The perfect steak, in my opinion, has a tiny crispy brown burnt layer on the outside and a juicy medium rare, mostly red, center. Generally I want it slightly more done than my wife, who prefers it warm but thoroughly rare inside. It's a fairly narrow range to hit but when right it's oh so good. Accomplishing this takes some skill and it can be a little nerve-wracking buying an expensive cut of beef if you're not confident on how to cook it. On the charcoal grill during the summer I almost never mess it up. But the warm months are much shorter here in Minnesota and I need to improve on cooking hunks of meat inside.
Typically to get the results described above you'd sear the steak first, on high heat, then turn the heat down and cook it to the desired doneness. It can be a real challenge, doing it this way, to keep track and you risk overcooking the steak. No one wants that.
Enter the 'reverse sear.'
Meathead at Amazing Ribs has a long page explaining the science and more and usually that stuff is really fascinating. Other times it's too much to sift through. This time I found something much simpler. Here are the basics:
1. After applying salt and pepper cook the steak in the oven on a low temp (225? 250?) first.
2. After ~20 minutes (varies with thickness) pull it out and check with a meat thermometer.
3. It's good to go at a little over 100 degrees.
4. Transfer to a very hot pan on the stovetop containing oil and butter.
5. 45 seconds to a minute on each side and you're done. Don't over do it.
This is about as easy as it gets and provides a predictably delectable steak. It does take a little longer than cooking on the grill or in a pan, but that's about the only downside.
Here are a bit more details if you're interested. Pat the fully defrosted steaks dry with a paper towel and generously salt both sides well in advance, if you have the time and ability to do so. How meat absorbs salt, becoming more tender, is crazy and well worth doing. Stick back in the fridge until it's time to cook. Just before cooking sprinkle both sides with pepper and whatever spices you want to put on there. We never do marinades or anything complex. A little thyme and rosemary works, for example.
When it's nearing dinnertime preheat the oven. You have a range here to work with. The most important factor is the thickness of your steak. From reading other sources it seems an inch and a half is probably ideal, something you may not find unless you request it directly from a farmer or a butcher. If it's thinner you need to be more careful and probably cook on a lower temp and for less time. When doing this the other night I had only one inch ribeyes. I started them in the oven at 225 and checked on them after only 15 minutes. Cook longer if they still sit below 100 degrees. Exactness is key so do not attempt this without a meat thermometer. To end up with a mostly rare steak you're done with the oven at barely over 100 degrees, let's say 105. For more like medium rare aim for 110-115. After doing this more than once you'll get a good handle on temp and time needed very quickly.
After the oven cook you want to be ready for the sear. You could do this on a grill, outside, if you can get it really hot. Inside you'll want a metal or cast iron pan. Five minutes or so before you think the steak will come out of the oven add a few tablespoons of oil to the pan, enough to barely cover the bottom. Turn the burner on to medium high heat. An oil with a high smoke-point is ideal, so vegetable oil is better than olive oil. You can also add some butter to enhance the flavor and give you an easier gauge on the temperature. The pan will hopefully be ready to go, basically smoking, when the steaks come out of the oven. If not wait a minute or two more. On going into the pan the meat should crackle and be searing immediately. After 45 seconds flip, then after another 45 seconds pull off and serve. Use a timer so to not over do it. That's it!
I did this when cooking for Valentine's Day and it went great. This method can be used for cuts other than steak too when similar results are desired. Let me know if you give it a try. Or if you're ahead of the curve and already do it this way.
Happy cooking!
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