The reverse sear technique is the best way to cook a thick cut steak. As Meathead Goldwyn discusses on amazingribs.com the history of the reverse sear technique can be traced back to the sous vide pioneers in the 1970s. Meathead and J. Kenji Lopez-Alt from seriouseats.com have been two of the more prominent advocates of the technique over the past 10 years and for good reason!
Simply put, for steaks thicker than 1 inch cook the steak at a low temperature (250f/120c) away from the heat source until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 10f to15f below your preferred level of doneness. This method ensures a perfectly even cook without overcooking the edges of the steak. At this point remove the meat from the grill and allow to rest while you ramp up the heat in your barbecue. Return the steak to the grill and place it directly above the heat source for 30 seconds before flipping. Do this twice more so both sides of the steak have been seared for 1 minute creating a flavoured packed crust.
Lightly brushing meat with mayonnaise helps rubs and seasonings stick and also helps to avoid the meat sticking to the grill. Mayo also encourages the Maillard Reaction bringing a wonderful golden colour to the meat and a more flavorsome crust.
Ingredients
Steak at least 1 inch thick - rib eye, tomahawk, T-bone, sirloin, porterhouse, New York strip, tri-tip or rump
Mayonnaise, mustard or olive oil
A 50-50 blend of salt and pepper or your favourite seasoning
Directions
Lightly brush the steak with mayo, mustard or olive oil.
Apply a generous amount of the seasoning.
Prepare your barbecue for indirect grilling and fire it up aiming for a temperature of 250f/120c.
Add 1 chunk of fruit or nut wood if using a charcoal barbecue and then add your steak.
Cook until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 10f-15f below your preferred level of doneness. For medium rare this is around the 120f mark.
Rest the meat while you crank up the heat in your barbecue. 10 minutes is adequate.
Return the steak to your barbecue and place it directly above the heat source for 30 seconds before flipping. Do this twice more so both sides of the steak have been seared for 1 minute.
Enjoy your reverse seared steak!
The steaks in this article were cooked on the Weber Kettle using Mallee charcoal. The temperature of the steak was read using the iGrill2 thermometer. All these products are available in store.
Photos and recipe by Messy Benches. Visit www.messybenches.com