Reverse Seared Steak

For thinner steaks, the traditional cooking method of high heat for a short amount of time works fine because it doesn't take long to cook them to a perfectly done center. However, high heat used for searing causes the muscle fibers to contract, which means the steaks will lose moisture. This doesn’t impact thinner steaks as much, but for thick-cut steaks your best bet at retaining moisture is to slow down the process and sear in the moisture at the end.

The reverse sear method also helps prevent an unevenly cooked steak, as well as preventing the steaks from forming a gray edge around the pink interior that we're so accustomed to seeing. The texture contrast will also be really nice, with a tender, juicy interior and a crispy browned crust on the exterior.

Not all steaks are well-suited to this method. Because of the longer cooking time, thinner steaks will become dry and overcooked. Flank steaks and similar thin steaks should be avoided, but any steaks over 1.5 inches thick are ideal for the reverse searing method. Thick cut ribeyes, New York Strip Steaks, T-Bones, and even Filet Mignon are excellent steaks for the reverse searing method.

The time will vary based on the desired doneness of the steak, but this section should help guide you with temperatures and time spent on the grill for your reverse-seared steaks. Use a probe thermometer to check the temperature of the steaks, and once they reach the desired doneness, remove them to rest before searing.

• Rare to Medium-Rare steak 120-130 °F internally, with a red center.
• Medium steak 135-145 °F internally, with some pink in the center.
• Medium-well steak 145-155 °F internally, light pink center.
• Well-done steak 155-165 °F internally, primarily brown center.

The base time is around 1 to 1.5 hours for a rare to medium-rare steak. For each level of doneness after medium-rare, start by adding 10 minutes to the cooking time, and use a probe thermometer to monitor the internal temperature.

Resting steaks is an essential part of cooking any meat because it allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat. Similar to the salting process, the juices will seep out of the steak but will then reabsorb into the meat, so you want to allow that process to take place. The meat will become juicy and tender while resting and searing the steaks afterward will lock all those juices into the steaks.

The best part about the reverse sear method is that even though it takes a bit longer to cook, you don't need to rest it again after searing. Take it out of the pan you're ready to eat it!

If for some reason you can’t use a grill to finish the sear, a cast iron pan can serve the purpose. Cast iron pans heat very consistently, and well-seasoned pans will allow the steaks to release easily so that the seared crust doesn’t get pulled away or damaged. To sear on a cast iron pan, heat the pan over high heat with a small bit of cooking oil - don’t put the steaks on the pan until it’s piping hot! Sear the steaks for around 2 minutes per per side.

Salting steaks - or any meat, for that matter - is an important step in cooking that shouldn’t be skipped! Salt draws out the juices from the meat, and ideally, you should salt the meat for at least 40 minutes before cooking, but preferably overnight. Shorter than 40 minutes and the juices will start to seep out of the steaks, but around 40 minutes most of those juices will have reabsorbed into the meat. This will allow you to get a much nicer crust on your steak.