Steak is one of the most popular dishes for meat lovers. It comes in different types of meat; the thickness, flavors, and cooking style make it worth your time and money.
However, most people have been using the traditional way; they sear the meat at high temperature and grill it. Although there’s nothing wrong with it, don’t you want to try another way that gives another flavor to your steak? You can try and reverse a steak and discover a variety of layered flavors.
But what does it do? This article will cover the details of reverse searing.
What Is Reverse Searing?
Reverse searing is a cooking technique where you cook the steak first and apply the searing process as the last process. It’s basically the counter method of traditional searing, where you sear the meat with high heat in your pellet grill and finish the cooking by lowering the temperature.
Keep in mind that this technique isn’t only applicable to steaks. It’s also good for other meats, such as pork chops and chicken breasts. Its low-and-slow process gives the meat an evenly cooked result, giving the steak soft on the inside yet a flavorful crust on the outside.
What Type of Meat To Reverse Sear
Even though reverse searing can be done with various types of meat, there are still some more ideal cuts for it. We recommend using thicker cuts of steaks, such as ribeye, T-bone, Porterhouse, New York Strip, Filet Mignon, and tri-tip. The best cut for steaks should have one and a half to two inches of thickness. Keep in mind that anything thinner cooks faster even though you set the temperature low.
If you’re not confident cooking thicker because you might leave the inner area raw, then reverse searing can help you solve the problem. Since thicker cuts take time to cook, especially the inside area, sooking it slower would make perfect sense. However, there are times when we overcook meat. You’ll usually see a shade of pink on the meat when it’s overcooked. As mentioned, reverse searing will ensure that everything is cooked evenly.
When it’s overcooked, not even adding marinade or flavor can save its taste and texture. You might feel discouraged and feel bad for wasting the steak’s flavor, especially if it’s a premium cut.
The Benefits of Reverse Searing
Cooking your steak with a reverse searing technique actually has benefits that are loved by steak enthusiasts. Here they are:
An Evenly Cooked Interior
Cooking any type of food needs patience – this is easier said than done. Setting the time can be straightforward, but identifying when the steak is medium rare is difficult, especially when cooked with the traditional searing approach.
One of the main advantages of reverse searing is that it cooks the meat evenly. You won’t worry whether the interior is raw or overcooked because the method gently cooks the meat as a whole.
This means the technique is perfect for beginners. They won’t ruin the taste as everything is cooked evenly.
A Browned, Crispy Crust
Many steak lovers prefer their meat juicy and tender on the inside, yet burnished, crispy crust. When the protein is burned, its moisture creates a reaction, which is commonly known as Maillard. The browning effect of proteins and sugar gives the crispy, golden-brown crust to the meat and other foods such as pie crusts and vegetables.
Reverse searing can give you this result without actually burning the meat. Since the steak is slowly cooked, the searing happens at the end, where you can create a thin layer of coating. A quick sear at a high temperature is all it takes to get the crispy, brown result that you want.
More Flavor
The beauty of reverse searing is its slow cooking process in the beginning. This gives more time for the meat to absorb the flavor as the meat cooks. It allows a little smoky flavor to penetrate through the entire meat, even before the searing happens.
Not only will you enjoy more flavorful meat, but you’d taste an in-depth layer of flavors in it.
And the best part of this is that after searing, you can serve it right away. You and your family or friends can enjoy a delicious grilled steak on your pellet grill.
Sum Up
If you’ve never tried reverse searing, then it’s about time you do it on your steak. You’re in for a treat as the level of your steak will go higher. Some would say that it’s the best way to cook the steak, while others would prefer the traditional searing process. However, this cooking technique will add more flavor to your steak.
The best part of it is that you can do it even though you’re a beginner. Give it a try, and you’ll surely love the flavor and enjoy how easy it is to do.