Technique
Reverse Searing: Steak With an Even Edge and a Hard Crust
The classic steak method is a hard sear followed by a gentler finish. It works for thin supermarket steaks. For anything an inch and a half thick or more, the reverse sear is simply better: it produces an even band of pink from edge to centre and a crust that stays crisp instead of steaming under a resting tent.
The method, briefly
- Salt early. Dry-brine the steak on a rack in the fridge, uncovered, for at least 45 minutes and up to a day. Surface moisture leaves, the salt seasons through, and browning improves.
- Cook indirect at 225–275°F until the steak reaches 95–110°F internal for medium-rare. This takes 20–35 minutes for a thick ribeye.
- Rest 10 minutes while you stoke the fire wide open. A rested surface sears faster, so the interior moves less.
- Sear hard over the coals, 45–90 seconds per side, turning often. Pull at 125–130°F for medium-rare.
- Rest 5–8 minutes, then slice against the grain.
Target temperatures
| Doneness | Pull from sear | After 5–8 min rest |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | 118–122°F | 125°F |
| Medium rare | 125–130°F | 132–135°F |
| Medium | 135–140°F | 142–145°F |
| Medium well | 145–150°F | 152–155°F |
On a gas grill
Gas is excellent for this, and easier than charcoal. Light one burner and leave the others off. Put the steak over the unlit side with the lid down, cook indirect to 95–110°F, rest, then move it over the lit burner on high for the sear. Close the lid during the indirect phase to keep the chamber warm and stable.
The details that matter
- Thickness decides everything. Under an inch, the indirect phase is over before it begins — use a conventional sear instead.
- Pat the surface bone dry before the sear. Water boils at 212°F and holds the surface well below browning temperature until it is gone.
- Use a thin probe near the centre, avoiding bone and fat pockets, and read the same spot each time.
- Butter and aromatics last. Add them in the final 30 seconds over the coals, or baste after the steak comes off. Butter burns early.
Common failures
Grey band is thick. The fire was too hot during the indirect phase, or the sear ran long because the steak was cold and wet.
Crust is patchy. Not enough contact or not enough heat. Get the grate hot, oil the meat (not the grate), and do not move the steak for the first 30 seconds.
Overcooked at the edges. You seared before the interior was warmed, or skipped the mid-cook rest. The rest is what keeps the outside from running ahead.