Chances are, if you’re an avid griller, you’ve heard of the reverse sear method. You may have even tried it before. If you’ve read my stuff, you know I like to take things to the next level and this article will do just that.
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I’m going to show you how to use the reverse sear method on a weber kettle grill from A to Z, including some things you may not have thought of before.
I’ve you’re a seasoned grillmaster, feel free to skip the basics using the table of contents.
If you’re just starting out, check out my beginner’s guide to charcoal grilling.
Let’s get to it.
What is the Reverse Sear Method?
The reverse sear method is the best way to cook any thick piece of meat. You start out by cooking your protein, like a steak or roast, at a low temperature (typically in the 225-250 range) and then hot sear it at the end when it’s 10 degrees or so below your desired final temp.
As you probably guessed, it gets its name because instead of the traditional method of searing first, we sear at the end.
There’s a common bit of culinary dogma about how searing first “locks in the juices”, but this concept has been thoroughly debunked.
Why Use The Reverse Sear?
There’s a few reasons why reverse searing is better than the more traditional sear-first method.
Reason 1: Consistent Edge to Edge Doneness
There are few things more beautiful in the culinary world than a thick, juicy steak sliced open to reveal a perfect medium rare color from top to bottom.
Where it gets tricky, is when you also want a beautifully browned and delicious crust on the outside. The reverse sear helps us achieve this with a minimal amount of grey, overcooked meat on the edges.
Reason 2: A Better Sear
Combined with a dry brine, which dries out the surface of the meat, the reverse sear will also help produce a beautiful sear via the maillard reaction.
The indirect heat will keep the meat’s surface dry, which is the most important factor for getting a quick, hard sear.
Reason 3: Easier to Hit Desired Doneness
The last thing you want to do is overcook an expensive steak, or even worse….a holiday prime rib.
I’ve certainly done it, and it can be heartbreaking. When you reverse sear, the lower cooking temps drastically lower the chances of overcooking your protein.
Reason 4: Little to No Carryover Cooking
One thing that’s easy to overlook is carryover cooking. When you sear first and then finish at traditional cooking temps, the internal temperature of your meat can rise 10 degrees or more while it’s resting.
When you reverse sear a steak, you can still get some carryover (much less), but when you reverse sear a large roast, the carryover is all but eliminated.
Are There Any Drawbacks to The Reverse Sear Method?
Aside from it being slightly more complicated (but easy to get the hang of), the main drawback to using the reverse sear method is that it will almost always take longer.
That said, the benefits far outweigh the negatives, especially when you’re making a special meal.
I don’t know about you, but hanging by the grill with a cold one is one of the few times I get any peace and quiet around by busy house…so is it really a bad thing?
When To Reverse Sear (And When Not To)
As great as the reverse sear is, it’s not always worth the effort.
It’s best saved for thick-cut steaks and chops (1.5 to 2 inches thick or more…the thicker the better) and any beef, pork, lamb, or game roast.
Some examples include pork loin and tenderloin, prime rib roasts, top/bottom round, leg of lamb, etc.)
Now I’m not saying you can’t reverse sear a thinner cut of meat, but you’re really not going to reap the benefits, and the extra effort just makes it not worth it.
Ok. We’ve covered the basics…now let’s get to the good stuff. But first, an important word about getting accurate temperature readings.
Accurate temperature readings are the most important factor for success when live-fire cooking. These affordable options are what I use to make sure I nail my temps.
How To Reverse Sear – Two Methods
Step 1: The Indirect Heat Phase
Whichever searing method below you choose, you’ll first start out cooking indirect. The lower the temperature you use during this phase, the more even edge to edge doneness you’ll get.
If I’m not in any rush, that means 225 °F for me. That said, it is NOT required to stay that low, and you can still get a perfect cook as high as 275 °F or even 300 °F depending on the cut of meat.
If your grill or smoker has optional smoke, you can add it during this phase if you like (I often do, but not always). Check out my article on two-zone grilling for more info.
As the internal temperature of the meat slowly rises, keep an eye out and remove it from the heat when it gets 10 degrees below your desired final temperature.
While we won’t have a lot of carryover cooking, the searing phase will still get us up to our target temp.
Ok, it’s time to crank up the heat. Depending on the cut of meat and/or your personal preference, you’ll use one of the following methods for the searing phase.
Step 2: The Searing Phase
Method 1: Direct Heat Searing
I use direct heat searing when cooking most things smaller than a roast (like steaks and chops).
Depending on your grill or smoker, that could mean directly over screaming hot coals, or perhaps using a cast iron pan, griddle, or grill grates.
If you’re going to sear directly over a hot fire, you don’t need to add oil or fat, but you can feel free to experiment and find what you like. If I’m cooking a steak, I just let the meat and the heat do the work.
When searing in a pan or griddle, you’ll want to add a few tablespoons of high smoke point fat such as avocado oil, ghee, beef tallow, etc. This helps transfer heat from the pan more evenly, and makes for a better sear.
I’ve tried every which way there is to sear meat, and when I’m doing a direct heat sear, it’s going to be directly over coals.
Method 2: Indirect Heat Searing
I prefer indirect heat searing when cooking large cuts like a prime rib roast or leg of lamb. (shown above) They are more cumbersome to move around and I often have a flavorful crust that I wouldn’t want to scrape off or burn flipping it around my fire.
When you’ve got a 500 °F grill with convection heat going, it might as well be a big air fryer…it’s plenty hot enough to get some amazing browning action going on.
I realize that not everyone’s cooker can get up that high. Anything 450 or higher is good. For me it means firing up an extra chimney of coals and adding it to what I already had going.
Adding fat here is completely optional. Some popular choices are duck fat spray and olive oil spray.
Conclusion
Well there you have it folks. If you’ve never tried the reverse sear method, I hope I’ve cleared things up and given you the motivation to give it a try. In my next article I’ll be covering temperature control on a Weber Kettle Grill.
See you there!