Buzz
I used to avoid cooking steak at home because of one major issue: the smoke. Living in a Brooklyn apartment meant dealing with an overly sensitive smoke alarm. But even without the fear of the alarm going off, steak had always been one of those dishes that created more mess than I wanted to clean up.
That was until I discovered the reverse searing technique, which completely transformed my cooking experience. Now, I can make a flawless steak every time—and so can you.
What exactly is reverse searing?
Searing is the traditional technique for preparing steak: simply place it in a blazing hot pan and cook it until it's ready. 'Reverse searing' refers to the trendy method of baking a roast in a conventional oven at a low temperature, then quickly searing it in a hot pan afterward to develop a beautiful exterior color. In this method, the steak is nearly cooked through in the oven, and the pan-searing is just for the glorious flavor and crispiness it adds.
Almost any steak can benefit from reverse searing.
This technique works for a variety of steaks and roasts. Whether it's rib-eye, filet mignon, New York strip steak, or even pork tenderloin, reverse searing is a great choice. However, thickness is important: anything thinner than an inch won’t work well, as the meat may cook past the medium-rare point before you can finish the searing process. Aim for cuts that are at least an inch and a half thick for best results.
Reverse searing is definitely worth trying.
Reverse searing ensures the steak browns more evenly than traditional pan searing. When searing directly over high heat, the outer protein fibers cook much faster, causing the surface to shrink and the center to swell. This warping makes it harder to achieve a uniform sear. Since searing is primarily meant to enhance flavor, an uneven sear can actually reduce the flavor's intensity.
Reverse searing cooks the meat at a slow and steady pace. Typically, you'll begin by setting your oven to 225°F or 250°F, placing the steak inside for 20 to 50 minutes, depending on your preferred level of doneness (and a few other factors that I’ll explain shortly). This gentle cooking method ensures the meat heats through evenly, maintaining its flat shape. The best part? No smoke. There’s little risk of burning the steak with this approach. (You do sear it at the end, but it’s a much shorter process.)
It’s also less stressful: With this method, you can multitask in the kitchen while the steak cooks slowly in the oven. You can also use a probe thermometer every 10 minutes or so to check its progress. If you tend to overcook your steaks, this approach will nearly eliminate that risk.
The proper technique for reverse searing a steak.
A drier surface sears better, so the night before you plan to cook, pat the steak dry with paper towels and place it on a wire rack over a sheet pan in the fridge. If you forget to do this, you can still do it in the morning for a few hours. In the worst-case scenario (which, let’s be honest, has happened to me a few times), just pat it dry right before you put it in the oven.
1. Preheat your oven.
Set your oven to 250°F and place a wire rack on top of a sheet pan. While not much will drip from the steak, elevating the meat ensures that warm air circulates evenly around it.
2. Choose your desired temperature and bake the steak.
Season your steak generously, then place it on the wire rack. Your goal is to reach an internal temperature that’s 10 to 15 degrees lower than your target final temperature, taking into account the searing in the pan and the carry-over cooking that will occur afterward.
Here’s a chart showing the ideal target temperatures for the center of your steak before searing it in a pan.
I enjoy my steak around medium, which is about 140°F. I subtracted 15 degrees and aimed for roughly 125°F. It took me 45 minutes to reach 122°F, after checking the temperature twice during the first 25 minutes.
There are factors to consider, such as the thickness of your steak and whether it was cold from the fridge or at room temperature. My ribeye was one and a half inches thick and still cold from the fridge. After 25 minutes, it had reached the internal temperature for a rare steak, about 102°F. My suggestion is to factor in the thickness of your steak and check after 10 minutes for thinner cuts (around 1.25 inches), and after 20 or 25 minutes for thicker ones (1.5 inches or more). Once you’ve checked the initial temperature, you can adjust the cooking time as needed.
3. Sear in a hot pan.
Once your steak has reached the desired internal temperature, take it out of the oven. Heat a frying pan or a cast iron skillet on medium heat until it's very hot, usually after a few minutes. Add a knob of butter and sear the steak on all sides for about one minute per side. Serve it right away.
If it’s your first time reverse searing, you may be concerned by how dull and gray your steak looks when it comes out of the oven. Don’t worry. Once you sear it, you'll see what the process is all about. Reverse-seared steak not only has fantastic flavor but also looks amazing. Even though you miss out on some of the delicious pan drippings, the advantages of this method far outweigh the loss of fond. Say goodbye to the stress of burning, and hello to a more relaxed and better steak experience.
