I am using a charcoal grill so its hard to really adjust the heat. Could I sear the meat on the stove prior to putting it on the grill?

 

I wouldn't, while I agree learning how to control the temp and cooking with charcoal can be a pain I think it's worth the effort...in fact, I've never cooked on gas, my dad raised me on charcoal...when I started doing it on my own I screwed up all the time!

I suggest practicing with chicken or something cheaper than steaks, get a thermometer for the grill so you can see what temp you're cooking at...I have no problem with my smoker holding it exactly at 225 for 14 hours, but I screwed up a lot of meat to get there

 

Do you know how to use charcoal to control heat? That could be a good subject too.

 

WIth charcoal grills, put the steak right in the middle of the grill to sear. Then move to the outside. Controlling heat on charcoal is all about indirect vs. direct heating (of course venting, hood open/close makes a diff abt heat).

 

I mainly use the height of the grill to control the heat from charcoal. You can also pile most of the coals to one side to create a high heat zone, and use the other side for lower indirect heat (for rectangular grills like a hibachi).

 

I forgot to mention the height control.