How to Reverse Sear a Steak with a Meat Thermometer

You may have heard the term "Reverse Sear" pop up a lot in the last 2 years. If you've never tried it but have been wanting to, today's the day! Reverse searing has become one of our favorite methods for cooking steak!

If done right, you will get the juiciest, tastiest steak with the most beautiful and flavorful crust.

We can promise you that once you go "Reverse Sear" you won't ever go back to your regular method!

Further, we highly recommend using The MeatStick for this procedure. It can deal with changing environments and will give you detailed information on your cooks.

So let's not lose time and dive right in.

What does a Reverse Sear mean?

Reverse Searing is a method that is characterized by cooking your steak ¾ of the way through in a preheated oven at 275°F/135ºC, then finishing the cook by searing on a grill or cast-iron skillet.

What makes the Reverse Sear Method so unique?

• The oven heats the meat slowly and evenly and dries the surface of the meat. This leads to a more efficient searing process in the skillet.
• You will get better heat control & get a uniform crust.

How to Reverse Sear a Steak?

Now that you know what we love about this method, we will guide you through the process of cooking restaurant-quality beef at home.

The reverse sear works best for quickly cooking high-quality steaks with a thickness of 2.5 cm - 5 cm: ribeye, top sirloin, new york strip, porterhouse, or filet mignon are a good choice!

Starting off in the oven

Preparation is the key to a perfectly cooked steak and takes quite a bit of effort.

You have to ensure the following steps are done before you can start:

• Preheat the oven to 250°F/120ºC
• Prepare a baking tray with a wire rack on top
• Dry the surface of the steaks with a paper towel
• Season the steaks with a generous amount of salt & pepper on all sides
• Setup your cook on The MeatStick App & insert The MeatStick into your steak
• Don't cook the steaks completely since they will be seared in your skillet/pan afterward
• Make sure to set the temperature around 15°F/20°F lower than your expect cook. Once you’ve finished searing your steak, the steak will continue to cook while it’s resting.

Once everything has been set up, place the steak in your pre-heated oven.

Searing

The MeatStick App will tell you when you’ve hit the target temperature pre-sear. Once you get there, here are the next steps:

• Heat up your skillet/pan on the stovetop (high heat)
• Coat the skillet/pan with oil
• Set your new target temperature on The MeatStick App (you can change the settings in the same cook). Keep in mind that Carry-Over Cooking is a thing!
• Place the steak in your cast-iron skillet/pan & sear all sides until you’ve hit the target temperature.

Resting

The final step of letting the steak rest might seem neglectable but it’s crucial! Never serve the steak unless it has rested properly. We usually let it rest for up to 10 min until the internal temperature of the meat stabilizes (see carryover cooking) and the juices settle.

Letting the meat rest is also important so that you can devour your steak at the perfect safe-to-eat temperature.

End

Reverse Searing is one of our favorite methods to cook steaks. Not only is the high success rate endearing, but also the simple steps are also why this method is a MUST for every chef.

The Recipe of The Video

If you want to practice this awesome recipe that you just watched, here is our recipe that we used in the video. Practice, practice, practice... 

Reverse Sear Steak (1 Serving)

• 5 cm NY Strip
• Pepper
• Salt
• Rosemary
• Garlic (1 clove)
• Butter
• Vegetable Oil/Sunflower Oil

• Get a wire rack ready, line it with a baking sheet, and place the Ribeye on it. Season both sides with salt and let it sit for half an hour at room temperature.
• Preheat your oven to 250°F/121.1°C.
• Setup your cook on the MeatStick App.
• Once set up, carefully insert The MeatStick into the thickest part of the meat. 

• Place the steak with The Meatstick inserted, on to the rack, and place into the oven for about an hour or until the steak’s internal temperature is 115°F/46°C and looks a little ugly.
• Heat a cast-iron skillet and coat with oil. Allow the skillet to get smoking hot and then place steak (with The Meatstick still inserted) in the center of the skillet. Let the steak sit for about a minute or until a golden-brown crust forms on the bottom. Flip steak and repeat. 
• Reduce heat and add a spoonful of butter to the pan. Add garlic and rosemary and let them combine with the butter. Use a spoon, scoop and pour the butter over the steak to baste it.
• The Meatstick App will monitor and notify you once steak has reached the desired temperature.
• Remove the steak from heat and add another pat of butter on top of the steak to coat it completely. Place garlic and rosemary on the steak and cover it with aluminum foil. Let it rest for at least 10 min.
• Once ten minutes have passed and the desired temperature has been reached, remove tin foil and carefully remove The Meatstick (with caution it may still be very hot) and proceed with carving.

Assembly

• Using a large knife, carefully cut the bone away from the rest of the steak. Then, slice the steak into 5 cm slices, fan to make it look pretty.
• It’s now ready to eat!

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