Reverse sear ?


 
So my Performer was idle this weekend, I spent the weekend at the home show but on my way home I stopped at Trader Joe's and sure enough they had Tri tip, Thanks for the heads up Kevin, I will let you know how the reverse sear works out.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">, lump was ready for the direct phase before my internal temp was where I wanted it to be </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Can you explain what you mean here? I'm missing something.
 
I lit my lump in a chimney for the direct phase, my burning coals were dying out and would not be hot enough to sear. But my internal temp was only 100 degrees so I had to sear it longer to bring it up to medium rare. I guess I am saying that if I waited another ten minutes or so to light my chimney I would have gone longer indirect and had a quicker sear.
 
Arnold's Meats in East Longmeadow, MA can get you tri tips if you call ahead and order. They don't have them on hand but can get them for you if you're interested. This is my main market and the butchers are super knowledgable and helpful.
 
here's something which talks at lenght about reverse sear, or as they call it "sear in the rear" on the "Amazing ribs" website...

Food scientists have recently touted a new method called "reverse sear" or "sear in the rear". Here's how it works: Defrost the meat if it is frozen. Take the meat out of the fridge about an hour before cooking time. Start cooking the meat on the cooler side of the grill, at 225 to 275°F, bring the meat's internal temp up to about 115°F, and then move it over the direct scorching heat to sear. Sear in the rear takes almost twice as long as sear & slide.

The theory is that there are enzymes in the meat called cathepsins that break down the connective tissues and, if given a chance to work, the meat will be more tender. These are the same enzymes that go to work during dry aging, another tenderizing scheme. They work slowly at refrigerator temps, and shut down at about 122°F. But they work well at room temp and up to 122°F.

By bringing solid muscle meats out of the fridge to sit at room temp, we give them a chance to get to work tenderizing the meat. The process can be speeded along by cooking steaks at a low temp at first, say 225°F, rather than at high heat.


They also have a you tube video on this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...ture=player_embedded
 
I've got two 18oz rib eyes I'm going to try this way. I usually go for Medium Rare Minus and pull steaks at about 118-120 give or take.

So to reverse sear, I would slow cook room temp steaks to about 110 at around 200 degrees cooking temp, pull them, let the internal temp drop a few degrees, the put them back on a hot fire for just a couple of minutes to sear them and bring them back to temp? Do I have that right?
 
It is not necessary (since you're cooking a tender steak) too cook that low. You can if you wish but I really wouldn't worry about cooker temp as long as it's not high.

Yes, bring the steaks to room temp - and I would suggest salting at this point (sprinkle salt on in the quantity you would were the steak served to you already cooked but unsalted; flip and repeat on the other side. When ready to cook add any additional seasonings, if desired, minus the salt, oil if you use it, etc. I allow 2 hours for meat to come to room temp and foe the salt to draw moisture and then reabsorb.

For tender steaks I'm not all that concerned about maximizing enzymatic activity - although 2 hours on the counter will do this - as with a tender steak there is no remarkable difference. I'm more concerned with getting the seasoning into the meat, which salting early does.

For less-than-tender steaks or roasts maximizing enzymatic activity is more important, imo. Two hours in the counter will get this going nicely, then cooking ently (200-225) will maximize this activity further. One enzyme inactivates at 105?, the other at 120?.

Once your steaks have hit your pre-sear target temp there os no need to let the internal temp drop before doing the finishing sear. Move immediately to direct and be done with it.
 
Hey Kevin. I was just thinking about some of the specifics. About how long does it take to cook say an 18oz steak to 115 degrees at around 250 degrees? Do you need to do the minion method with the coals or just get a warm fire banked off to one side.

I'm trying to get a rough idea of how many coals, how long to let them burn down, and how to arrange them. I'm not sure if it'll take 20 minutes or 45 to cook the steak.. so I'm just trying to get some good guidlines to start with.

Also, when I do the sear at the end should I add coals or just get the ones I already got up and running?
 
Weight is irrelevant. Thickness is key.

I do tender steaks differently. For tender steaks I don't worry about a specific temp so much myself, I just light enough coals to overfill fairly well a charcoal holder. I don't wait to the 'ashed over' stage. When most are lit I dump then heat the grate.

After several minutes of grate heating I spin the grate so the hottest part is opposite the coals and put the steaks on there. After a few-to-several minutes (depending on thickness), I move the steaks to the hot side, rotating them a bit to make the crosshatch pattern, then spin the grate so the steaks are on the cool side again. After a few minutes I flip and repeat the process. This builds a sear during cooking. It's not really searing to finish.

Searing to finish is what I do for less-than-tender steaks, roasts (like tri, flank and some round cuts). For those I set up similarly using just a full coal holder. I regulate heat by upper and lower vents, starting with them rather restricted until I get a sense of the temp. The meat goes on opposite the coals and stays there (I might rotate it in place 180?) till it's ready to sear. At that point I add more lit and sear to finish.

If you do something like the latter (not something I do for tender steaks but you certainly can) I'd figure 25-30 min for a thick steak.

I'm not sure if I'm helping here...
 
That's help. I appreciate it. I'm under the weather today, so I won't be cooking today. Hopefully tomorrow if I feel any better.

I have two 18oz Rib-eyes about 1 3/4 each. I was going to try for the true reverse sear technique, but your other technique is interesting as well. I'll just put the Maverick to use until I can get a good feel for it. I'll just bank the coals to one side and not get fancy about it. Thanks for the help.
 
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