The Reverse Sear

November 12, 2020

What if we told you there was a way to flip the script on everything you have ever learned about cooking a massive steak like our 40oz Upper Prime Tomahawk that both minimizes risk of overcooking and maximizes flavor?

The conventional method of cooking a big steak is to sear it on a grill, finish it in the oven, rest, and serve. This method, even for the most accomplished grill master, often results in a large ring of well-done meat around a pink interior.

However, if you reverse that process and slow it down just a notch, you gain better control of the internal temperature of the meat and vastly increase your chances of edge-to-edge medium-rare steak perfection.

Trust us, we have successfully employed this technique at many a dinner party and love basking in the oohs and ahhs as dinner is served.

The Reverse Sear

Season your steak 3-4 hours in advance to allow the salt to evenly penetrate the meat.
Pre-heat your oven to 275 degrees.
Place the steak on a sheet pan and set it on the center rack in your oven.
Cooking times will vary depending on the size of the steak. We strongly recommend using a probe thermometer to check the internal temperature at regular intervals.
While your steak is cooking, bring your grill or cast iron pan to a searing hot temperature (if your grill has an ultra-hot "sear" setting, this is a great time to use it).
When your steak has reached an internal temperature of 110 to 115 degrees (on its way to medium-rare), remove it from the oven and set it close by.
Using tongs, on your blazing hot surface sear the steak 1 to 2 minutes per side to develop a beautiful caramelized exterior crust. The internal temperature should read 125 degrees on your thermometer.
Remove the steaks from the high heat surface, place them on a cutting board, slice against the grain, and serve. Note that there is no need to rest a steak that has been reverse seared because the gentle cooking method keeps the steak's juices evenly distributed during the process.

One final note: You may use the reverse sear technique to cook a steak of any size, but we find that it works exceptionally well on our larger format cuts.