Trying to create the perfect steak!

rwalters

rwalters

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Been working on the "perfect" rib-eye... definitely making progress, but still haven't quite arrived. Quick question...in your experience/opinion, does a reverse seared steak REALLY come out that much better than a sear-n-slide steak? More than willing to change to the RS method if it makes a noticeable difference, but not to excited due to the increased cook time.
 
You need to determine this yourself, first hand. I spent years searing first, then I tried reverse sear and loved it and did it tht way for quite a few years. I am actually back to a "sear first" method and am liking it better now.

In short, you will get answers either way. The people who make steaks just the way they and their families and friends like them will be completely convinced they are right, and will ahve the results to back it up. But the answers will go both ways. There is no "one way" to make things to everyone's satisfaction. What you want to do is expermient and hone the methods you find you like.

My thoughts are, you want the steak cooked to your desired level of doneness, and you want a nice seared outside that is properly seasoned to deliver some great flavor! So I recommend doing that.:becky:

With that said, let's return to the great reverse sear vs sear first debate!:thumb:
 
rwalters said:
Been working on the "perfect" rib-eye... definitely making progress, but still haven't quite arrived. Quick question...in your experience/opinion, does a reverse seared steak REALLY come out that much better than a sear-n-slide steak? More than willing to change to the RS method if it makes a noticeable difference, but not to excited due to the increased cook time.
Click to expand...

Every restaurant cook in the world just asked themselves....

What the hell......?

Just grill the damn steak
 
Several years ago I bought a cast iron griddle – flat side and ridged side. I bought it for cooking breakfast on long cooks etc. About two months ago I brought it out and used it to cook steak. I seared two 1.5 “ sirloins at about 4 min per side - on the flat side of the griddle - and then moved them over to the grill to cook to med rare.

I have only done that once but the sear was wonderful and worth working with some more.
 
Also depends on the 'doneness" that you prefer. If you like rare and even med/rare, here's how I do it since the wife, kids, and Ilike rare as in warm and bloody! I build a HOT searing, bed of coals. I then add some wood on top of that and wait for it to burn to the point of no smoke, just fire. I then toss the room temp steaks on the hottest part of the fire. It's hot enough that I can't keep my hand over it AT ALL! I let them sear, sizzle and I don't worry if there are flare ups. I go about 1.5 -2 mins per side depending on thickness. At this point they will have a very nice 1/4 crust/sear on em. I then pull to a cool spot on the grill and let em rest for another couple of minutes. Nice char, perfectly bloody, and warm center. Not for everyone, but that's how we like em. I also only season one side of the steak so that the beef flavor is not overpowered.
Reverse sear is good too, but I don't use it often.
 
I also played around with reverse searing, I found direct searing works better for me.
I like my steaks rare with a nice char. I build a hot coal bed in my OTG and and let her rip.

Don't forget the sauteed onions!

Yummy!
 
I'm firmly in the reverse sear camp. I cut my own steaks 1 1/2~2" from whole roasts when I can get them at a good price. I enjoy the additional smoke flavor I get with the reverse sear.
 
No two people are the same, but to me a perfect steak is cut about an inch thick, so I can cook it the way I like it. No seasoning except some coarse salt and pepper. Cook it over screamin' hot oak or hickory coals, about two minutes per side. Nice and seared on the outside, medium rare inside, juicy, tasty. Couldn't get any better to me.
 
MS2SB said:
If you want the perfect steak just toss it into a screaming hot cast iron pan.
Click to expand...

This is also what I sometimes do. Although I'll cook a thinner steak than I do when I grill. In fact, the first meal I cooked for Redhot before we got married was a pan seared rib eye.:clap2:
 
Here's a couple of chuck eye's I did in a cast iron skillet a week or so ago. Seasoned liberally with my steak seasoning (kosher salt, coarse pepper, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne) let sit and sweat for about 30 minutes until the salt is almost completely dissolved. Rub the pan with a real thin coat of vegetable oil, I'll pour about 1T in and then wipe with a paper towel.

Get the pan smoking hot toss in the steaks and give them about 6 min/side for med-rare.
WP_000442_zpsad23181a.jpg
 
Reverse sear caveman. Light a full weber chimney of lump. Let it get red hot. Pour onto one side of the kettle. Add pecan wood. Add steak to indirect side until it reaches about 105F internal(couple minutes per side). Remove cooking grate and place a thin wire grate directly on coals and slap steak on 60 to 90 seconds per side. Rest 5 minutes. BOOYAH!
 
Get an inch or inch and a half cut. Get fresh and don't freeze. Sprinkle with Sea Salt or Kosher Salt and course ground black pepper. Let steak set to room temp. Heat grill to high heat. grill 3 min on each side. pull steak to let it rest for 5 min. Enjoy.
 
Simple. Very hot grill. Toss on steaks. After 60-90 seconds give half turn (to get cros pattern). At about 2 1/2 minute mark flip steaks. Turn again after 60-90 seconds.
Total cook time 5-6 minutes for 1.5 inch steak. Serve medium rare. My view rare hasn't sufficient caramelisation to get best flavour!
John
 
I like a reverse sear.

Light coat of olive oil, coarse salt and coarse pepper and a charcoal/cherry wood chunk fire on my OTG.

Delicious.
 
I was quite skeptical of the reverse sear until I recently actually got my fire down so low that I almost put it out. It's a bit tricky, but yes, the best strip steak that ever came off of my grill was on it for half an hour.ImageUploadedByTapatalk1360360331.177524.jpg

If you don't want to mess with the RS though, be sure to let the steaks sit out for an hour or even more, and I think that salting to rest on a wire rack an hour or several prior to grilling helps as well.
 
I go primal on my Steaks( some call it cave man) I liberally salt my steaks with course sea salt and let them sit for 30 min per inch of thickness. Rinse, pat dry, get the lump screamin hot and drop them on the coals 3 min a side for 1" thick, rest for 10 min with a dollop of roasted garlic and rosemary compound butter on top.
 
Wow! It's quite obvious that everyone does indeed have their own way of searing/grilling steaks. I will continue to "play", which is half the fun. As of right now, I am loving the grillgrates. They give me a seriously beautiful sear, with no flare-ups! But throwing them directly on top of a pile of lump does sound quite tasty... Hmmmm, so many ways to cook, and just not enough time or $$ to try them all ;)
 
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