• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Vindulge

BBQ and Grilling Recipes with Wine Pairings

  • Home
  • About
    • About Mary
    • Portfolio
    • TV Appearances
    • Work With Me
  • Cookbook
  • Wine
    • Food and Wine Pairing
  • All Recipes
  • Travel
  • Resources
    • Fundamentals For Learning How to Grill
    • Guide to Pellet Grills – Common Q and A
    • Best Pellet Grill – MAK Two Star General – Versatile American Made Pellet Smoker
    • Blogger Resources
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Shop Wines
  • Cookbook
  • All Recipes
  • Travel
  • Wine Guides
  • Blogging Resources
  • Connect with us!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    You are here: Home » Food » Reverse Sear Method — The Best Way to Cook a Steak!

    Reverse Sear Method — The Best Way to Cook a Steak!

    August 21, 2019 By Sean Martin 6 Comments

    Sharing is caring!

    2.0K shares
    • Facebook51
    • Twitter
    Jump to Recipe

    Reverse Sear is simply THE BEST way to cook a steak, both low and slow and hot and fast to get the perfect balance of tenderness and flavor crust. This detailed guide walks through the various styles of reverse sear techniques for a smoker and grill.

    Two Ribeye Steaks on a grill using the Reverse Sear method of cooking.

    Post Highlights:

    • Definition of Reverse Sear
    • Reverse Searing in a Smoker – Our Favorite!!!
    • Reverse Searing in an Oven
    • Best Recipes for Reverse Sear

    What is Reverse Sear?

    Reverse Sear is a method of cooking meat at a low temperature first, followed by finishing the meat at a high sear until desired finishing temperature. The method is adapted from restaurants where a chef will start a steak in a pan over high heat, to get the initial sear, and then finish in the oven 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.

    How to Reverse Sear on a Grill (or Smoker)

    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:

    • Season – Season the meat first.
    • Smoke – Cooking between 225 and 250 degrees Fahrenheit (F) until the internal temperature of the meat slowly comes close to the desired finishing temperature. We target 10 degrees cooler than our desired target. So if we want a steak rare, we pull the meat off the smoker when the internal temperature of the meat ranges between 110 and 115 F so that we can finish to 125 F during final searing.
    • Sear – Remove the steak from the smoker, and use a high heat source to finish the meat. This can be either a 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. The key is using a source (either the hot grill or hot pan) to sear the meat to lock in that flavor and get a nice sear on the outside of the steak.
    • Rest – Very important component is to remove the meat from the sear step and let the meat rest for 10 – 15 minutes to allow the meat to go through carry over cooking and let the cells pull the moisture back into the meat for a juicy and flavorful steak.
    • Reverse Seared Smoked and Grilled Ribeye Steaks
    • Reverse Seared Smoked Pork Chop
    • Reverse Sear Smoked Rib Eye Steaks
    • Beef tenderloin on a grill
    • Reverse Seared Smoked Rib Eye Steaks

    How to Reverse Sear in an Oven

    The same principal applies to the oven as the grill and smoker. Start by seasoning the meat and place 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 stove top.

    Then let it rest 10 minutes, slice and serve.

    Best Thermometers for this Method

    When reverse searing a steak or chop, pulling the steak when it reaches the correct internal temperature is critical. To best do this, leverage two important tools to monitor both the ambient temperature of your smoker, as well as the internal temperature of the meat.

    Thermoworks Smoke Unit – This unit is designed to monitor two zones while cooking. One probe will monitor the ambient temperature of your smoker, the other probe will go into your meat. This is the best way to know exactly when to pull the meat off the smoker and is best suited to use during the smoking phase of reverse sear.

    Thermoworks MK4 Thermapen – We have used this instant read thermometer for years. It is hands down the fastest and most precise thermometer in the market. When reverse searing or grilling, this is the important tool to use when finishing over high heat to make sure the meat is pulled at precisely the right time when it is done.

    A ribeye on the grill using reverse sear method, temperature being taken with a Thermapen

    Our Recommended Temperatures for Cooking a Steak

    • 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

    Reverse Seared Recipes

    • Beef Tenderloin
    • Ribeye Steak
    • Tomahawk Pork Chops with Herb Compound Butter
    • Pork Chops
    • Ribeye Tacos
    A Grilled T-Bone Steak sliced up and served with a glass of wine

    How To Reverse Sear Steaks Recipe

    Slowly smoked steaks finished over hot and fast heat for the perfect reverse seared steak.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Rest Time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 77kcal
    Author: Mary Cressler | Vindulge
    Cost: $40.00

    Ingredients

    • 4 2-inch thick steaks Ribeye and NY Strip work great
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • ¼ cup steak seasoning
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat Smoker to 225 degrees Fahrenheit with your favorite wood. While smoker warms up, coat the steaks with olive oil and a generous amount of steak seasoning.
    • Place steak in smoker for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 115 – 120 degrees F for a rare steak. Then increase the temperature to 500 degrees Fahrenheit on your grill or smoker. Alternatively you can finish over cast iron on the stove top if using an offset smoker.
    • Place steaks over direct heat and grill each side for 3 – 4 minutes or until you get nice char marks. Pull the steaks when the internal temperature of the steak is between 125 and 130 degrees F.
    • Let rest for 10 minutes and then slice against the grains. Serve with your favorite sides.

    Video

    Notes

    The hot and fast finish can be done in various methods:
    For offset smokers consider a cast iron pan over medium heat.
    For Big Green Egg or Kamado grills, increase the heat with the ConvEGGTor still in the grill to 450 degrees dome temperature. Grill the steaks along the edge of the grill where the ConvEGGtor has a gap and the heat rises.
    For a kettle grill, simply increase the heat to 500 degrees and grill over direct heat.
    For a pellet grill, increase the temperature to high or grill, and use a cast iron pan or grill grates to amplify the heat.
    Find the perfect wine pairing at the Vindulge Wine Shop

    Nutrition

    Calories: 77kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 30mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 115IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe? We would love to see!Mention @vindulge or use the hashtag #vindulge

    If you like this recipe we’d truly appreciate it if you would give this recipe a star review! And if you share any of your pics on Instagram use the hashtag #vindulge. We LOVE to see it when you cook our recipes.

    This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link, we may receive a small commission if you purchase through the link. We partner with brands we know and love and use and it helps keep the blog going!

    « Tomahawk Pork Chops – Reverse Seared
    Buffalo Stuffed Chicken Breast on the Grill »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jayma says

      December 25, 2020 at 2:15 pm

      5 stars
      After discovering this method (thank you!), it’s the only way we cook steaks. At times, guests are initially nay-sayers when they watch but quickly change their mind after the first bite! Today is Christmas Day 2020 and we are prepping our steak dinner using this method. We always use the smoker/grill method and are doing so again today in spite of wind chills below zero!

      Reply
    2. Rob says

      April 14, 2020 at 8:55 pm

      What wood do you recommend using to smoke the reverse sear ribeye?

      Reply
      • Sean Martin says

        April 14, 2020 at 11:11 pm

        Rob, for reverse sear ribeye, we love oak and fruit woods. The biggest reason is that it’s local to us in Oregon. We do find for reverse sear, oak, hickory and mesquite are also great. Fruit and most nut woods will run sweeter. Oak and Mesquite will infuse more pronounced smoke flavor. So it really depends on what flavors you like. In the end we are big fans of local woods that are close to where you live.

        Reply
    3. Kate M. Inglis says

      September 11, 2019 at 3:22 pm

      Does this method work for flank or hanger steak?
      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Sean Martin says

        September 11, 2019 at 6:22 pm

        Great question – technically yes. But, we find hanger, flank, and other smaller cuts tend to do better grilled. But you can. The smoke time will be short as you still don’t want to overcook the smaller cuts.

        Reply
    4. angiesrecipes says

      September 03, 2019 at 12:37 am

      I am drooling terribly over those perfect prepared steaks! Must give this reverse method a try soon.

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Mary-Cressler-Sept-2015-smI'm Mary, a wine/food/travel writer, Certified Sommelier, mom of twins, former vegetarian turned BBQ fanatic, runner, and founder of Vindulge and author of Fire + Wine cookbook.  Thanks for stopping by!

    Learn More...

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

    Fire and Wine Cookbook Cover.

    Get Ready for Summer

    Smoked Brisket

    What’s on our Grill

    Smoked Mexican Shredded Beef Tacos on a platter

    Smoked Mexican Shredded Beef Tacos Recipe – With Crispy Tortillas

    The Best Gluten Free Drop Biscuits – 5 Ingredients

    Smoked Hot Honey Ribs Recipe

    Vegetarian Chorizo Recipe with Cauliflower

    More

    As Seen On

    Products we love

    taking the temperature of a porchetta roast on the grill
    We use Thermoworks Signals BBQ Alarm to monitor the internal temperature of the meat while it’s cooking, then double check with an instant read thermometer, like the Thermapen One.

    Vindulge Wine Club

    join the wine club side bar

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Portfolio
    • TV Appearances
    • Work with Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Vindulge

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    2.0K shares
    • 51