Reverse sear, have done it, do you like it?

[strmanglr scott]

Don't know if any of you watch Sam The Cooking Guy on YouTube, but I recently watched him do a reverse sear on a $50 pound and a half porterhouse. He claims it is thee best way to do steak. Personally I prefer grilled and I do like a pan seared steak.

Now a 1 1/2 pound steak is pretty darn big to just pan sear. Steaks I buy are smaller and cook completely just fine when I cook them in a skillet.

But I see other cooks doing the reverse sear w smaller steaks do.

When I cooked in the restaurant we would finish filet mignon in the oven if the guest wanted more medium or more doneness.

So, have any of you done the reverse sear and how'd you like it?

 

[GotGarlic]

Lots of us use the reverse sear method for rib roasts during the holidays. It works perfectly. It's supposed to work for steaks as well,

I like Serious Eats, especially The Food Lab column from Kenji López-Alt, because he describes the science behind the technique. He wrote about it here: https://www.seriouseats.com/2015/12/step-by-step-food-lab-reverse-sear-prime-rib.html

 

[Andy M.]

I do reverse sear for thick steaks and for roasts. Since reverse sear is a two-step process, you can pick and choose the finishing step. After you bake the steak in a low temperature oven to the proper internal temperature, (see the link in the previous post). You can do a quick sear on a gas or charcoal grill to sear the outside and get that grill flavor you like.

 

[Just Cooking]

We no longer cook large/thick steaks so, I don't do a lot of reverse sear..

Last winter I followed Kenji's method for our Christmas standing rib roast.. It was a real eyeopener.. Of all the Christmas roasts I have done over the years, this was the best method ever..

I have ordered this Christmas's rib roast and will use Kenji's method again.. Can't wait..

Ross

 

[Andy M.]

The reverse sear process does take longer than traditional roasting methods. Roasting, resting and searing will take 3¾ hours for a 5 pound roast and 4½ hours for a 7 pound roast. These times do not include the 24 hour stay in the fridge uncovered and salted or the 1 hour at room temperature before roasting.

 

[WhateverYouWant]

Why would you sear it last as opposed to finishing off in the oven? Wouldn't that tend to you overcooking the meat?

 

[strmanglr scott]

Why would you sear it last as opposed to finishing off in the oven? Wouldn't that tend to you overcooking the meat?

It really doesn't.

The video I watched he cooked that 1 1/2lb porterhouse in the oven to 135° and then seared it pretty good and when he cut that steak open is was perfect medium rare, bit on the rarer side.

 

[Recipes Make Magic]

I've done a good number of reverse sears to various types of steaks, as well as rib roasts over the past year, with good success most of the time.


I seem to find the greatest success when I remove steaks from the low cook at between 120-125 F temp. This is real easy to do with the help of my Weber thermo sensor digital thermometer - which I use for the low cook both in the oven & in the gas grill.


Strip loins and rib-eyes in particular - from 1.5" to 3" in thickness - although I must say the thicker the steak, the easier it seems to finish it they way you want it. A 1.5" steak requires somewhat closer attention to temp when removing from the low temp cooking, and also when removing from searing.


I particularly enjoy reverse searing on the gas grill - low & slow on the cool side on the BBQ with only one burner going on the opposite side (where I often place 2 or 3 Bradley smoke flavour bisquettes to add to the steak flavor) - then resting the steak for a bit, and finishing on the grill with 2 or more burners on high - i.e. over 500 F.
Works well, and produces great flavor.


I also use the oven for low temp cooking, and either a stove top skillet or the gas grill for the sear.
Reverse sear is unbeatable for producing the most extensive thickness inside for med-rare coloration throughout the meat.

 

[GotGarlic]

Why would you sear it last as opposed to finishing off in the oven? Wouldn't that tend to you overcooking the meat?

Read the article I posted above. It describes the science in detail.

 

[Kayelle]

I used the reverse sear method before I got my Sous Vide and it worked well, although I prefer using the Sous Vide these days and finishing it on ("Wilma") my 12,000 BTU searing side burner of my gas barbecue. The idea is the same, although I like the Sous Vide process better.

 

[Recipes Make Magic]

Why would you sear it last as opposed to finishing off in the oven? Wouldn't that tend to you overcooking the meat?

As str.... scott said: "It really doesn't".


In addition, when you sear on high heat in a stove top skillet or a BBQ grill, it takes less time, it's easier to check temp for accuracy, and usually develops better, more appealing coloration (bark) to the finished product.

 

[Andy M.]

If you're just doing a steak, you can do it on top of a charcoal chimney about ⅓ full of charcoal. Super hot, fast sear, delicious.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

You can't get BBQ flavor from a pan, or oven, not even from a propane torch. The grilled flavor is obtained by fat dripping onto hot coals, ceramic briquttrs, or flavorizer bars and burning to produce smoke. That smoke is made up of partcles, some of which adhere to the cooking food. If you coojk peppers in a screaming ho skillet, you can end up with burnt peppers. If you place thode peppers on a grii with meat that dripd fat, you will get that grilled flavor on the peppers. Revrrse seariing will get the meat to the correct temp, and searing will cause the browning crust anf fried flavor. Searin over.hoy BBQ will give you the griied flavor.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[CraigC]

I have a BGE, which I find perfect for reverse searing. I start out at 250F with the plate setter in place. Bring the internal temp to 10F below my "finished" temp, pull the steak and rest it. Meanwhile, I remove the plate setter and bring the temp up to 650F and sear the steak. Takes 1 minute on each side for a 3" thick rib eye. Perfect for our taste.