06/05/2026
How to do reverse sear STEAK… get a thick Ribeye, you will LOVE it!
Most throw a steak on a grill and cook it.
The reverse sear gives you control over the inside before you ever worry about the bark/crust on the outside.
The biggest mistake people make is not dry brining it, If you really want the perfect steak, dry brining and reverse sear is the perfect combo.
What Reverse Searing is:
Instead of searing first and then slowly finishing the steak, you do the reverse…. get it?
You cook the steak at a low temperature slowly, until it’s almost done, then finish it over extremely raging high heat to build the bark/crust.
I love doing this directly on a bed of coals… that’s for another time!
What you’ll get:
* More even doneness all the way through
* Better control
* No overcooking = tuffness
* Better bark/crust
Most cook a steak and you a get a odd overcooked band around the outside and a small amount of doneness in the center for a few bites
This method will also dry the surface slightly during the low-temperature cook, which creates a better bark/crust when it finally hits the high heat.
Dry Brine:
This is where the magic begins.
A dry brine is simply seasoning your steak with salt and allowing it to rest uncovered in the refrigerator before cooking.
How it works:
* Salt penetrates deep into the meat.
* Helps retain moisture.
* Improves flavor.
* Dries the surface for a superior bark/crust.
* It looks crazy, in a very cool way…I know.
How to:
* Season all sides with a lot of corst salt and then do more, I know it feels like its to much, but trust me. (Central Market or HEB has premade smoked salt flakes, USE THEM, one of my little secrets ) Press-it in everywhere.
* Place on a wire rack over a small pan.
* put it in refrigerator uncovered
* Minimum: 2 hours
* Better: Overnight
* Ideal: 24 hours
Pull it and pat it with paper towel, to get any moisture off and some salt. Let it rest at room temperature as you heat up next step. Get a cast iron pan or oven safe pan in the oven or smoker with a couple big chunks of tallow, avocado oil and butter, melt it down for a minute or so, as you season your steak with generous amount of, black pepper and garlic powder.
Set your smoker, pellet grill, charcoal grill, or oven to:
225°F
Cook until internal temperature reaches:
* Rare: 110°F
* Medium Rare: 115–120°F
* Medium: 125–135°F
Place steak in warmed pan in the oven or smoker until steak reaches, 5-15 minutes (use a meat thermometer ) don’t guess. Then remove it out of oven and place on a plate and let it rest as you get next step prepped.
Place the pan on a burner or if you have a griddle outside use
It ( this probably will produce quite a bit of smoke)…set on high with the oily buttery goodness that you have leftover in the pan , use tongs and sear all the steaks edges and press for 15-30 each edge in the oily goodness from earlier (you might have to add more butter)
Then down flat for 30-45 sec. ( NO MORE) then flip and repeat until you build the bark/crust that you desire. Maybe 2 or 3 times each side. You’re not cooking the steak now, just building the bark/crust. Just repeat until it looks like you want it, some like it lightly seared some love it crusty.
Then let the steak rest for 2-3 minutes. On a platter of butter and/or tallow with your favorite steak rub or chopped up fresh basil and tyme and let the magic happen. Tent with tinfoil and let test rest a 5 minutes or so before serving, this will allow the rest of the moisture from the steak to push out and commingle with the butter and seasoning, and then it will start absorbing it back into the meat fibers as it attempts to reach lower temperature.
Make some cowboy butter or red chimichurri. (youtube it)
I personally prefer an offset smoker (oven) and wood fire to finish... but I do it in an oven and on stovetop with a cast iron pan all the time!
The dry brine builds flavor.
The slow temperature cooks the inside. The extreme heat creates the exterior bark/crust.
Serve with mashed potatoes and a salad (to make it easy) or what ever side you want… oh get some yeast rolls from the freezer section at Central Market or HEB
Lee Pruitt | Open Live Fire Cowboy Chef | Founder of TheGrillMedics
Inspired by a great Chef and buddy Kevin Kay The Combat Chef
