How To Reverse Sear Steak

What is Reverse Sear?

Reverse Sear is a method of cooking meat by smoking it first low and slow, followed by finishing the meat using direct grilling until the meat reaches your desired finishing temperature.

The method is adapted from restaurants where typically the chef will start a steak in a pan over high heat, to get the initial sear, and then finish in the oven (at a lower temperature) until the meat is done.

Hence why the method is called “reverse sear,” as it’s essentially the opposite way they are cooked in a typical restaurant and more similar to a sous vide method of cooking.

Why It Works

• By starting at a lower temperature, you are slowly bringing up the internal temperature of a steak, creating a tender bite with a smoky flavor.
• It minimizes any resting period for carry-over cooking due to cooking at a lower temperature.
• The smoke flavor is infused with the meat like an additional ingredient for more flavor than just grilling over charcoal or gas.
• It works on any protein from chicken to steak but is best with thicker cuts.

Ingredients

• Steak – Look for thick-cut steaks, at least 1-1/2 inches thick. Our favorite steaks for reverse searing are ribeye, strip steak, and picanha. It can also work with chicken breasts, thighs or legs, and even thick pork chops.
• Seasoning – Use your favorite seasoning with some type of salt in it.
• Butter or Oil (Optional) – If you plan to sear on the stovetop – then add butter or olive oil to the hot pan to improve the browning in the pan.

Seasoning

When it comes to seasoning, it’s best to season up to 24 hours before you start smoking the meat. This dry brining process helps infuse flavor into the meat from the salt and helps with forming the crust. For more crust, season overnight uncovered.

We like to use a simple SPG Seasoning (or kosher salt, coarse black pepper, and granulated garlic) or you can explore any of our homemade dry rubs.

When brining in advance, we don’t use a binder like oil so we can allow the seasoning to work its way into the meat. If you are seasoning right before smoking, then use a small amount of olive oil as a binder.

How to Reverse Sear

This is the best way to cook a steak. We don’t say that lightly and we know that simply grilling a steak is great. But when you add the smoke element it truly elevates the flavor. The steps to get the best steak in the reverse sear method are as follows:

1. Season – Season the meat first. Ideally 24 hours before cooking. Season liberally.
2. Smoke – Prepare your smoker using your favorite woods. We like fruit woods for the sweeter flavor. Target between 225 and 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Smoke until the internal temperature of the steak reaches 10 degrees lower than your target temperature. For us, that’s rare, so we pull the meat from the smoker when it reaches between 110 – 115 degrees F. Set aside.
3. Sear – Remove the steak from the smoker, and use a high heat source to finish the meat. This can be either the grill or a cast iron pan. It’s OK to let the steak rest while the pan or grill comes up to the high heat temperature. If using a grill get it to 450 degrees Fahrenheit using direct heat to get a proper sear. Sear the steak on both sides until it comes up to your desired finishing temperature. For our rare steak, it will come up an additional 10 degrees or so, to around 120-125 degrees F.
4. Rest – Even though reverse searing minimizes the need for resting, it’s still good to allow the steak to rest for 5 – 10 minutes on a cutting board before slicing.

We recommend using a good instant-read thermometer when reverse searing. This makes sure you are always cooking the perfect steak. We recommend the Thermapen from Thermoworks, or the ThermoPop for a less expensive option.

For really thick steaks you can use a leave-in thermometer like the Smoke Unit which we do when we are smoking several steaks.

Gas Grill Modification: You can also start by smoking in a gas grill using wood chips and a wood smoker box, and then turning the burner on high to sear.

How to Reverse Sear in an Oven

The same principle applies to the oven as the grill and smoker. Start by seasoning the meat and place it in an oven at lower heat, 225 degrees F. Add the meat to the oven until the internal temperature reaches 10 degrees less than your desired finishing temperature.

Remove from the oven and then finish the steak over high heat in a pan on the stovetop. Then let it rest for 10 minutes, slice and serve.

Disadvantages To Reverse Searing

While we will typically default to reverse searing, avoid using this method for thinner or smaller cuts of meat like skirt steak, any steak thinner than a 1-inch, or chicken wings. This also applies to leaner cuts of steak like filet mignon. This is because the likelihood of overcooking is higher.

Reverse searing also takes time. At least an hour for the average cut between smoking and searing. So if you are strapped for time grilling a steak is still the better option.

Our Recommended Temperatures for Cooking a Steak

Always reverse-sear your steak to the proper internal temperature. Remember to remove it from the smoker 10 degrees before your desired finishing temperature, as it will finish cooking as it sears over high heat.

• Rare: 120-130 degrees F
• Medium Rare: 130-140 degrees F
• Medium: 140-150 degrees F
• Medium Well: 150-160 degrees F
• Well Done: 160 degrees F, AND not recommended for a good quality steak

Frequently Asked Questions

Reverse Seared Recipes

• Beef Tenderloin
• Ribeye Steak
• Tomahawk Pork Chops with Herb Compound Butter
• Pork Chops
• Ribeye Tacos