I happen to have fallen in love with 2” thick, bone-in Ribeye from a local butcher. The reverse sear makes it foolproof for even a novice like myself. Can’t wait to try the lemon butter! Thanks!
Nothing better than a ribeye. I thought I had died and gone to heaven without the inconvenience of actually dying after eating a steak from Costco that was made with the caps of ribeyes only.
Chef, nice work. The pre-seasoning does a number of things for the proteins involved. Number one it seasons the meat all the way through, which you obviously noticed. Another thing it does for you is that it locks more of the moisture into the inner tissue of the steak, altering the behavior of the moisture during cooking and preventing the moisture from being shot out of the cells under high heat. Another benefit of the pre-seasoning is that it has a tenderizing effect on the tissue, improving mouthfeel. As for unused portions after a service there are a whole host of options, but the nice thing about the dry brine is that as it sits longer in the walk in the flavors continue to concentrate more and more. No, it won't turn into jerky, you're not using enough salt for that process to happen, but it will dry age and improve in flavor and texture over time. This process can be used on any protein including tofu and mushrooms. Another trick I use at home is that I include dry stock powder in my dry brine mixture to enhance and reinforce the flavor of the protein I'm working with. Love the compound butter you threw together. I'll have to give that a try.
Thank you so much for showing that little trick to get the middle part of the surface to brown! Getting the perfect crust has always been an issue for me and I’m pretty sure this will solve it!
Yah thts crazy. Been making steaks for a couple years now and thaty was always something I would experience from time to time and I would have to make it up for by with butter basting. But now I know I can fix it that way is a game changer!
Searing on a grill plate directly over coals gets you a perfect sear with the fancy grill lines and it to me feels like a slightly different sear but this method made me happy for a new way to get a perfect sear
The biggest thing that prohibits a great sear is moisture, especially if you salt & cook shortly after. The salt draws the moisture to the surface & the steak is literally moist on the surface. That’s why the dry brined one seared so well, it dried for 24 hours in the fridge. Water prevents the Mylar reaction, you are instead steaming. The moisture needs to evaporate before it begins searing & by then a few minutes are lost. Next time test it for yourself, dry pat one really well with paper towels & another leave as is. Then see the difference for yourself.
@@YaH_Gives_Wisdom I dry brine for a couple of hours and then put it in the oven at 250F until 110F internal. I’m not sure if the pepper that I’m using is too coarse for it to give a proper sear since I add all the seasoning at the very beginning. I take surface temp measurements of the cast iron prior to searing and I honestly think I’ve been using too high of a temp and maybe not enough wagyu beef tallow. I originally thought it was a surface contact issue so I bought a steak weight but that only slightly improved the result.
Great comparison! I've been doing a sous vide reverse sear for the last few years and no matter how frozen or how thick it will always be perfect from top to bottom and left to right. No bullseye rare center, pink ring, grey ring. Sous vide reverse sear with cast iron finish!
@@Thiccalus Immersion heater, and a plastic container with a lid for that purpose is the cheapest method. The whole machine is unnecessary other than for restaurants.
I can’t thank you enough! I now make the best steaks ever! The maître de butter is just so delicious! Thank you again for your expertise. You are awesome!!!
I have dry brined and reverse seared my steaks and chops this way for about a year, its amazing how flavorful they come out. Use my pellet smoker set at 225 for the baking portion then onto my Weber gas grill to finish. Love the additional flavor with the butter, garlic and thyme, need to try that for sure! Thanks for the conformation, excellent video Chef!
The key is more the dry brine than reverse sear. Dry brine. Have the steak room temp. The normal cook isn't exactly a fair comparison if you are throwing it on directly from the fridge without dry brining lol.
Chef, I think you should have done a third steak: what if you pre-seasoned and dry brined a steak overnight, just like you did with the reverse sear steak, but then did a traditional sear on it? It would certainly have the flavor penetration of your reverse sear steak and would be a more direct comparison of searing and reverse searing.
Actually this is basically what im doing. I let the meat "dry brine" for two hours if I have the time or 40ish minutes if im in a hurry. I can't talk about what the result is since im cooking mostly cheapest pork, but I would love an addition to this video exploring that, since it's relatively reasonable of a time span considering all other chores you can or have to do in between. What I have found is that it is a marginal improvement in all categories, but I can't tell if it is because I've gotten better at all detail included towards handling cooking or just because of the "dry brine". Im also using the quotation marks, since 40mins or even 2 hours isnt that long, yet i've heard and experienced it to be sufficient.
dude, that's what i wanted to say :) Dry brined makes all the difference here in my opinion :) But i'm ready to taste all three options, and i am sure, that all are delicious
One of his initial misconceptions was that it was "dry" and wouldn't be moist. The reason this isn't correct is that while the outside is dry, that is important for browning. The browning is from the Maillard reaction which happens at about 300F. This means that any water has to boil off before it can happen. So, if you have a dry outside, you can get the brown crust faster because the reaction happens quicker since there is no water to remove. That means you aren't inadvertently removing moisture from the inside to get the crust. That's also was it is more evenly done. No gray ring inside, pink to the edge. This is more evident in large pieces but you can still see it here. The good thing is he learned it. He also learned how the reverse sear doesn't rise as much during rest. This is also because the meat was on the heat less. To me the best thing to learn from this is that just because something is good, old school steak for example, doesn't mean it can't be better. KEEP IMPROVING, ALWAYS! That's part of the scientific method, if you're wrong, learn from it and try again. As for the resteraunt dilemma, they have the same problem with Prime Rib. For your Friday night Prime Rib you need to cook a lot of meat to sell, starting Thursday. There is no 1 hour Prime Rib, let alone 10 minute. That's why you have a lot of "Prime Rib Sandwhich (or soup) Specials" the day after Prime Rib night.
@@narcyz1988great point. The experiment can be very fun. Also try different spices. I love garlic powder on steak. MSG has a bad name but it really adds flavor. It does not deserve the hate.
I did your Salmon recipe last week on the smoker and it was a massive hit, first time I have ever cooked salmon - thank you so much for the great recipes
Awesome video!! Have reversed seared my NY strips for 2 years now. No going back!! Excellent technique for novice cooks. I just season a couple of hours ahead. 250 degrees, inserted thermometer to alert when done at your liking.(120 degrees) For me, sear at scorching heat about 1 minute per side. Totally fool proof. Will try your basting method, so will pull meat at a lower temp. Reverse sear is a game changer. It can make nervous cooks look like masters in the kitchen. 🤤
I switched to the reverse sear about 5 years ago and love it. I usually do it on the grill where I get it to just above 100* degrees and then take it off. I then open the air takes and get the coals very hot for the sear. It comes out more evenly cooked with a nice wall of pink right up to the crisp edge.
I appreciate the honesty and transparency of your video. This is my first video to watch (of yours) and your honesty gained you a thumbs up and a follower! Looking forward to making your butter as well.
Both techniques have their place. For everyday steaks, I go with the faster (old school) method every time. For a monster 30 oz bone-in ribeye, reverse sear is my only practical option, and works fantastic.
I haven't tried reverse sear, but I almost always love the old school method- I cook in ghee, with rosemary and garlic (or garlic powder on the steak). I pour the residual ghee/herb seasoning over my steak as it rests, so it has plenty of flavor when served and dipped in that sauce. Your seasoned lemon butter role does sound worth exploring.... But I do like to keep it simple... I highly recommend a Greek salad of tomatoes, sliced red onion, cucumber, Bell pepper, feta cheese, with olive oil, vinegar, 21 seasonings dressing, to accompany that steak, and maybe steamed broccoli, cauliflower or brussel sprouts.
I dry brine my steak also for about 4 hours on the counter under wrap. Very good. I wanted to say though that you can still cook the ala minute steak by reverse sear. You should try that and see what happens.
This an an excellent video. My only issue with this is cooking streak straight from the fridge. I always take it out to get it to room temperature first. No exceptions, its always better. In addition, after many, many cooks and comparisons, I put mine on the pellet grill @200 until its close enough but low enough in temp to sear (~90F to 100F). Remove the steaks and either use a pan to sear (if I want to saute it in flavors like you did - honestly, not often), or set the grill to 500F, then sear on grill with a butter blend on top. Cooking low and slow gets smokey goodness... but also keeps the steak the same amount of done-ness from tip to tip. It'll be medium-rare, or what you choose for done-ness, throughout, again, from tip to tip. Also seems to be more tender throughout. Restaurant techniques make good steak, but they are designed for speed and volume. Low and slow is substantially better. I also find I really only need salt, pepper (maybe a Montreal blend), and butter while cooking towards the end. I continuously gets told my steak is better than restaurants, but maybe people are just being nice. Honestly, do think its a lot better. Again thank you. I always brine Turkey because, done right, its substantially better and we've never gone back after trying it. The brine seasoning one chooses makes an enormous difference. Try many becuase its vastly different between. So, maybe I'll experiment with this form of steak brining. I'd be tempted to brine with some herbs so that herb flavor gets into the meat. Appreciate. Enjoy!
I use both methods at home, but almost always use the pre-season and reverse sear for bigger cuts. I use the smoker for the initial cook - usually around 200-225 and often just use a torch for the sear. For smaller cuts (or if the weather isn’t cooperating), I’ll use the stovetop method or oven reverse sear. I’ve found that the seasoning is probably better the night before, but often seasoning it up at lunchtime to cook at dinner is plenty adequate. Oh, I’ve even done the reverse sear with steaks basically straight from the freezer. I was shocked how well it worked. I did need a bit more in the finishing salt, but still awesome.
I am a home cook, and not always able to plan 24 hours in advance, but I think i learned the extreme low heat pre-cooking in the oven, resembles the aging process, drying the surface. I usually take it out at 90º, and proceed. I'll have to make up some of the lemon butter. Thanks for your cheffy tips. Very helpful.
Excellent presentation Chef! You didn't give yourself enough credit for the resting of the reverse seared piece between baking and the pan. I have been doing this method for years. Thanks for some validation!
Love seeing tests like this! I go with the reverse sear, but modified. Rather than going in a 200deg oven, I put mine on the grill, flipping after 1 minute on each side, until the internal temp is 100F. Then reverse sear it. Minimal gray banding, great flavor from the grill, a beautiful crust, and fork-tender at rare/medium rare.
I do a modified way as well. I put it on the cooler side of my grill (300 or less) for a couple minutes, let it start warming up and dry the surfaces out. Then sear on the hot side for about 4-6 minutes, then back to the cooler side of the grill until it’s 15 degrees less than cook to temp. Pull, let rest and the internal works it’s way up. The true reverse sear and sous vide I feel don’t render the bigger fat chucks as well.
The reverse sear method being that it takes longer to cook, gives the inner musculature/fat more time to render down which in turn will create a more tender bite. The slower cook also gives the seasoning more time to penetrate the meat in turn creating a more evenly distributed flavor profile.
I don't season overnight, but I do reverse-sear my steaks on the grill with indirect heat, low and slow, then finish on direct heat but not long at all. Turning every minute or less on high heat for the sear. And use a good thermometer. The results are perfect.
Dry brining is nice if I’m planning far enough ahead, but you’re right old school season and cook is delicious too I always thought the reverse sear method came about as a way to get some smoke on the steak. A chunk of oak or pecan on the coals while you low and slow indirect adds nice flavours.
2 things… 1.) love your reaction to the first taste of the reverse sear… and 2.) thank you, thank you, thank you for not shoving a 3 inch cut of meat into your mouth
Been doing reverse sear since 2017 on a smoker and then searing on a grill. Anytime I try to change it I get upset patrons (children and wife). That butter looked awesome!
One of the great parts of a longer dry brine, closer to 24 hrs is the meat turns a dark ruby red and the meat is sufficiently dried for a superior sear
My son always reverse sears and his steaks are always good. I usually just season and pop in the cast iron. I think after watching your video I’m going to follow the reverse sear❤️Love your video and I’m making that lemon butter🙏🏻
Reverse sear has given me a relatively simple, consistent method of getting a great steak. Can't say the same for straight pan frying. I have also settled on shorter times in the fridge. I go 4/5 hours for grass fed. Add a couple more hours for grain fed.
I've tried a lot of different ways and it's always coming back to my grill using avocado oil, large coarse sea salt and pepper. My modified version is putting the salt and pepper and letting it sit after bringing it out of a cold refrigerator for 30 minutes and then grilling. Essential what you're doing is creating a sauce on top of however you're going to cook your steaks.
When I was in the kitchen we sous vide (water bath) as many cuts as wee needed. Then pan sear for crust. This way we weren't wasting anything. Great comparison, Chef!
Thank you for this video.I recently discovered reverse sears for me. My butcher urged me to try it... and now I'm addicted. But I did it without seasoning it 24h earlier. Have to try that too...
Thanks so much for doing this video. I've been doing the reverse sear for 2 years or so. I've left steaks seasoned in the fridge for 2 days without any issues. I don't pepper until time to cook. Yes, the surface gets really dry 'looking' but this doesn't change the taste. I heat to 105 in a 210 oven and then only cook over heat for about 1 to 1.5 mins on each side. I've found there's zero reason to let it rest. When the weather is nice, I use the infrared sear station on my grill with cuts the time down to 1 min per side. 1800 degrees will do that, lol. p.s. I still love your mushroom soup. Amazing.
Thank you, I modified your recipe with a cold smoke on the Traeger @225 (as opposed to the oven) to bring the internal temp to 100 then bring it inside for the pan sear. We use Filets as opposed to NY Strips. Nice smoky flavor.
Experimenting with reverse sear in my pellet grill, yielding some tasty results. The internal temperature will be adjusted prior to searing thanks to your advice 👍
Great video. I’ve been only reverse searing for the past two years now. I was using sous vide before. I like SV but it’s a lot of work and time. Reverse sear seems to beat it and it’s my favorite way now.
Very cool…I love experimenting with this stuff…I have now switched to the pre-seasoned way, but instead of throwing it in the pan for 3 minutes on each side, I do 1 minute on each side and keep turning it over every minute until done…the crust gets sooooo much better, and you get much less grey ring on the inside…try it out!!!
I unintentionally did a bit of this, I seasoned the steaks (thinking I was cooking them right away), but then had to leave them like 45 min. Then cooked them the “old school “ way. The steaks were amazing, best ones I’ve ever cooked
I do that but with a cold sear finish… My wife thinks the cold sear has better taste… It does take a little longer than a hot sear, but it is more even with penetrating into the center… Also, I do my cold sear on a cast iron, but my reverse sear on carbon steel, I think the thicker cast iron allows for the pan to heat a little slower…
I'm new new school, just season put it in the air fryer for 12 minutes at 400deg, flip at 6 minutes gives it perfect sear and is juicy as hell 🤤 and i did the minimum work and mess
I add seasonings an hour beforehand. In cast iron pan sear on one side and give each edge a couple of minutes sear also. , flip it over on last side, put in oven at 250* until it reaches 130* for medium rare. Let it set under aluminum for 5 minutes. Turns out perfect every time.
For the average home cook, pre-season and reverse sear is the best, most repeatable way to cook a steak. It takes a lot of the guess-work out and is extremely simple. I've been convincing fellow home cooks and foodies to try it for years!!
the idea behind brining (salting and let it sit for a long time) is that the salt opens up the structure of the proteins making the meat more tender and reavealing parts of the protein who are more hydrophilic, meaning- the meat holds more water. the resut is that the meat is more tender and lose less water during cooking. lately i did a chiken breasts in a wet brine and the differance was very big. it lost about 10% less water and was very very tender and juicy
I’ve had more than a few steaks at our local steakhouses that were under cooked or over cooked because the cook thought they could tell simply by using their finger. Makes me want to hand my waiter a thermopen when they take my order.
I have been pre-seasoning my steaks for about 2 years now. I will never go back to not pre-salting them unless I simply don’t have the time. I’m not sold on the reverse sear technique, though. I absolute hate cooking steaks in the oven. Takes too long and I never seem to get it right. I’m happy with the pre-salting and then grilling or pan searing.
I did this last night with a NY Strip and could not get over the taste. It was the best strip I have ever cooked. My personal favorite is a filet and kind of locked in to my big green egg for those. Do you think this cook would work on a thick cut of filet?
You did the same thing I did. When I tried the salt and fridge for the pre game, it’s just better. The biggest thing I noticed, was how even the flavor was from first to last bite. I’ve never made the butter with lemon, will give it a shot!
Compare old School to the Just Keep Flipping method. I have used all three and I feel like the JKF method is my fav. I never preseason steaks, just bigger cuts that are roasted or smoked. Great videos!
Sous vide is great! It’s simple and not time dependent, ie lot’s of leeway between when to start and when to finish. better if you want medium rare to medium, No need to “ rest” steak. Not thickness dependent, ie 1 inch is as easy to do as two inches. I always pat dry, re-season, and smear lightly with mayo. Steaks go in sous vide 1-2 hours before planned grilling on viciously hot grill.
I've always used a higher smoke point oil with steak. Olive oil starts to smoke at a relatively low temperature and I feel like I never get a great sear with it. It always comes out feeling oily to me. Maybe I'm just more of a grill guy. I do love the temperature control of a reverse sear.
Once you reverse-sear you never go back :-) but, when I need dinner in a jiffy, I take my steaks out of the fridge season immediately and let them hang out for at least 30 minutes while cooking the sides, then is a quick 5-6 minute on the cast iron skillet, open a nice bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and voila dinner is served! Love to see the smile on my father's face when he takes the first bite. The man is such a boost to my ego :-) :-)
after cooking $10, $20, $30 and $65 steaks, I can say with certainty that the meat quality is 75% guilty of the final result of the steak. These skils are very good, but in the end the steak quality is the most important thing.
I usually do reverse sear, but I tend to over shoot how done I want it. I've typically done higher inner temp + pan on hi the whole time. Next time I'll try your method with the 100 F target and lowering pan temp (and addatives).
I have found it better to keep the pan ripping hot (as hot as you can get your pan and use grape seed oil for higher smoke point) while searing, and reduce the sear time to around 1 minute per side. Then I remove the steak from the pan and remove the pan from the heat, give it a minute or so to cool down. Next I put the pan back on low heat and add butter, garlic, aromatics (whatever you want), then toss the steak in for basting for 1-2 minutes. Less time on heat reduces the cooking done after reverse sear which gives you a more predictable final temp in my opinion. The fact of the matter is though, all of these techniques just slightly enhance an already killer meal, but it's fun to tinker with the process.
What if you dry-brined both steaks so that both would have their meat seasoned all the way through? Can you do a video comparing only the cooking method as the differentiating factor?
Agreed. He had two different variables between the two options so we don't know whether it was reverse searing or dry brining overnight that caused the difference (or both). When you want to compare techniques you should only change one thing at a time to see the real effects.
Enjoyed this video, appreciate the effort to do these side by side. I agree with your finding, I can taste the salt throughout the steak when seasoned the night before. The Lemon butter is new for me, will try this weekend! Thank you!
I did multiple experiments with the reverse sear approach and typically didn't like the outcomes, with some exceptions. In my opinion, it highly depends on meat - as with the sous vide approach. But to get an exceptional result, the reverse sear is the way to go. I personally need to conduct many experiments to master it. However, one can take ideas from the reverse sear philosophy and apply to the traditional method. And it works great. I really like dry brining for many hours - and that's perhaps the main reason why home made steaks are better than typical restaurant ones, as they can't predict demand and dry brine precise amount of steaks. One can use the "slow cooking" aspect in the traditional way, i.e. after searing put the steak in the 90-130 celsius degrees oven for more precise and tender result - I personally like to cook meat at 1-2 degrees precision, at least, for Australian Wagyu it might be important. One can pre-heat meat in the oven to get the dry exterior and thus initiate Mallard reaction much faster, without vaporizing water from exterior first. And then apply the traditional approach. Anyway, the reverse sear is a very interesting approach, though in my case the traditional way is much easier and more predictable. However, I do like that reverse sear really locks in juices, extra fast searing time and more tender (due to slow cooking I believe) interior. So, one can get a "reverse" medium fillet which is juicier than a "traditional" medium rare one.
The one from the fridge was hotter because the low temperature of the mean transferred heat from the pan more efficiently - like putting hot water in an ice cube tray freezes faster than cold water
I recently cooked a large, high quality, bone in NY strip reverse sear. Mine stayed in the fridge for 6 hours. The method although long prep resulted in a perfect medium rare through out. The seasoning was able to penetrate the entire steak, so I'm not sure much more time is needed.
I like the old school way since it doesn't require 2 methods of cooking and heating up the house with the oven. On the other hand, I will turn the oven on when cooking thicker steaks or tri-tip. TFS
Reverse sear ftw! Two things, 1. you can get the same crust in half the fry time pulling at 115 instead of 100 and high instead of med high. You could add the garlic, herbs and butter just before you turn; 2. And you can dry brine for a few days. The result is not beef jerky just better Maillard reaction = better crust. Upcharge opportunity in the restaurant industry. “Three day dry brined”
Glad I found you! Every steak video I view features 2+ inch steaks which are not practical for an everyday cook...who can afford a 1 inch steak that feeds 1 (one) human once a month. With beef prices always on the rise I tend to buy quik-pick lottery by the pound in hopes of one day being able to buy red meat...by the pound! You are an entertaining teacher. Me tinks I'll subscribe now
The deal with dry brining at molecular-level perspective: any initial moisture drawn out is overcompensated by the salt denaturing myosin, which inhibits contraction of muscle fibers as they cool after cooking. In other words, it’s the difference between squeezing a wet sponge, or not.
I'm always making the bone-in ribeye, but my husband cuts away the fat. I'm going to try the NY strips next time. I still have another ribeye in the fridge ready to go, but it's much thinner. I prefer our steaks at the medium level. I usually do it at 275. How long should I do it in the oven to get the right doneness if only at 200 degrees?
The Maillard won’t kick off until enough water is evaporated from the surface. Since the reverse has already dried the surface completely it starts browning immediately. As the steak thickness increases the power of the reverse sear does too. One can achieve ridiculous crusts on 1.75 inch slabs. Btw, I followed your/his prime rib recipe and cooked in my smoker. Out of sight. It’s still talked about and we had it for Christmas.
I happen to have fallen in love with 2” thick, bone-in Ribeye from a local butcher. The reverse sear makes it foolproof for even a novice like myself. Can’t wait to try the lemon butter! Thanks!
Nothing better than a ribeye. I thought I had died and gone to heaven without the inconvenience of actually dying after eating a steak from Costco that was made with the caps of ribeyes only.
My favorite too. 1st I get to the bone, than my puppies:D
@@jenjoy3215 I eat a ton of prime ribeye from costco. The cap is my favorite part.
Chef, nice work.
The pre-seasoning does a number of things for the proteins involved. Number one it seasons the meat all the way through, which you obviously noticed. Another thing it does for you is that it locks more of the moisture into the inner tissue of the steak, altering the behavior of the moisture during cooking and preventing the moisture from being shot out of the cells under high heat. Another benefit of the pre-seasoning is that it has a tenderizing effect on the tissue, improving mouthfeel. As for unused portions after a service there are a whole host of options, but the nice thing about the dry brine is that as it sits longer in the walk in the flavors continue to concentrate more and more. No, it won't turn into jerky, you're not using enough salt for that process to happen, but it will dry age and improve in flavor and texture over time.
This process can be used on any protein including tofu and mushrooms.
Another trick I use at home is that I include dry stock powder in my dry brine mixture to enhance and reinforce the flavor of the protein I'm working with.
Love the compound butter you threw together. I'll have to give that a try.
Thank you so much for showing that little trick to get the middle part of the surface to brown! Getting the perfect crust has always been an issue for me and I’m pretty sure this will solve it!
Yah thts crazy. Been making steaks for a couple years now and thaty was always something I would experience from time to time and I would have to make it up for by with butter basting. But now I know I can fix it that way is a game changer!
Searing on a grill plate directly over coals gets you a perfect sear with the fancy grill lines and it to me feels like a slightly different sear but this method made me happy for a new way to get a perfect sear
The biggest thing that prohibits a great sear is moisture, especially if you salt & cook shortly after. The salt draws the moisture to the surface & the steak is literally moist on the surface. That’s why the dry brined one seared so well, it dried for 24 hours in the fridge. Water prevents the Mylar reaction, you are instead steaming. The moisture needs to evaporate before it begins searing & by then a few minutes are lost.
Next time test it for yourself, dry pat one really well with paper towels & another leave as is. Then see the difference for yourself.
@@YaH_Gives_Wisdom I dry brine for a couple of hours and then put it in the oven at 250F until 110F internal. I’m not sure if the pepper that I’m using is too coarse for it to give a proper sear since I add all the seasoning at the very beginning.
I take surface temp measurements of the cast iron prior to searing and I honestly think I’ve been using too high of a temp and maybe not enough wagyu beef tallow. I originally thought it was a surface contact issue so I bought a steak weight but that only slightly improved the result.
Great comparison! I've been doing a sous vide reverse sear for the last few years and no matter how frozen or how thick it will always be perfect from top to bottom and left to right. No bullseye rare center, pink ring, grey ring. Sous vide reverse sear with cast iron finish!
A friend of mine swears by this, I really need to try sous vide. Do you have a machine to sous vide in?
This is the way.
This is the way@@michaeldickinson3464
@@Thiccalus Immersion heater, and a plastic container with a lid for that purpose is the cheapest method. The whole machine is unnecessary other than for restaurants.
@@ryanj610 I bought mine for like $55 from monoprice, and I have used it weekly for several years. Easily worth the modest investment.
That circular motion tip was gold. I'm def gonna try that next time !
I can’t thank you enough! I now make the best steaks ever! The maître de butter is just so delicious! Thank you again for your expertise. You are awesome!!!
I have dry brined and reverse seared my steaks and chops this way for about a year, its amazing how flavorful they come out. Use my pellet smoker set at 225 for the baking portion then onto my Weber gas grill to finish. Love the additional flavor with the butter, garlic and thyme, need to try that for sure! Thanks for the conformation, excellent video Chef!
Thanks for watching, I appreciate it. Smoker is great way to do it as well.
I do the same except I finish on cast Iron in my OOni. Ridiculous
The key is more the dry brine than reverse sear. Dry brine. Have the steak room temp. The normal cook isn't exactly a fair comparison if you are throwing it on directly from the fridge without dry brining lol.
I just slide the plate to expose the flame 🔥 love searing with a pellet smoker
Chef, I think you should have done a third steak: what if you pre-seasoned and dry brined a steak overnight, just like you did with the reverse sear steak, but then did a traditional sear on it? It would certainly have the flavor penetration of your reverse sear steak and would be a more direct comparison of searing and reverse searing.
Actually this is basically what im doing. I let the meat "dry brine" for two hours if I have the time or 40ish minutes if im in a hurry. I can't talk about what the result is since im cooking mostly cheapest pork, but I would love an addition to this video exploring that, since it's relatively reasonable of a time span considering all other chores you can or have to do in between. What I have found is that it is a marginal improvement in all categories, but I can't tell if it is because I've gotten better at all detail included towards handling cooking or just because of the "dry brine". Im also using the quotation marks, since 40mins or even 2 hours isnt that long, yet i've heard and experienced it to be sufficient.
dude, that's what i wanted to say :)
Dry brined makes all the difference here in my opinion :)
But i'm ready to taste all three options, and i am sure, that all are delicious
One of his initial misconceptions was that it was "dry" and wouldn't be moist. The reason this isn't correct is that while the outside is dry, that is important for browning. The browning is from the Maillard reaction which happens at about 300F. This means that any water has to boil off before it can happen. So, if you have a dry outside, you can get the brown crust faster because the reaction happens quicker since there is no water to remove. That means you aren't inadvertently removing moisture from the inside to get the crust. That's also was it is more evenly done. No gray ring inside, pink to the edge. This is more evident in large pieces but you can still see it here.
The good thing is he learned it. He also learned how the reverse sear doesn't rise as much during rest. This is also because the meat was on the heat less.
To me the best thing to learn from this is that just because something is good, old school steak for example, doesn't mean it can't be better. KEEP IMPROVING, ALWAYS! That's part of the scientific method, if you're wrong, learn from it and try again.
As for the resteraunt dilemma, they have the same problem with Prime Rib. For your Friday night Prime Rib you need to cook a lot of meat to sell, starting Thursday. There is no 1 hour Prime Rib, let alone 10 minute. That's why you have a lot of "Prime Rib Sandwhich (or soup) Specials" the day after Prime Rib night.
@@narcyz1988great point. The experiment can be very fun.
Also try different spices. I love garlic powder on steak. MSG has a bad name but it really adds flavor. It does not deserve the hate.
Seasoning for 24 hr and cooking old school sear first is the best way
I did your Salmon recipe last week on the smoker and it was a massive hit, first time I have ever cooked salmon - thank you so much for the great recipes
My pleasure!
I was smiling watching the taste test at the end.... Perfectly done Chef! 😊
Awesome video!!
Have reversed seared my NY strips for 2 years now. No going back!!
Excellent technique for novice cooks.
I just season a couple of hours ahead. 250 degrees, inserted thermometer to alert when done at your liking.(120 degrees)
For me, sear at scorching heat about 1 minute per side. Totally fool proof.
Will try your basting method, so will pull meat at a lower temp.
Reverse sear is a game changer. It can make nervous cooks look like masters in the kitchen. 🤤
I have been reverse searing everything using one of those Meater thermometers. I have never ruined one thing. Everything comes out perfect. great job.
I switched to the reverse sear about 5 years ago and love it. I usually do it on the grill where I get it to just above 100* degrees and then take it off. I then open the air takes and get the coals very hot for the sear. It comes out more evenly cooked with a nice wall of pink right up to the crisp edge.
I appreciate the honesty and transparency of your video. This is my first video to watch (of yours) and your honesty gained you a thumbs up and a follower! Looking forward to making your butter as well.
Appreciate that. Thanks for watching!
Both techniques have their place. For everyday steaks, I go with the faster (old school) method every time. For a monster 30 oz bone-in ribeye, reverse sear is my only practical option, and works fantastic.
I haven't tried reverse sear, but I almost always love the old school method- I cook in ghee, with rosemary and garlic (or garlic powder on the steak). I pour the residual ghee/herb seasoning over my steak as it rests, so it has plenty of flavor when served and dipped in that sauce. Your seasoned lemon butter role does sound worth exploring.... But I do like to keep it simple... I highly recommend a Greek salad of tomatoes, sliced red onion, cucumber, Bell pepper, feta cheese, with olive oil, vinegar, 21 seasonings dressing, to accompany that steak, and maybe steamed broccoli, cauliflower or brussel sprouts.
I dry brine my steak also for about 4 hours on the counter under wrap. Very good. I wanted to say though that you can still cook the ala minute steak by reverse sear. You should try that and see what happens.
Not following?
This an an excellent video.
My only issue with this is cooking streak straight from the fridge. I always take it out to get it to room temperature first. No exceptions, its always better. In addition, after many, many cooks and comparisons, I put mine on the pellet grill @200 until its close enough but low enough in temp to sear (~90F to 100F). Remove the steaks and either use a pan to sear (if I want to saute it in flavors like you did - honestly, not often), or set the grill to 500F, then sear on grill with a butter blend on top. Cooking low and slow gets smokey goodness... but also keeps the steak the same amount of done-ness from tip to tip. It'll be medium-rare, or what you choose for done-ness, throughout, again, from tip to tip. Also seems to be more tender throughout.
Restaurant techniques make good steak, but they are designed for speed and volume. Low and slow is substantially better. I also find I really only need salt, pepper (maybe a Montreal blend), and butter while cooking towards the end. I continuously gets told my steak is better than restaurants, but maybe people are just being nice. Honestly, do think its a lot better.
Again thank you. I always brine Turkey because, done right, its substantially better and we've never gone back after trying it. The brine seasoning one chooses makes an enormous difference. Try many becuase its vastly different between. So, maybe I'll experiment with this form of steak brining. I'd be tempted to brine with some herbs so that herb flavor gets into the meat.
Appreciate. Enjoy!
I use both methods at home, but almost always use the pre-season and reverse sear for bigger cuts. I use the smoker for the initial cook - usually around 200-225 and often just use a torch for the sear. For smaller cuts (or if the weather isn’t cooperating), I’ll use the stovetop method or oven reverse sear. I’ve found that the seasoning is probably better the night before, but often seasoning it up at lunchtime to cook at dinner is plenty adequate. Oh, I’ve even done the reverse sear with steaks basically straight from the freezer. I was shocked how well it worked. I did need a bit more in the finishing salt, but still awesome.
Wow! I’ll have to try that.
Going to have to try that from the freezer since I'm defrosting ~half the time anyway. Do you salt before freezing, or just season and go?
I am a home cook, and not always able to plan 24 hours in advance, but I think i learned the extreme low heat pre-cooking in the oven, resembles the aging process, drying the surface. I usually take it out at 90º, and proceed. I'll have to make up some of the lemon butter. Thanks for your cheffy tips. Very helpful.
Excellent presentation Chef! You didn't give yourself enough credit for the resting of the reverse seared piece between baking and the pan. I have been doing this method for years. Thanks for some validation!
Love seeing tests like this! I go with the reverse sear, but modified. Rather than going in a 200deg oven, I put mine on the grill, flipping after 1 minute on each side, until the internal temp is 100F. Then reverse sear it. Minimal gray banding, great flavor from the grill, a beautiful crust, and fork-tender at rare/medium rare.
I do a modified way as well. I put it on the cooler side of my grill (300 or less) for a couple minutes, let it start warming up and dry the surfaces out. Then sear on the hot side for about 4-6 minutes, then back to the cooler side of the grill until it’s 15 degrees less than cook to temp. Pull, let rest and the internal works it’s way up. The true reverse sear and sous vide I feel don’t render the bigger fat chucks as well.
what a fridge.... what a oven (digital numbers on the knob!! amazing)
so jealous
You did a superb job, fun and entertaining and very visual and educational.
The reverse sear method being that it takes longer to cook, gives the inner musculature/fat more time to render down which in turn will create a more tender bite. The slower cook also gives the seasoning more time to penetrate the meat in turn creating a more evenly distributed flavor profile.
Started doing the reverse sear….mind blown so good browned perfection everytime
I don't season overnight, but I do reverse-sear my steaks on the grill with indirect heat, low and slow, then finish on direct heat but not long at all. Turning every minute or less on high heat for the sear. And use a good thermometer. The results are perfect.
I flip mine every 45 seconds until it comes to temp. Still gets a crazy crust, but it eliminates that grey band around the steak.
have been patty dry after over to 100F… going to try the “swirl” as that sounds much better, thanks!
Dry brining is nice if I’m planning far enough ahead, but you’re right old school season and cook is delicious too
I always thought the reverse sear method came about as a way to get some smoke on the steak. A chunk of oak or pecan on the coals while you low and slow indirect adds nice flavours.
Try seasoning & setting-aside as you would with the reverse-sear method, the just pan-fry like your "old-school" method. Excellent video. Thank you.
2 things…
1.) love your reaction to the first taste of the reverse sear… and
2.) thank you, thank you, thank you for not shoving a 3 inch cut of meat into your mouth
Been doing reverse sear since 2017 on a smoker and then searing on a grill. Anytime I try to change it I get upset patrons (children and wife). That butter looked awesome!
Can’t wait to try this reverse sear method. Have never cooked a steak like this before.
Game changer
One of the great parts of a longer dry brine, closer to 24 hrs is the meat turns a dark ruby red and the meat is sufficiently dried for a superior sear
My son always reverse sears and his steaks are always good. I usually just season and pop in the cast iron. I think after watching your video I’m going to follow the reverse sear❤️Love your video and I’m making that lemon butter🙏🏻
Or you could have just trusted your sons method.
Wow, just wow, you've certainly earned my subscription with this video. I love doing the reverse sear on my smoker, it's even better that way.
I love it Chef! I always dry brine a day before, and my cast iron is 3 decades old. You're doing it right!
Reverse sear has given me a relatively simple, consistent method of getting a great steak. Can't say the same for straight pan frying. I have also settled on shorter times in the fridge. I go 4/5 hours for grass fed. Add a couple more hours for grain fed.
Hey from the South Carolina Coast. Love the reverse sear on charcoal grill 100% of the time. Do it with pork tenderloin also.
I've tried a lot of different ways and it's always coming back to my grill using avocado oil, large coarse sea salt and pepper. My modified version is putting the salt and pepper and letting it sit after bringing it out of a cold refrigerator for 30 minutes and then grilling. Essential what you're doing is creating a sauce on top of however you're going to cook your steaks.
Thank you so much for sharing this video and I'm learning how to cook steak 🥩!
Thank you for doing this side by side comparison. One of my favorite cuts of beef. I will let you know how I did?? Great video
When I was in the kitchen we sous vide (water bath) as many cuts as wee needed. Then pan sear for crust. This way we weren't wasting anything. Great comparison, Chef!
Grassfed beef experts recommend cooking the meat slow. They can explain the science of it.
Thank you! Good video! Helpful!
Thank you for this video.I recently discovered reverse sears for me. My butcher urged me to try it... and now I'm addicted. But I did it without seasoning it 24h earlier. Have to try that too...
Thanks so much for doing this video. I've been doing the reverse sear for 2 years or so. I've left steaks seasoned in the fridge for 2 days without any issues. I don't pepper until time to cook. Yes, the surface gets really dry 'looking' but this doesn't change the taste. I heat to 105 in a 210 oven and then only cook over heat for about 1 to 1.5 mins on each side. I've found there's zero reason to let it rest.
When the weather is nice, I use the infrared sear station on my grill with cuts the time down to 1 min per side. 1800 degrees will do that, lol.
p.s. I still love your mushroom soup. Amazing.
Billy - dude as soon as you cut into those steaks I started salivating!
Dang I’m hungry now! The whole process looks amazing. I may need to try this soon!
Thank you, I modified your recipe with a cold smoke on the Traeger @225 (as opposed to the oven) to bring the internal temp to 100 then bring it inside for the pan sear. We use Filets as opposed to NY Strips. Nice smoky flavor.
Experimenting with reverse sear in my pellet grill, yielding some tasty results. The internal temperature will be adjusted prior to searing thanks to your advice 👍
Great, great, great presentation. I love it!!
Great video. I’ve been only reverse searing for the past two years now. I was using sous vide before. I like SV but it’s a lot of work and time. Reverse sear seems to beat it and it’s my favorite way now.
Very cool…I love experimenting with this stuff…I have now switched to the pre-seasoned way, but instead of throwing it in the pan for 3 minutes on each side, I do 1 minute on each side and keep turning it over every minute until done…the crust gets sooooo much better, and you get much less grey ring on the inside…try it out!!!
I unintentionally did a bit of this, I seasoned the steaks (thinking I was cooking them right away), but then had to leave them like 45 min. Then cooked them the “old school “ way. The steaks were amazing, best ones I’ve ever cooked
I do that but with a cold sear finish… My wife thinks the cold sear has better taste… It does take a little longer than a hot sear, but it is more even with penetrating into the center… Also, I do my cold sear on a cast iron, but my reverse sear on carbon steel, I think the thicker cast iron allows for the pan to heat a little slower…
I'm new new school, just season put it in the air fryer for 12 minutes at 400deg, flip at 6 minutes gives it perfect sear and is juicy as hell 🤤 and i did the minimum work and mess
I just used a toaster oven to broil for like 25 mins and then finished on a pan and had zero gray band. Perfect medium rare. It's so easy.
Zero chance you broiled this for 25 minutes and still had a medium rare
@@ChefBillyParisi at 200degrees? Did I mention it's a toaster oven?
The reverse sear on the BBQ is nuts as well.
I add seasonings an hour beforehand. In cast iron pan sear on one side and give each edge a couple of minutes sear also. , flip it over on last side, put in oven at 250* until it reaches 130* for medium rare. Let it set under aluminum for 5 minutes. Turns out perfect every time.
For the average home cook, pre-season and reverse sear is the best, most repeatable way to cook a steak. It takes a lot of the guess-work out and is extremely simple. I've been convincing fellow home cooks and foodies to try it for years!!
the idea behind brining (salting and let it sit for a long time) is that the salt opens up the structure of the proteins making the meat more tender and reavealing parts of the protein who are more hydrophilic, meaning- the meat holds more water. the resut is that the meat is more tender and lose less water during cooking. lately i did a chiken breasts in a wet brine and the differance was very big. it lost about 10% less water and was very very tender and juicy
I’ve had more than a few steaks at our local steakhouses that were under cooked or over cooked because the cook thought they could tell simply by using their finger. Makes me want to hand my waiter a thermopen when they take my order.
Cold sear is the current favourite!
I have been pre-seasoning my steaks for about 2 years now. I will never go back to not pre-salting them unless I simply don’t have the time. I’m not sold on the reverse sear technique, though. I absolute hate cooking steaks in the oven. Takes too long and I never seem to get it right. I’m happy with the pre-salting and then grilling or pan searing.
I did this last night with a NY Strip and could not get over the taste. It was the best strip I have ever cooked. My personal favorite is a filet and kind of locked in to my big green egg for those. Do you think this cook would work on a thick cut of filet?
For sure!
You did the same thing I did.
When I tried the salt and fridge for the pre game, it’s just better.
The biggest thing I noticed, was how even the flavor was from first to last bite.
I’ve never made the butter with lemon, will give it a shot!
Compare old School to the Just Keep Flipping method. I have used all three and I feel like the JKF method is my fav. I never preseason steaks, just bigger cuts that are roasted or smoked. Great videos!
I do a cold sear. It works amazing. Never go back.
I LOVE reverse sear!
Sous vide is great! It’s simple and not time dependent, ie lot’s of leeway between when to start and when to finish. better if you want medium rare to medium, No need to “ rest” steak. Not thickness dependent, ie 1 inch is as easy to do as two inches. I always pat dry, re-season, and smear lightly with mayo. Steaks go in sous vide 1-2 hours before planned grilling on viciously hot grill.
I've always used a higher smoke point oil with steak. Olive oil starts to smoke at a relatively low temperature and I feel like I never get a great sear with it. It always comes out feeling oily to me. Maybe I'm just more of a grill guy. I do love the temperature control of a reverse sear.
Once you reverse-sear you never go back :-) but, when I need dinner in a jiffy, I take my steaks out of the fridge season immediately and let them hang out for at least 30 minutes while cooking the sides, then is a quick 5-6 minute on the cast iron skillet, open a nice bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and voila dinner is served! Love to see the smile on my father's face when he takes the first bite. The man is such a boost to my ego :-) :-)
after cooking $10, $20, $30 and $65 steaks, I can say with certainty that the meat quality is 75% guilty of the final result of the steak. These skils are very good, but in the end the steak quality is the most important thing.
I would've loved to have seen a 3rd steak cooked using the *COLD SEAR* method. Do you have a video like that, using the cold sear method?
I usually do reverse sear, but I tend to over shoot how done I want it. I've typically done higher inner temp + pan on hi the whole time.
Next time I'll try your method with the 100 F target and lowering pan temp (and addatives).
I have found it better to keep the pan ripping hot (as hot as you can get your pan and use grape seed oil for higher smoke point) while searing, and reduce the sear time to around 1 minute per side. Then I remove the steak from the pan and remove the pan from the heat, give it a minute or so to cool down. Next I put the pan back on low heat and add butter, garlic, aromatics (whatever you want), then toss the steak in for basting for 1-2 minutes. Less time on heat reduces the cooking done after reverse sear which gives you a more predictable final temp in my opinion. The fact of the matter is though, all of these techniques just slightly enhance an already killer meal, but it's fun to tinker with the process.
I have a Kamado Joe with a soapstone "grill". Reverse sear starting with smoke, then letting the fire heat up the soapstone to 500-ish is my fave.
Bingo. Nothing beats a charcoal grilled steak
Looks delicious cousin!
Thank you so much for explaining all the times, and techniques of how you did this. Subscribed!
What if you dry-brined both steaks so that both would have their meat seasoned all the way through? Can you do a video comparing only the cooking method as the differentiating factor?
Agreed. He had two different variables between the two options so we don't know whether it was reverse searing or dry brining overnight that caused the difference (or both). When you want to compare techniques you should only change one thing at a time to see the real effects.
Enjoyed this video, appreciate the effort to do these side by side. I agree with your finding, I can taste the salt throughout the steak when seasoned the night before. The Lemon butter is new for me, will try this weekend! Thank you!
Great video. Would love to see the Sous Vide method thrown into the mix.
I did multiple experiments with the reverse sear approach and typically didn't like the outcomes, with some exceptions. In my opinion, it highly depends on meat - as with the sous vide approach.
But to get an exceptional result, the reverse sear is the way to go. I personally need to conduct many experiments to master it.
However, one can take ideas from the reverse sear philosophy and apply to the traditional method. And it works great.
I really like dry brining for many hours - and that's perhaps the main reason why home made steaks are better than typical restaurant ones, as they can't predict demand and dry brine precise amount of steaks.
One can use the "slow cooking" aspect in the traditional way, i.e. after searing put the steak in the 90-130 celsius degrees oven for more precise and tender result - I personally like to cook meat at 1-2 degrees precision, at least, for Australian Wagyu it might be important.
One can pre-heat meat in the oven to get the dry exterior and thus initiate Mallard reaction much faster, without vaporizing water from exterior first. And then apply the traditional approach.
Anyway, the reverse sear is a very interesting approach, though in my case the traditional way is much easier and more predictable.
However, I do like that reverse sear really locks in juices, extra fast searing time and more tender (due to slow cooking I believe) interior. So, one can get a "reverse" medium fillet which is juicier than a "traditional" medium rare one.
Great video Billy. I’m going to change the way I cook my steak.
A 3 day pre season works amazing as well. I do it with chicken because of a 3 day pre season steak video.
Thanks!
Just cooked a 48 hour dry brine and it's great
The one from the fridge was hotter because the low temperature of the mean transferred heat from the pan more efficiently - like putting hot water in an ice cube tray freezes faster than cold water
I love Your attitude :)
Both are great stakes :)
I recently cooked a large, high quality, bone in NY strip reverse sear. Mine stayed in the fridge for 6 hours. The method although long prep resulted in a perfect medium rare through out. The seasoning was able to penetrate the entire steak, so I'm not sure much more time is needed.
Welcome to 2018 Chef. We've been waiting for you :)
I like the old school way since it doesn't require 2 methods of cooking and heating up the house with the oven. On the other hand, I will turn the oven on when cooking thicker steaks or tri-tip. TFS
would love your evaluation of adding “air fryer” technique
Sorry, I don’t even own one actually.
Reverse sear ftw! Two things, 1. you can get the same crust in half the fry time pulling at 115 instead of 100 and high instead of med high. You could add the garlic, herbs and butter just before you turn; 2. And you can dry brine for a few days. The result is not beef jerky just better Maillard reaction = better crust. Upcharge opportunity in the restaurant industry. “Three day dry brined”
Also great for thick cut steaks!
This is a very Good Video Uncle Billy
Many thanks!
Glad I found you! Every steak video I view features 2+ inch steaks which are not practical for an everyday cook...who can afford a 1 inch steak that feeds 1 (one) human once a month. With beef prices always on the rise I tend to buy quik-pick lottery by the pound in hopes of one day being able to buy red meat...by the pound! You are an entertaining teacher. Me tinks I'll subscribe now
The deal with dry brining at molecular-level perspective:
any initial moisture drawn out is overcompensated by the salt denaturing myosin, which inhibits contraction of muscle fibers as they cool after cooking. In other words, it’s the difference between squeezing a wet sponge, or not.
I am glad he added a bit of steak to all that butter.
I've been air frying steak. Really good.
I'm always making the bone-in ribeye, but my husband cuts away the fat. I'm going to try the NY strips next time. I still have another ribeye in the fridge ready to go, but it's much thinner. I prefer our steaks at the medium level. I usually do it at 275. How long should I do it in the oven to get the right doneness if only at 200 degrees?
The Maillard won’t kick off until enough water is evaporated from the surface. Since the reverse has already dried the surface completely it starts browning immediately. As the steak thickness increases the power of the reverse sear does too. One can achieve ridiculous crusts on 1.75 inch slabs. Btw, I followed your/his prime rib recipe and cooked in my smoker. Out of sight. It’s still talked about and we had it for Christmas.