A thick ribeye on a hot grill burns outside before the middle catches up. Reverse searing flips the order. The steak goes on the cool side first, lid down at 250°F, and comes up slow and even. When the center reads 130°F, it moves over the hot side for a minute or two a side to brown. Check that it reads 145°F, rest it 3 minutes with a sprig of rosemary and a pat of butter on top, then cut it off the bone and slice it. Two big steaks feed four, and the slow part needs one flip and the lid shut.
At the lot: Salt it at home, ride it at the bottom of the cooler, and cook it two-zone; plan on about an hour from lighting to slicing. Cook ahead: Cook it at home and carry it hot in a towel-lined cooler, or cook it the night before and slice it cold for steak sandwiches. Homegating: Same cook in the backyard, or run the slow part in a 250°F oven on a rack and sear on the grill.
250°F
Cool side, lid down
145°F
Check, then a 3-minute rest
1½ IN
Thinnest steak worth reverse-searing
4
Serves
Ingredients
Steak
- 2 bone-in ribeyes, 1½ to 2 inches thick, about 2 lb each
- 4 tsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal; 2½ tsp if Morton)
- 2 tsp coarse black pepper
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
To finish
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- Flaky salt
Steps
At home
- The night before, or at least 1 hour ahead, pat the steaks dry and salt them on all sides, edges included. Set them on a rack over a sheet pan and leave them uncovered in the fridge.
- Pack them in sealed bags or a lidded container. They ride at the bottom of the cooler at 40°F or below, below anything ready to eat.
At the lot
- Set the grill up two-zone: one side on high, the other side off. On charcoal, bank the coals to one side. The cool side should sit around 250°F with the lid down.
- Rub the steaks with oil and pepper. Set them on the cool side, bone toward the heat. Close the lid and cook until the center of the thickest part reads 130°F, 40 to 60 minutes. Flip them once halfway.
- Get the hot side as hot as it goes. Sear the steaks over direct heat 1 to 2 minutes a side, lid open, then hold the fat edge on the grate for a minute.
- Check that the center of the thickest part, away from the bone, reads 145°F. If it doesn't, move it back to the cool side, close the lid and check again in a few minutes. Rest the steaks 3 minutes with the butter and a rosemary sprig on top.
- Cut the meat off the bone, slice it against the grain and finish it with flaky salt. Sliced steak sits out no more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F.
Cook ahead
- Cook it at home through step 6 and wrap it in foil. Preheat a cooler with hot water, pour it out, line it with a towel, set the steaks in and cover them with a second towel. Nothing cold goes in it. Check that they still read 140°F or above at the lot, then slice.
- Or cook it the night before through step 6, cool it and chill it whole within 2 hours. On game morning, slice it cold and thin for steak sandwiches and keep it in the cooler at 40°F or below. To serve it hot instead, warm the slices in a foil packet over medium heat until they read 165°F.
Pack for the lot
What is reverse searing?
Cooking a thick steak slowly at low heat first, then searing it hot at the end. The slow stage cooks it evenly to the center and dries the surface, so the sear browns it fast.
What temperature do you reverse sear a ribeye at?
Cook it on the cool side of the grill at about 250°F until the center reads 130°F, then sear it over high direct heat 1 to 2 minutes a side and check that it reads 145°F.
What temperature is a medium-rare ribeye?
Medium-rare is about 130°F to 135°F in the center. USDA's safe temperature for whole cuts of beef is 145°F with a 3-minute rest, and that's what this recipe cooks to, which is medium.
How long does it take to reverse sear a ribeye on the grill?
For a 1½ to 2-inch steak, 40 to 60 minutes on the cool side at 250°F, plus a few minutes for the sear. Go by the thermometer, not the clock.
How thick should a steak be to reverse sear?
At least 1½ inches. Thinner steaks get done in the slow stage before they can brown, so grill those hot from the start.
Do you need to rest a reverse-seared steak?
Rest it 3 minutes after you check that it reads 145°F. The slow cook means it doesn't need the long rest a hot-grilled steak does.
More beef off the grill: grilled tri-tip, Philly cheesesteaks and green chile cheeseburgers. On the side: cola baked beans and Texas caviar, with a Bloody Mary bar for an early kickoff. Carrying it hot? See how to keep food hot at a tailgate. Cold-weather tips are in our cold-weather tailgating guide.
