Have you heard of this reverse sear steak thing? It’s what all the cool kids are doing. This method is quite different from how you might cook a steak at home, and from the way most restaurants cook steaks. Traditionally, a restaurant method of cooking steak involved searing over incredibly high heat, then transferring to an oven to finish on a more gentle heat until done. The reverse sear method pretty much just flips the order, and involves first cooking the meat on a very low heat before searing the outside on a super hot surface.
The basic idea is that with cooking a reverse sear steak, you have greater control over the Maillard Reaction (that magical process that turns the cooked edges of meats yummy and brown), because you’re making sure the high heat only comes into play right at the end and that the steak inside will be perfect. So, instead of an internal ring of different “doneness” your steak will be perfectly medium all the way through, save for the very outside.
Ingredients
- One thick steak or any cut of meat (at least 1” thick)
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven/smoker to 125°c or 255°f (for smoker add your desired wood for smoking)
- OVEN – Place seasoned steaks on a rack over a baking tray
SMOKER – Place seasoned steaks on grill away from direct heat
- Cook until an internal temp of 51°-71°c or 125°-135°f depending on your preference of “doneness”(see table below). Usually takes around 45-60 minutes.
- Remove when at temp and rest for 10-15 minutes under foil
- OVEN – Preheat a skillet or heavy based pan to screamingly hot temperatures
SMOKER –Add more briquettes/charcoal to you BBQ to get a really hot direct grill above. (see tips below)
- Sear steaks for one minute each side
- Serve immediately
Tips for using a smoker – Always use a chimney smoker they will save you a lot of time starting your fire as well you can keep a good backup of red hot briquettes/charcoal to add and remove from them from the BBQ as needed eg. When it comes time to sear your steaks you would already have plenty of hot coals ready to go straight in.
