Why I'm Done With Reverse Searing


 
John K BBQ

John K BBQ

TVWBB All-Star
I'm not sure when reverse searing became a "thing" for steaks but I've tried it several times, and have only "nailed it" a few times. I remember watching a Good Eats episode several years ago where Alton was showing us how to do it, but as I said, I never had much luck. I have officially given up and I am back to using the direct sear and finish over indirect. I can say with 100% confidence that for me that method results in the same or better flavor, less fuss and worry, and much more consistent finished cooking temperature. This applies even when I have someone in the group asking for a medium-well or well done steak (those people do infiltrate our ranks at times).

Now, I'm certain that we have people in the forum who've mastered the reverse sear, and that's great. I just want to see if anyone else shares my experience and let anyone else who might be struggling with reverse sear know that you can get great results with different methods. Here are some photos of my last steak cook. These were special occasion steaks, cooking for a great friend's 51st b-day.

Here are the prime T-bones, dry brining in the fridge. I put a good amount of coarse kosher salt on them for about 6 hours before grilling. I took out of the fridge when I lit my chimney full of Kingsford, and put some course ground black pepper on and let them hang out while the charcoal and grill were getting hot.

meat in fridge.jpg

Steaks on the PK360 - I know that this is a weber-centric forum, but I'm taking one for the team and trying a kettle alternative. I will be posting some pros and cons at some point, but for now I'll just say that the PK360 is awesome for grilling steaks (and so are Kettles). You might notice I've installed a custom charcoal basket from "The Burn Shop" in my PK360. Online reviews and photos showed that this basket was better for airflow vs. PK's charcoal basket, so I went this route. I seared these steaks for about 3 minutes a side to get a nice char, then moved over the indirect side and closed the lid. The PK likes to run about 300 to 350 in this mode, so it's easy to sneak up on the medium rare temp in without over shooting.
meat on grill.jpg


Here's the steak waiting for the cutting board - looks pretty good right?
finished meat.jpg

I was really happy when I started carving, perfect rare to medium rare. Warm pink center, crusty exterior. Who needs reverse sear or sous-vide?
cut meat.jpg
 
I too have put the reverse sear behind me, unless my frustration level is to low then I might give it a go. I would say that only 50% of time did a reverse sear work out right for me.
 
There are so many ways to cook a steak, John, it's a bit crazy! :) A long time ago, I figured out that there's no "one way" cook <fill in the blank>, it's more a matter of figuring out what works for you, consistently, producing what you like to eat. If that's reverse sear, great. If it's sear first, great. If it involves a crockpot and lots of A1, great. As long as you can put food on a plate that meets/exceeds your expectations, rock on! ;) I like to try new stuff when I hear about it, but, as you did with reverse sear, I evaluate it from the perspective of what I like to eat and how the process is better or different from what I already do.

Those T-bones look mouth wateringly good!!

R

PS: I should note, that I do like the reverse sear method, and it works out very consistently for me.
 
John, I am with you. My problem with reverse-sear is not being able to cook inside of meat properly. I see many Youtube videos describing to keep under indirect heat until the internal temperature reaches to 110~115F and then season and then sear for few minutes. Searing is relatively easy. But, keeping the internal part of meat properly prepared and cooked is so tricky. After brining for over night, I noticed meat beginning to fall apart into chunks rather than being intact (not totally but I see the division is happening). I don't think that is good. Why would this happen? Maybe too much salt? 🧂 Would salt to that to meat? Your steak looks fantastic. How long do you keep under indirect after the sear? (or do you use thermometer to measure?)
 
I have tried reverse sear and can’t make it work consistently. I like to get the sear I want and then indirect to the internal I want. The reverse, I have to guess what temp to start searing and hope the two end where I want them. Staying with my old way! 😀
 
I gave it up also. To much of a p.i.t.a. to get right. Plus, very rarely can I find a cut that's over 3/4 - 1 inch thick, here in so-Cal. I think this method is better suited to thick cuts. With the thinner cuts, by the time you get a sear, it's time to flip anyway.
 
Yeah, I've never liked even the idea of the reverse sear. See, I want the fire raging and burning hot for a good sear. To do a reverse sear on charcoal you have to light the fire and then use up the best and most hottest minutes of the coals cooking indirect, then try to sear it over the coals when they've burned half out. The whole idea just has never made any sense to me.

Plus, I've been grilling steaks for years with the sear first, then to temp indirect. They always come out perfect. So why am I trying something else? Lol.
 
Funny you posted this, John. I actually did some reverse searing for dinner last night with great results :cool:. These were on some 1.1 - 1.2lbs strip steaks, over an inch thick. I think that is key, if you try on anything less you risk overcooked or dry steak. I had the help of a leave in thermometer too, which helps with the timing of things. Keep an eye out for a post from me later today or tomorrow.

I have also cooked some great steaks direct sear! Many ways to cook a steak. Yours looked great by the way, may have to flip methods next time.

Cheers,
Kyle
 
Joseph K in Irvine CA said:
John, I am with you. My problem with reverse-sear is not being able to cook inside of meat properly. I see many Youtube videos describing to keep under indirect heat until the internal temperature reaches to 110~115F and then season and then sear for few minutes. Searing is relatively easy. But, keeping the internal part of meat properly prepared and cooked is so tricky. After brining for over night, I noticed meat beginning to fall apart into chunks rather than being intact (not totally but I see the division is happening). I don't think that is good. Why would this happen? Maybe too much salt? 🧂 Would salt to that to meat? Your steak looks fantastic. How long do you keep under indirect after the sear? (or do you use thermometer to measure?)
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In Aaron Franklin's Steak book, he recommends letting the steak rest for 30 minutes once it hits 110* ( or whatever indirect temp ya shooting for ) and then searing the steak. I can't do that. I'm not that patient.
 
MikeLucky said:
Yeah, I've never liked even the idea of the reverse sear. See, I want the fire raging and burning hot for a good sear. To do a reverse sear on charcoal you have to light the fire and then use up the best and most hottest minutes of the coals cooking indirect, then try to sear it over the coals when they've burned half out. The whole idea just has never made any sense to me.

Plus, I've been grilling steaks for years with the sear first, then to temp indirect. They always come out perfect. So why am I trying something else? Lol.
Click to expand...

I use 12 Weber briquettes in my Kettle, with a small chunk of wood, usually oak. That will get a cooker temp of around 210 to 225*.

I put a Thermoworks probe in the steak and when it reaches an IT of 80* , I start a chimney of lump. Almost always, the lump is ready by the time the steak hits 110*. I then sear the steak over the lump to about 125* and let carryover cooking take it to 135*.

The other night, I reverse seared a 22 oz ribeye on my Brazos offset. That was very easy. When the ribeye hit 110*, I moved it over the cowboy grate in the firebox of the Brazos, and seared it over live fire. It was excellent.
 
I have found reverse sear really only works on really thick steaks. More like 2" and over. Under that it's not worth the work. Today for example I will be butchering a whole Prime Strip Loin. On a strip loin there are 2 ends. One some call the "tendon end" and they recommend not cutting that side into steaks. So because we'll have company for supper I will take that end and cut it into about a 4" steak (more of a small roast) it will go on a lower indirect heat in my Wolf. I have done these before most recently at my dad's on his Genesis 3000 and the results are wonderful. I always get a nice crust and perfect center. Extreme heat is really not necessary unless you're doing very thin meat.
Honestly the only thing I would do differently than the OP is never ever use Kingsford to grill over. Only hardwood lump. IMO most briquettes KF is especially bad imo make everything taste like chemicals. I don't even like the smell they give off. And YES I KNOW how to light charcoal. Otherwise everything else is fantastic
 
Joseph K in Irvine CA said:
John, I am with you. My problem with reverse-sear is not being able to cook inside of meat properly. I see many Youtube videos describing to keep under indirect heat until the internal temperature reaches to 110~115F and then season and then sear for few minutes. Searing is relatively easy. But, keeping the internal part of meat properly prepared and cooked is so tricky. After brining for over night, I noticed meat beginning to fall apart into chunks rather than being intact (not totally but I see the division is happening). I don't think that is good. Why would this happen? Maybe too much salt? 🧂 Would salt to that to meat? Your steak looks fantastic. How long do you keep under indirect after the sear? (or do you use thermometer to measure?)
Click to expand...
I've never fall apart dry brining issue. I wouldn't be scared to dry brine a thicker steak over night or even longer. What kind of steak was it that had the problem? I think a ribeye might be more prone to doing that vs a strip. You could always tie a string around the steak "saratoga style" if you were worried about a reapeat issue. This link suggests 1/2 tsp coarse kosher salt per 1 lb of meat which sounds about right to me. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-brine-and-season-a-steak#what-is-dry-brining-a-steak

After searing first, I usually check temperature with my thermapen about every 5 to 7 minutes. I believe these steaks all took about 12 minutes or so between end of searing and to reach about 130 to 135, with the indirect side of by grill running about 300 to 350.
 
LMichaels said:
I have found reverse sear really only works on really thick steaks. More like 2" and over. Under that it's not worth the work. Today for example I will be butchering a whole Prime Strip Loin. On a strip loin there are 2 ends. One some call the "tendon end" and they recommend not cutting that side into steaks. So because we'll have company for supper I will take that end and cut it into about a 4" steak (more of a small roast) it will go on a lower indirect heat in my Wolf. I have done these before most recently at my dad's on his Genesis 3000 and the results are wonderful. I always get a nice crust and perfect center. Extreme heat is really not necessary unless you're doing very thin meat.
Honestly the only thing I would do differently than the OP is never ever use Kingsford to grill over. Only hardwood lump. IMO most briquettes KF is especially bad imo make everything taste like chemicals. I don't even like the smell they give off. And YES I KNOW how to light charcoal. Otherwise everything else is fantastic
Click to expand...
LMichaels - Not trying to change your feeling about KF, to each their own, and I understand why some of us prefer lump. I will say that I gave up on KF a few years ago because I noticed a lot of black smoke when lighting the chimneys, and I didn't like the smell. But, many of my friends kept using KF, and in the last 12 months or so, I noticed that the KF light offs were producing more white/grey smoke (not at all black) and that the smell had improved. Next I read some posts on our forum about how KF tweaked their formula for the "blue bag" original KF, which lead me to believe there was an actual reason for the change (not just some variation from year to year). So, I tried the blue bag again. Sure enough, no black smoke. Smoke was light in appearance and smelled great.
 
I just cannot bring myself to buy it. I have a neighbor who uses it and I can smell it all the way to my house when he sets of a chimney of it. I have a nose like a sop vac and I notice those things. So on the times charcoal is used at my house it's lump or nothing. But again as you said it's my nose and my choice. And I know what I smell.
 
Lynn Dollar said:
I use 12 Weber briquettes in my Kettle, with a small chunk of wood, usually oak. That will get a cooker temp of around 210 to 225*.

I put a Thermoworks probe in the steak and when it reaches an IT of 80* , I start a chimney of lump. Almost always, the lump is ready by the time the steak hits 110*. I then sear the steak over the lump to about 125* and let carryover cooking take it to 135*.

The other night, I reverse seared a 22 oz ribeye on my Brazos offset. That was very easy. When the ribeye hit 110*, I moved it over the cowboy grate in the firebox of the Brazos, and seared it over live fire. It was excellent.
Click to expand...

I might try this with a thick cut steak and use the kettle for the first part, then use a small chimney of lump in the Smokey Joe for the sear finish. I guess I'll give it another chance. Lol
 
MikeLucky said:
I might try this with a thick cut steak and use the kettle for the first part, then use a small chimney of lump in the Smokey Joe for the sear finish. I guess I'll give it another chance. Lol
Click to expand...

The number of coals in the Kettle can vary, from 10 to 12. Goal is to keep it between 200 and 220.
 
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