How to lock in all that flavour
Since diving into the culinary meat world over the past 6 months, I have discovered many new tricks and ideas that have revolutionised the way I cook.
For the most part, it’s been discovering ways to cheat or cut corners without compromising on taste.
In fact, often it’s enhanced flavours such as the use of sausage meat in a lasagne or ragu.
But this next one, reverse searing, isn’t about finding a handy trick, this is a (simple) labour of love to have on a night you want to treat yourselves.
What is reverse searing?
It’s basically the opposite of what you know.
The standard restaurant method is searing on a high heat to get that perfect Maillard reaction, then put into the oven on a lower heat to finish it off to give that tasty, melt-in-the-mouth steak.
Well this is the reverse of that. And the idea behind it is you’ll get an even cook throughout the steak – no well done on the outter and medium-rare in the middle scenario.
What steaks work well with the reverse sear method?
Thicker steaks work best and should be at least 1-inch thick
Try reverse sear with:
- Ribeye
- T-Bone
- Sirloin
- Fillet/Tenderloin
Here’s a quick top tip
Meat thermometer.
Buy one, use one. I never thought I’d be an advocate of a meat thermometer as I thought you were supposed to become so skilled and so knowledgeable that using a thermometer was a sign of ‘weakness’.
However, I was wrong.
And it’s been worth every penny as it takes the stress out of the cooking process (especially when dealing with a premium steak – who wants to ruin that!)
Simple but it takes time and is it worth it?
Doing a reverse sear does take longer BUT you won’t regret taking the time .
Besides, you can use the time to get on with making a simple side to go with it.
And the bonus is, you won’t need to rest it at the end of the process as you rest it earlier.
(I’ve add a couple of links to my side recipe ideas – grilled cos lettuce , fried potato or spicy Mexican sweet corn)
Served with grilled Little Gem (check out my posts on ‘Sides’ and fried potato
Here’s a summary of how it works…
The key is to cook the meat on a very low heat.
So, once at the desired temperature (see table below on Internal Temperatures), you simply sear the outside on a very hot surface
And et voila, a glorious reverse seared steak.
Method
Equipment and tools:
- Pan
- Roasting rack
- Piping hot skillet
- Meat thermometer
- Preheat oven to 135°C (Gas mark 1/275f)
- Place your seasoned (see below) steaks on a rack over a baking tray to catch any drips
- Place your steak in the oven until you’ve measured the steaks internal temp of 51 °C – 54°C (125-135f).
- The time it takes will depend on how you prefer your steak to be cooked (see below, Internal Meat Temp. Table) but usually takes around 45-60 minutes.
- Once at your preferred temperature, remove and rest for 10-15 minutes under foil. The meat will continue to cook and the juices redistribute back through the steak.
- Preheat a skillet or heavy based pan to an extremely hot temperature
- Sear your steak for one minute each side to create that delicious crust.
- Serve immediately
Seasoning
As I’ve learned in my research about salt – see my post on here – you can either season:
- Literally, just before the cooking process
- 45 mins or more (but never less than 45 mins) (*this is my choice for reverse searing)
- By the deep seasoning method or dry brining
… but from what I’ve read and from my own experience you’re best to go for the deep season if you’re doing a reverse sear.
Go on try it. I guarantee you’ll become a convert!
INTERNAL MEAT TEMPERATURE GUIDE
| Rare | 51.6 °C (125 f) |
| Medium Rare | 54.4 °C (130 f) |
| Medium | 60°C (140 f) |
| Well done | 71 °C (160 f) |
Enjoy and let me know what you think of the reverse sear