Reverse Seared Steak
Over the years I’ve gone through seasons of different grilling techniques, but over the last several years I’ve come to love the benefits of reverse searing. Reverse searing is great for ensuring an evenly cooked medium-rare steak. This method also minimizes the chance that you overcook your steak, which is critical when dealing with expensive cuts of prime or dry-aged beef.
Reverse searing contradicts the old thought of immediately searing steaks at high heat to lock in the juices. Many professional chefs and grillers now believe that this old method has no impact on the juiciness of steak. Reverse searing begins with cooking steaks, using indirect heat, at a lower temperature (I usually start at 225°F) until the steaks reach an internal temperature 10°F to 15°F degrees below the desired finished temperature (i.e. 120°F if you like medium-rare). This method of grilling slowly decreases the chance of overcooking the steaks. This also provides an opportunity to impart smoke into the steak if you like.
After indirect grilling, pull the steaks from the grill and increase the grill temperature for searing (I prefer 400°F). Once the grill has reached this temperature, return the steaks to the grill and cook on each side for several minutes until the steak is within 5°F degrees of the desired internal temperature (130°F for medium-rare). The internal temperature of the steak will rise another 5°F degrees while it rests for 10 to 15 minutes. The high heat searing will form the brown crust on the outside of the steak that we all love.
Reverse searing is a great method for cooking thicker steaks (i.e. one and a half to two inches). I’ll have more to say about selecting the right sized steak in a future post.
Pro Tip. In order to get the best seared crust on your steak, it helps to start with a dry steak. You can do this by dabbing the steak with a paper towel to remove the excess moisture. Better yet, you can place your steaks on a baking rack and leave uncovered in the fridge overnight. Don’t worry, your steaks won’t dry out.
