Reverse Searing: The Secret to a Perfectly Cooked Steak

There are few things better than a beautifully cooked steak outdoors. A deep, caramelised crust on the outside, tender and juicy inside, and cooked evenly from edge to edge.

The trouble is that thicker steaks can be surprisingly unforgiving. Get the outside looking perfect and the centre may still be underdone. Leave it over the heat for too long and that beautiful pink centre starts disappearing.

That’s where reverse searing comes in.

It sounds like something reserved for serious BBQ enthusiasts, but the principle is remarkably simple: cook the steak gently first, then finish it over intense heat to create the crust.

Once you’ve tried it on a good thick steak, you may never go back.

What is reverse searing?

Traditional steak cooking usually starts with a very hot pan or grill. You sear the outside and then continue cooking until the centre reaches the temperature you want.

Reverse searing turns that process around.

The steak is first cooked slowly using indirect heat until the centre is almost at your desired temperature. It is then moved onto an extremely hot grill, griddle or pan for a short final sear.

The result is beautifully even cooking through the steak, with far less of the grey overcooked band that can form around the outside.

And because the final stage is all about intense heat rather than trying to cook the centre, you can concentrate on creating that irresistible crust.

Start with the right steak

Reverse searing really comes into its own with thicker cuts, ideally around 4–5cm thick.

Ribeye, sirloin, côte de boeuf and tomahawk are all excellent choices. A thick fillet steak works beautifully too.

For thinner steaks, conventional high-heat grilling is usually quicker and easier. There simply isn't enough distance between the surface and centre to gain much from the slower first stage.

Whatever cut you choose, quality matters. Good marbling will help keep the steak succulent and add flavour as the fat renders during cooking.

Step 1: Season generously

Take the steak from the fridge and pat the surface dry with kitchen paper.

Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

If you have time, an even better approach is to salt the steak several hours beforehand and leave it uncovered on a rack in the fridge. The salt penetrates the meat while the exposed surface becomes progressively drier.

A dry surface is exactly what you want when it comes to achieving a great sear.

Step 2: Set up for indirect cooking

Set your BBQ up with an indirect cooking zone at around 110–130°C.

On a gas BBQ, that usually means lighting burners on one side and placing the steak on the unlit side. With charcoal, bank the coals to one side and cook the steak away from them.

Close the lid and let the BBQ behave more like an outdoor oven.

This gentle stage is the key to reverse searing. Instead of attacking the outside of the steak with heat, you're slowly bringing the whole cut towards the temperature you want.

Step 3: Cook to temperature, not time

Place the steak in the indirect zone, close the lid and cook slowly.

A digital meat thermometer makes this considerably easier. Steak thickness, starting temperature and the characteristics of your BBQ all affect cooking time, so temperature is a much better guide than the clock.

For a medium-rare finish, aim to move the steak to the searing stage when the centre reaches approximately 46–48°C.

As a general guide:

The final sear will continue raising the internal temperature, so don't wait until the steak reaches its finished temperature before moving it.

Remember that these temperatures are a guide. The exact rise during searing will depend on the thickness of the steak and how fiercely you finish it.

Step 4: Get things seriously hot

Once the steak has reached its first target temperature, remove it from the BBQ.

Now turn up the heat.

You want your grill, griddle or cast iron cooking surface very hot. If you're cooking over charcoal, this is the moment to move the steak directly over the hottest part of the fire.

Pat the steak dry again if necessary. Moisture is the enemy of a good crust.

A very light coating of oil with a high smoke point can help, but you don't need much.

Step 5: The sear

Put the steak directly onto the hottest part of the BBQ.

You're no longer trying to cook the inside. You're creating colour, texture and flavour on the surface.

Sear for roughly 45–60 seconds, then turn. Continue until both sides have developed a deep brown crust.

Don't forget the edges of a particularly thick steak, especially the fat cap on a ribeye or sirloin. Holding this against the heat briefly can render some of the fat and add even more flavour.

Keep checking the internal temperature as you go.

This stage happens quickly, which is exactly the point.

Step 6: Give it a short rest

One advantage of reverse searing is that the steak has already spent much of its cooking time warming gently and evenly.

It therefore doesn't require the long resting period often associated with conventionally grilled steak.

Give it a few minutes while you finish the rest of the meal, then slice.

For larger sharing steaks such as côte de boeuf or tomahawk, slice across the grain and finish with a little sea salt.

Want to take it further?

Once you've mastered the basic technique, there are plenty of ways to experiment.

Try adding a small amount of smoking wood during the indirect stage. Oak works beautifully with beef, while hickory gives a stronger BBQ character.

During the final sear, you can also introduce butter, rosemary, thyme and crushed garlic if you're using a cast iron pan or cooking surface.

Or keep things wonderfully simple: exceptional beef, sea salt, black pepper and fire.

Sometimes that's all you need.

Why we love reverse searing

Outdoor cooking should be about enjoying the process rather than worrying about whether an expensive steak is going to emerge raw in the middle or overcooked around the edges.

Reverse searing takes much of that uncertainty away.

Low heat gives you control. High heat gives you the crust.

And when you cut into a beautifully seared steak to reveal an almost perfectly even centre, you'll understand why this has become one of our favourite ways to cook beef outdoors.

Good food. Great company. And another reason to stay outside a little longer.