with lid and built-in temperature monitor;
- I have a meat thermometer to measure the core temp of the meat as it roasts;
- I use indirect heat for step 2 by having the coal on the sides and the meat in the middle, and intended to use direct heat in step 1 by placing the meat over one of the sides;
- I have a chimney to quickly get fresh coal started;