Hi guys. Over the last few years Ive been looking at how to cook a tasty steak. This post involves thicker cuts, 1 1/2 - 2in. cuts. The best resource Ive found in amazingribs.com - Better Than Steakhouse Steaks. All things wonderful meats, sides, and sauces. However, I dont have a good grill, much less one that can do 2 zone cooking. So I adapted the cooking so you can use your oven, then a grill, broiler or cast iron pan. For best and safe results, you will need a thermometer. This recipe is for medium rare steaks. Done temp. is 135deg. You can look up your desired doneness and adjust. Doing this on a grill, you will need to set up 2 zone heat. I cant do that. But I can use the grill to finish off with the sear. But Ive used cast iron pans and the broiler with equal success.
First off, this wont work for cuts smaller than 1 1/2inch. It probably wont work for cuts over 3inches either. We are going to use reverse sear method, going low and slow then high heat. Also, this is similar to making a roast than just grilling a thin steak, but with a steak texture..
1. Take your thawed steak and sea salt it evenly (1tbl per side) both sides and cover. Let it sit in the fridge for 3hrs. This is called dry brine. Over the course of 3hrs, the salt will draw moister from the steaks and then absorb it back, tenderizing the meat. *Low sodium diet skip this and go straight to oven.
2. 15min before your brine is done, turn your oven on to 225deg. While its warming up, line a baking pan with foil for easy clean up. If you have a cooling rack, you can put it on top to raise the steaks creating a under flow or air. If not, dont worry about it.
3. After the 3hrs brine is done, put steaks on baking pan and put in the oven for 30min.
4. After 30min. Start checking the thickest part of the steak for a temp. of 115. This can take a while 1.5hrs maybe.
5. Once it reaches 115, flip and return to the oven. Check every 15min until temp reaches 125deg. . At this point, the fat should look opaque, and the steak should be sweating a bit.
6. This is where you transfer to grill, stove top pan, or broiler to sear. Using a paper towel, dab all the moister you can from the steaks. You can lite coat with olive oil or butter to help with the crust, but you dont have to. You can also set the steaks aside and finish your sides, such as baking french fries, or heating buns. Your steak is basically cooked/not raw anymore. Then go to 7.
7. For grill or stove top pan, Get as hot as you can and add the steak. Flip it every minute or so until it reaches 135deg. and the outside has an even crust. For broiler, set rack to second from the top shelf, set broiler to high. Eyeball it for a crust you like. Maybe 1min per side.
Pull them and serve right away!
What this recipe is supposed to do is cook the steak evenly throughout and give you a nice crust all over (as opposed to grill marks). It breaks down the fatty tissue to make it soft and give it a nice buttery pop when you bite into it. Using the thermometer allows you to cook it to the perfect temperature for your preferred texture, then add the crust with the sear. The bonus is that you dont need a grill, you can do it in your oven or stove top pan. The down side is that it can take a long time. Maybe up to two hrs.
Another tip is that once you get your steak to 125deg, you can pull it out and make/finish off your sides, then sear it and serve everything together. Your steak will cook another 5min. sitting there . I throw mine in the microwave to keep it warm, but you can tent it or cover on the counter. Once everything else is ready, the sear time is around 5min. to take it to 135deg. When I say dont worry about it above in reference to salt, racks and oil, it will make a difference, but the end result will still be worth it. You can only do what you can do..
Best thing about this method is that you can use reverse sear with all meats. Ive done beef, buffalo, elk, chicken, pork, fish. Ive also used this method for thinner cuts. You just need to keep a closer eye on them. You can try this with oven burgers, just change the internal temp. to 155deg. and hit the sear. Juicy! Serve in a bowl!
Anyway, give it a go!
First off, this wont work for cuts smaller than 1 1/2inch. It probably wont work for cuts over 3inches either. We are going to use reverse sear method, going low and slow then high heat. Also, this is similar to making a roast than just grilling a thin steak, but with a steak texture..
1. Take your thawed steak and sea salt it evenly (1tbl per side) both sides and cover. Let it sit in the fridge for 3hrs. This is called dry brine. Over the course of 3hrs, the salt will draw moister from the steaks and then absorb it back, tenderizing the meat. *Low sodium diet skip this and go straight to oven.
2. 15min before your brine is done, turn your oven on to 225deg. While its warming up, line a baking pan with foil for easy clean up. If you have a cooling rack, you can put it on top to raise the steaks creating a under flow or air. If not, dont worry about it.
3. After the 3hrs brine is done, put steaks on baking pan and put in the oven for 30min.
4. After 30min. Start checking the thickest part of the steak for a temp. of 115. This can take a while 1.5hrs maybe.
5. Once it reaches 115, flip and return to the oven. Check every 15min until temp reaches 125deg. . At this point, the fat should look opaque, and the steak should be sweating a bit.
6. This is where you transfer to grill, stove top pan, or broiler to sear. Using a paper towel, dab all the moister you can from the steaks. You can lite coat with olive oil or butter to help with the crust, but you dont have to. You can also set the steaks aside and finish your sides, such as baking french fries, or heating buns. Your steak is basically cooked/not raw anymore. Then go to 7.
7. For grill or stove top pan, Get as hot as you can and add the steak. Flip it every minute or so until it reaches 135deg. and the outside has an even crust. For broiler, set rack to second from the top shelf, set broiler to high. Eyeball it for a crust you like. Maybe 1min per side.
Pull them and serve right away!
What this recipe is supposed to do is cook the steak evenly throughout and give you a nice crust all over (as opposed to grill marks). It breaks down the fatty tissue to make it soft and give it a nice buttery pop when you bite into it. Using the thermometer allows you to cook it to the perfect temperature for your preferred texture, then add the crust with the sear. The bonus is that you dont need a grill, you can do it in your oven or stove top pan. The down side is that it can take a long time. Maybe up to two hrs.
Another tip is that once you get your steak to 125deg, you can pull it out and make/finish off your sides, then sear it and serve everything together. Your steak will cook another 5min. sitting there . I throw mine in the microwave to keep it warm, but you can tent it or cover on the counter. Once everything else is ready, the sear time is around 5min. to take it to 135deg. When I say dont worry about it above in reference to salt, racks and oil, it will make a difference, but the end result will still be worth it. You can only do what you can do..
Best thing about this method is that you can use reverse sear with all meats. Ive done beef, buffalo, elk, chicken, pork, fish. Ive also used this method for thinner cuts. You just need to keep a closer eye on them. You can try this with oven burgers, just change the internal temp. to 155deg. and hit the sear. Juicy! Serve in a bowl!
Anyway, give it a go!
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i didnt confess that expenditure to hubby for several years....