If you have read anything on this site over the past couple months you know I am a huge fan of reverse searing my steaks. With an oven and a cast iron pan it is very easy to do and produces a perfectly cooked steak with a nice sear on the outside. Along with the nice, juicy, pink-red interior you will always get a few crusty bites with the perfect little chunk of fat from the outside of the steak that will melt in your mouth.
The one downside to searing a steak inside on the stove is it will make your house very, very smokey. Whenever I do it I need to open the doors and windows for a few minutes to clear the smoke out. So what is the solution? Take the cooking outside to the grill!
Now I am usually a charcoal man and you can definitely cook a steak like this on a charcoal grill but since gas grills are so prevalent and most people find them more convenient than charcoal here is how you reverse sear a steak on a gas grill.
1. Start with a good, thick steak. It can be a ribeye, NY strip, a bacon wrapped filet mignon, a porterhouse, or even a big thick Cowboy Chop as long as it is at least an inch thick, preferably an inch and half or two. You don’t want to use a thinner steak like a flat iron or flank or anything like that. I like dry brining my steaks before cooking. Season them with a good amount of salt (probably more than you think you need) and then rest them uncovered on a rack over a sheet pan in the fridge overnight. Dry brining will allow the salt to penetrate the meat seasoning it all the way through and that salt helps retain moisture.
2. Turn on one burner on your grill fairly low. You want the temperature in the grill to read about 225-250 or so. Every grill is different so you might have to play around with yours to get the temperature right. The temperature can go a bit lower than 225 but you really don’t want it going much over 250 so keep an eye on it. The key here is to have the heat on one side of your grill so you can keep the other side of the grill at a fairly low temperature.
3. Insert a probe thermometer into the middle of one of your steaks and place it on your grill. You will want it on the opposite side of the grill from where you have the heat. Keep the meat as far away from the direct heat as you can.
4. Close the lid and leave the steak alone until the internal temperature reads 115 assuming you like your steak rare to medium rare. Go a few degrees higher if you want medium rare but you shouldn’t go much higher than that. With a filet I would go a few degrees less than that. Check the temp in a couple different spots of the steak just to make sure. When your internal temperature is what you want it to be remove the steaks to a plate or cutting board and tent them with foil to rest for 10 minutes or so. It should take probably 30-45 minutes to get the steaks cooked but it will vary greatly depending on how thick your steaks are and the temperature of the grill. The temperature of the steaks will continue to rise another 5-10 degrees while it is resting.
5. While the steak is resting crank the heat on all your burners. You want to get the inside of your grill as hot as possible and most grills should easily get to 500-600 degrees in the 10 minutes your steaks are resting. If it can get hotter that is good to.
6a. Once the grill is up to temperature and the steaks have rested brush them with a light coating of canola oil (you can use bacon fat if you want) and slap them on the grill for about 2-3 minutes per side until a nice crust has formed. You don’t want black and burnt but a nice caramelized crust on the outside of the steak. They should be a nice, deep mahogany color. After the steaks have seared on each side you are ready to eat.
6b. If you want to switch things up a bit throw a cast iron skillet on the grill while you are heating the grill up and get it as hot as possible. You can then sear your steaks in your cast iron pan like you would on the stove. I wouldn’t do this with a porterhouse or bone in ribeye since the bone prevents the steak from making good contact with the pan. Many people swear by GrillGrates for this as well.
That’s it. Pretty simple overall and you will be rewarded with a beautifully cooked steak that is juicy and flavorful.
Personally I don’t have a gas grill and do all my cooking with charcoal. If I were to get a gas grill I would look at the Weber Genesis line of grills. They are well built grills, have multiple burners, and with proper care will last for many years.
Start with a good cut of meat, cook it at a low temperature, and then blast it with high heat and you will have a steak that is as good or better than you will get at a steakhouse. This method will be perfect for a Father’s Day cookout, 4th of July, or pretty much any day of the week. Give it a try and let me know how it turns out.
