Reverse Sear Ribeyes

[Jeekinz]

As I said in another thread, I wanted to experiment with the reverse sear method. So I picked up some thick ribeyes and gave it a shot.

Ribeye steak with mixed new potatoes and a salad

Here's the raw meat ready for a 250F oven until it reaches 100F internal temp. I went slightly over because I was outside picking herbs. lol





My potatoes with oil, butter, salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary.



The steaks get seared in a ultra hot pan. I basted with oil/butter and fresh thyme. That's my most favorite spoon. It the size of a serving spoon but real short. Perfect for pan roasting. (Don't touch my spoon! )



The finished dish. This steak was perfectly cooked med/rare more toward the center, and as tender as can be.



I wouldn't cook meat that method regularly, but it's a good option once in a while. It was a little bit of a hassle using the oven and keeping track of the temps. If you have the time, the final result was good though.

[roadfix]

Excellent! How come my food never comes out looking this good?

[GB]

Looks great!!!

[Jeekinz]

I should add: It really is easier to get the temp you're after, however it's more work.

[Uncle Bob]

Jeekinz..What was your finish temp, and do you think you had a better finished product using the reverse sear... opposed to the tradtional method???

Oops..I forgot to ask...how long to get them to the 112*??

Thanks!!

[Andy M.]

Normally, you sear first and finish in the oven. I'm curious what you consider the advantage of this sequence.

With the reverse sear method, it seems it would be harder to manage the degree of doneness. If, for example, you leave the steaks in the oven too long, the only way you can still get them to come out right is to cut back on the sear time.

With the traditional method, you sear first and finish in the oven. A little less/or more oven time to get the correct degree of doneness is no loss.

[Jeekinz]

UB, the target temp was 100F in an oven 250F. Took about 20 minutes? (had a couple vodkas) The meat was at room temp first.

Andy, the idea is: Whle the meat is in the oven the connective tissue slightly breaks down without over cooking oter layer of the meat. Sort of like a sous-vide method....kinda. The final sear (formy steak) only took about 3-4 minutes per side with a final internal temp of 150ish for med/rare. The cut I took was more toward the edge, the absolute center and deckle meat was med/rare.

The final product was very juicy and tender.

Edit: I really would have liked to cook the two steaks seperatly to compare conventional method v. reverse sear.

[Andy M.]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeekinz ...Andy, the idea is: Whle the meat is in the oven the connective tissue slightly breaks down without over cooking oter layer of the meat. Sort of like a sous-vide method....kinda. The final sear (formy steak) only took about 3-4 minutes per side with a final internal temp of 150ish for med/rare. The cut I took was more toward the edge, the absolute center and deckle meat was med/rare...

I agree. That works with either sequence of steps. It seems you have less flexibility to deal with errors in timing with the reverse method.

[Uncle Bob]

Jeekinz...You did a good job at executing the method. The steaks look delicious, and the photography is excellent.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeekinz I really would have liked to cook the two steaks seperatly to compare conventional method v. reverse sear.

I may try this soon...two steaks...cut from the same rib-eye..right next to each other. It will be a fun comparison... Based on your quote above, I assume you noticed no discernible difference in the steaks cooked by the reverse sear method compared to the many steaks you have cooked by the traditional/conventional method in the past... While I will do my test cooking with an open mind, I must admit I am somewhat skeptical that this method is indeed a better "mouse trap" as some proponents claim.
Time will tell...I'll gain weight, spend a lot of money, and have a lot of good eats either way.

Thanks for the post!! Good job!!

[ironchef]

Nice. Like you said, it's basically similar to cooking something sous vide then searing it. I usually sous vide my beef or lamb at 123 degrees F then sear it for a perfect medium rare. My only criticism is that your steak is more medium, going towards medium well. You want to shoot more for 130-135 for medium rare.

I am curious as to how you learned the basting trick. That's a restaurant technique that most home cooks are unaware of. Next time you do it, besides the fresh thyme, try adding a couple of bruised garlic cloves into the oil/butter basting liquid.