**SMOKED MEATS** CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE - CHECK BACK SOON

Reverse Sear Steaks

Reverse Sear Steaks with Parmesan Mushroom Sauce, Asparagus and Fingerling Potatoes

Reverse Sear Steaks

I knew I had failed when my then 26yr old son called me one day and asked "So how do you light charcoal?" I thought to myself, how did I let this happen? So this recipe is for my son and maybe a good stand by recipe for you too. Like any good recipe it does take a couple of special items and a little technique.

Technique

This starts with buying a good cut of beef at least a day ahead of time. I like beef tenderloins but any good cut will work. Just get a good thick cut as this will allow for a decent time on the grill and in the skillet. Thin cuts cook too quick and will get tough. If the cut is large enough and you're only feeding two then one steak may be enough. Allow 4-6 ounces per person.

Get it home, trim the steak if necessary, apply your steak rub lightly on all sides and let it dry, uncovered, in the refrigerator, for at least 12 hours. We make our own High Cotton Steak Rub but there are plenty of other steak rubs available at your local grocer. I use a sheet pan with a drying rack so the air can circulate around the meat. See pic below. This application of seasonings and drying in the fridge helps to flavor and tenderize the meat while also drying the outer part. This will help the crust and get you a good char when searing.

My dad got me started grilling and for that I am thankful. He did it traditionally, sear the meat over high heat first then, move it to the cooler side of the grill and let it finish. This takes some skill, especially if you dont have a thermometer to monitor the internal temp. In this recipe we reverse this method, start slow and finish quick with the hot sear.

Steaks after air drying

It is also really important to have an instant read thermometer. This will save you from ruining a good piece of meat. Get one and learn how to use it. I like the Thermoworks thermapen.

In this recipe, I also use another thermometer that has a probe on a wire so you can monitor the internal temp while the meat is warming in the grill or oven. These are easily found on Amazon for around $30. While not necessary it is convenient.

At any rate we find this method of slowly bringing it up to temperature then quickly searing it at the end a good substitute for sous vide and generally better than the traditional sear and finish method.

We generally keep some bacon grease around but if you dont have any, a good oil like grape seed oil or even canola oil will work in a pinch.

Let it rest, after cooking a steak its important to let it rest this lets the meat cool a little and allows it to soak up some of its own juices. A large cut like a whole beef tenderloin maybe 30 minutes, smaller eh, 5-10 minutes.

Special Items:

Cast Iron Skillet
Instant Read thermometer
Thermometer with probe

Ingredients:

two 4 to 6 oz thick cut beef tenderloin(s)
2 tbsp Bacon grease
Steak dry rub (your choice)

Preparation:

Trim steak if necessary and put on your steak rub and let it air dry, uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
Turn on half the burners on your grill so you get about 225-275° F in your grill. Use some smoking chips if you have them.
Prepare the cast iron on your stove and have it ready with bacon grease inside.
Let the steaks come up to about 115° deg f on the grill. This leaves you a little room to sear without overcooking.
Get the skillet smoking hot on the stove. Place the steaks in the hot bacon grease and press down no more than a few seconds. Flip after a minute or two. Tilt the skillet and spoon the hot bacon grease over the meat. If the steaks are really thick I like to get a little sear on the sides using tongs. Just rotate the steak and place it sideways in the hot grease.
Pull the steaks off and rest at about 120-125° deg f.
Ideally for med-rare 125-130° deg f is right and will be reached after searing then letting the steaks rest (residual cooking). This will finish the steaks. Keep in mind the bigger the cut the more it will cook after you remove it.

Urban Cowgill 2014 (updated 2024)

Steaks, resting after a trip to the slow grill then hot cast iron skillet with bacon grease

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse