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How To Properly Reverse Sear Meat In The Oven

There are all sorts of ways to prepare meat. You can grill it, you can roast it, you can deep fry it -- and you can sear it. Typically, when you sear a steak or a piece of chicken, you hit it with initial high heat to create an outer crust and then finish it in the oven. It's a great way to add a slightly crunchy outer texture that makes every bite fantastic.

But what about reverse searing? That may sound like someone is doing a bit, but it's an actual technique in which you cook a piece of meat in the oven first, then finish it by searing it in a pan. Like any cooking technique, there are some things to know about how to pull it off. You can manage this on the grill, too, although to do so, you basically have to turn your grill into a convection oven -- so let's talk about how it works in the oven.

First, a little bit thicker is better here, no matter which type of meat you're using -- steak, pork chops, or chicken breast. Thin steaks won't take to a reverse sear as well, and they're much more of a pain to try to get a temperature on. Go for the big boys, and make sure to season them before putting them in the oven.

Read more: 11 Ways To Take Your Pork Chop Meals To The Next Level

Lower Temperature In The Oven, Then High Heat On A Sear

thick-cut raw steaks - Kryssia Campos/Getty Images

If you're going for a medium-rare steak, your target is an internal temperature of 120 degrees, which should take about 45 minutes at 275 F in the oven. With pork chops, while your ultimate target is 140-145 degrees (or a little less if you want; the dangers of pork cooked to medium are overstated), you should pull it from the oven at 110 degrees (around 30 minutes at 250 F), because sear and rest are going to take it the rest of the way. For chicken breast, you want to bring the internal temperature to 165 degrees, which should be about 35-45 minutes at 325 F. This temperature is more critical than other meats because even slightly undercooked chicken can be a serious hazard for things like salmonella and campylobacter.

Next is the most critical step: Let the meat rest for at least 10 minutes. This allows the muscle fibers in the protein to relax and the juices to soak back into the meat, ultimately leading to a more flavorful meal.

From there, get a pan hot; for pork chops and chicken, you'll want a bit of oil in there since they're leaner. Sear the living heck out of whichever protein for 2 minutes on each side (you can go a little bit less on steak). If it's steak or pork with a fat cap, sear that side down to render it, and boom — a perfect reverse sear.

There Are Plenty Of Benefits To Reverse Searing

cooked pork chops - Elena Veselova/Shutterstock

There are benefits to a reverse sear that you don't get with the regular searing process, too. A reverse sear will give you an extremely evenly cooked steak, while the standard sear tends to make the outer parts of the meat a bit more cooked than the interior. You also don't lose any of the steak drippings like you often do with a regular sear; they're right there in the pan afterward, ready to be used in a flavorful sauce.

You also get a crispier crust more quickly because of the Maillard reaction, the browning of proteins and sugars when exposed to high heat. (Fun fact: This same scientific process is also how you get soft pretzels.) While you'll get a Maillard reaction browning whichever searing method you use, it's harder to manage when dealing with a higher moisture level. Cooking your meat in the oven first slightly dries out the surface (but not the interior), meaning that when you go to sear, it'll happen quickly and evenly -- exactly what you want, because it doesn't affect the internal temperature nearly as much.

Read the original article on Daily Meal.

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18 Impressive Rib Eye Steak Recipes

Rich rib eye steak lends itself to all kinds of delicious recipes. You can enjoy it in beef tartare (better yet, served with smoked oyster aioli), grill it until it's medium-rare and pair it with sweet gorgonzola butter, and pull off steakhouse-style rib eyes with the help of salt and time. Rib eye is also one of the stars in this steak-and-shrimp hot pot recipe, and it pairs beautifully with celery on the grill. Read on for our favorite recipes featuring rib eye steak.

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Butter-Basted Rib Eye Steaks Diana Chistruga Rib eye steak can seem intimidating to cook, but this dish couldn't be more simple. Based on a recipe from Alain Ducasse, this method has essentially two parts: seasoning the meat well and letting it stand at room temperature for at least half an hour, and then cooking the steaks in a hot cast-iron skillet. Halfway through cooking, these bone-in rib eyes are basted with a mixture of butter, thyme, and garlic that's already in the skillet, so they're crusty outside and richly flavored.

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Steakhouse-Style Rib Eyes Rich cuts of meat, like a bone-in rib eye, benefit from a dry brine and air dry, which concentrates its flavor. Seasoning ahead of time increases iron-y notes in prime-graded cuts of meat and breaks down the connective tissue, resulting in an especially juicy steak.

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Steak au Poivre with Red Wine Pan Sauce Cara Cormack Red wine pan sauce is an amalgamation of fond (those browned bits left in the pan after searing meat), shallots, broth, good-quality red wine, and a few pats of butter to bind it all together and thicken it to a syrupy consistency. A perfect interplay of acid from the wine and sumptuous fat, the sauce is an ideal accompaniment to a peppercorn-crusted rib eye steak. The well-marbled cut stays more tender than New York strip, and its rich, beefy flavor infuses the pan sauce. Trim the steak of large pieces of fat and tie it into a round for even cooking.

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Double-Cut Rib Eye with Sweet Gorgonzola Butter Victor Protasio To celebrate summer, 2002 BNC Suzanne Tracht says, "this juicy, sweet combo of Gorgonzola and beef alongside fresh heirloom tomatoes is how I kick off the outdoor months." A two-rib prime rib eye mini-roast makes it easy to light up the grill.

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Rib Eye Aguachile Jen Causey "We're simply saucing a seared piece of well-marbled rib eye (still raw in the center) with a cold, spicy broth for a refreshing, hearty dish that demands a cold cerveza," Marcela Valladolid writes of her recipe for rib eye aguachile.

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Rib Eye Aguachile with Ponzu Sauce Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Claudette Zepeda uses a reverse-sear technique for this steak served with a salty, umami ponzu sauce. She tops the steak with a fresh tomatillo, onion, cucumber, and cilantro salad that balances the richness of the meat.

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Steak Burgers with au Poivre Special Sauce Victor Protasio These burgers are made with a mix of boneless beef chuck and boneless rib eye steak. Homemade au poivre special sauce, flavored with briny green peppercorns and cornichons, cognac, chives, lemon juice, shallot, and salt adds the finishing touch.

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Steak Tartare with Smoked Oyster Aioli Greg DuPree To make this steak tartare, you'll need both flatiron steak and boneless rib eye. Freeze the beef until it's just firm (about 15 minutes) before you dice.

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Rib Eye with Charred Spring Onions and Salsa Verde Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell "This is a great weeknight steak recipe that uses easy-to-find herbs and a few kitchen essentials to really maximize flavor," says chef Hillary Sterling of Ci Siamo in New York City.

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Grilled Rib Eye Steaks with Okra Suya and Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce PHOTO:Jose Mandojana / FOOD STYLING ROBYN VALARIK / PROP STYLING CHRISTINE WOLHEIM Carlton McCoy reconnected with his West African heritage during a trip to Nigeria, inspiring this grilled dinner featuring suya. The spicy, nutty, and smoky peanut-based spice blend seasons meat and vegetable skewers with thick and juicy rib eye steaks, okra, and cipollini onion.

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Steak-and-Shrimp Hot Pot Justin Walker Cooking tender rib eye, fresh mushrooms, and sweet shrimp tableside makes for an interactive meal. The broth, already seasoned and spiced with fresh aromatics, oils, and sauces, deepens in flavor as you cook the vegetables; meats; and, eventually, noodles throughout the night.

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Prakas' Rib Eye Aubrie Pick Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano adds an unexpected hit of nutty, sweet flavor to rib eye steaks marinated in Thai seasoning sauce, white pepper, and soy sauce in this Night + Market recipe by Kris Yenbamroong, who named the dish for his father, Prakas. Quickly searing the steaks allows them to develop a dark, flavorful crust before resting, slicing, and finishing them in the pan sauce, where they absorb even more flavor and cook to a perfect medium-rare.

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Grilled Wagyu Rib Eye with Roasted Fig Miso Eva Kolenko Niki Nakayama and Carole Iida-Nakayama give tender, marbled grilled Wagyu a hit of savory, lightly sweet flavor from the roasted fig miso sauce. Use leftover sauce to slather on ribs before grilling. If fresh figs are not available, use frozen figs rather than dried. Just make sure to thaw them beforehand for the best texture.

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Rib Eye and Radishes in Bagna Cauda Butter The trick to this amazingly delicious steak by Kay Chun is basting it with garlicky anchovy butter while it roasts.

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Beef-and-Celery Yakitori © Con Poulos The surprise in this dish is celery, which is actually perfect for skewering and grilling. It becomes deliciously crisp and tender, making it the ideal partner for rich and fatty rib eye steaks.

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Grilled Rib Eye Steaks with Apple-Radish Vinaigrette © Eva Kolenko A little Champagne vinegar in the dressing adds punchy flavor to these super easy steaks by F&W's Justin Chapple.

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Shabu-Shabu Con Poulos For this shabu-shabu, you'll quickly cook fresh vegetables and paper-thin rib eye in hot and flavorful kombu broth right at the table. To get your rib eyes super thin, freeze them whole until very firm, about 30 minutes, and slice.

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Bulgogi-Style Pepper Steak Sandwiches Con Poulos These fast hoagies from Kay Chun are based on Korean bulgogi — grilled marinated beef. Chun tosses steak, peppers, and onions in a tasty mix of soy sauce, garlic, and ginger before grilling.

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Rib-Eye Steak With Cacio E Pepe Smashed Potatoes

Chef notes

Put aside your chef's knives and fancy sous vide — we're here today to introduce you to your new favorite home cooking technique: the reverse sear. Learning to cook steak this way will forever change the way you cook fattier cuts of beef. By baking your steaks first, and searing them later, the fat breaks down more easily, allowing the meat to slice like butter. Plus, it helps to prevent over-cooking, as the sear is just a final touch to the outside. Reverse searing is the easiest and most foolproof way to get steakhouse-quality meat at home. 

But a steak dinner is nothing without an incredible potato side dish, like these cacio e pepe smashed potatoes. Here we've embraced the best parts of the iconic Italian pasta dish — freshly ground black pepper and nutty Parmesan cheese — and tossed them with potatoes that are boiled, smashed and cooked until their skin is golden and crispy. 

Special Equipment Required: For the best results, use a rimmed baking sheet lined with a wire-rack for reverse searing. It's possible to achieve the same outcome without it, but having one helps to ensure even cooking.

Technique Tip: Rubbing the steak in oil — rather than adding oil to the pan before searing — will help prevent oil from splattering all over your stovetop and in your oven.

Swap Option: Feel free to use ghee instead of butter and pecorino cheese instead of Parmesan. Pecorino is saltier than Parmesan, so you may want to adjust the salt content accordingly.

 

Preparation 1.

Remove the steak from the refrigerator up to 1 hour before cooking. Pat the steak dry and season the entire surface of the steak with kosher salt. Preheat the oven to 300 F. 

2.

Cook the steak on a wire rack-lined baking sheet until the internal temperature reaches 120 for medium-rare or 125 for medium and the exterior is darkened, 25 to 30 minutes. 

3.

Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a large pot and add enough cold water to cover by 2 inches. Season the water with 1/4 cup kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, continue to cook the potatoes until a paring knife easily pierces the potatoes and the insides are creamy, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet to cool slightly.

4.

 Remove the steak from the oven and let sit on a wire rack until you are ready to sear. Increase the oven temperature to 500 F.  

5.

Drizzle the potatoes with ¼ cup oil and season with kosher salt. Toss to coat. Using the bottom of a mason jar or glass, push down gently to smash the potatoes. Drizzle the tops of the potatoes with ¼ cup more oil and season with freshly ground black pepper. Roast the potatoes on the bottom rack of the oven for 10 minutes, remove from the oven, flip, top with ½ cup parmesan cheese and more freshly ground black pepper and place back into the oven for 10 minutes more. 

6.

While the potatoes finish roasting, sear the steaks. Rub steak with remaining 2 tablespoons of oil on both sides. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. As soon as the skillet starts to smoke, add the steak and cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute, flip and cook for 1 more minute. Turn off the heat and add butter. Tilt the pan towards you so the butter pools at the bottom of the pan, and using a spoon, baste the steaks in melted butter for 1 minute. 

7.

Remove from heat, slice immediately, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and serve with crispy smashed potatoes. 

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