From a logical standpoint, it would seem easier to sear first then low roast, because you have a longer window of opportunity to take the meat out at the correct temp.
Other than that, are there any real differences between the two methods?
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Meathead actually teamed up with chef Jamie Purviance (author of Weber’s grilling cookbooks) to test the difference!
Most steaks I cook are around 1” thick, so I use the JKF technique. (Just Keep Flipping.) Otherwise, I tend to sear first, for the reason you state but also just out of convenience.
I bet neither one of them cook steaks that way now. First, I don't think either one closes the lid for the sear, and I don't think either one leaves it 3 or 4 minutes before flipping. Or, at least they shouldn't.
That was fun. Reverse sear makes sense to me. The outside of the steak gets drier for a better sear. I could be wrong, just my thoughts. Anyway, that is the way it appears to be true on my Trager.
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I've switched to front searing for exactly the reason you mention - much easier to control the final temp of the meat. Except for times I use sous vide of course, mostly for tri-tips and very thick cuts of meat.
As indicated by both Mosca and the vid he attached, it's going to depend on the hunk of meat and the subjective tastes of the cook and consumer. My preference is for the crusty outside and flavor of the sear from the front sear method, and my preference for temp control. Reverse sear has it's benefits, but I find control of doneness marginally more variable.
Its just personal preference. Both will work well and both will take a similar amount of time.
I personally prefer the reverse sear when cooking steaks that are at least 1 inch thick and find it pretty damn foolproof. Although using a leave in thermometer makes any method pretty foolproof
And for thicker steaks, lets say at least 1 1/2 inches thick, I find the reverse sear results in a much better crust in less time using reverse sear as the outside dries out a bit which helps the sear. This then gives you less of the gray band of meat
Meathead makes a cogent argument for reverse sear, and it works, but I prefer a front sear. I agree with your thoughts on more control over final temp with the slower rise in temp during the slow part. And there is less carryover cooking during the slow part part too, making it easier to nail your final temp.
I do flip every 30 seconds and sometimes add a 30 second rest after every second flip. Doing that can result in no gray band at all. I feel I can taste the gray band even if it's only 1/8" thick. But that could be in my mind...
I say, embrace the gray band. IMO it’s the combination of the medium rare inside, PLUS just a tiny bit of medium well band, PLUS the crust, that makes a great steak.
I have to combine 2 methods to do steaks at home. My wife wants medium well and I want mine just past rare. As soon as the center is warm it’s ready for me, the wife wouldn’t touch one like that. I find if I put hers in the oven at 250 F for 30 minutes then take it to the grill with mine I can do the JKF method to get us both what we want. If I start the fire in the grill then put her steak in the oven I find the grill is nice and hot when her steak comes out of the oven. With this method your instant read thermometer is your best friend.
Thin steaks I front sear. Larger cuts, I actually take off the grill around 115-125, to slow the rise in temp, stoke the fire up good and hot for a few minutes, then return my steaks to my sear zone. You get much more room to sear in that method, without too much carry over cook. That is my experience at least.
Last edited by Richard Chrz; February 9, 2023, 11:18 AM.
For thick steaks I have come to exclusively use the reverse sear, but since I now use a Sous Vide, this may not apply fairly to the question at hand. For a 2" thick Ribeye, for example, 90 minutes in the SV at 130oF then blast it for a minute or two over my 3/4 full charcoal chimney. No fuss. No muss. Same results every time. But, it is an individual thing.
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The last coupla years I've been preferring the front sear on my steaks. Different than what the standard backyard steak griller does, (searing with direct heat the entire time) instead I'm referring to searing first, then indirect low & slow after that. To me, this offers a slower easier method of achieving my finish temp. I'm not searing (fast) to my goal temp, like jumping on a passing train, instead I'm doing the low & slow part to my finish temp, like jumping on a docked boat.
Richard Chrz - does the skin hold up well that way? It is so counterintuitive I have never tried it. Because you suggest it, I know it will work. Thanks! I’m going to give it a try.
tbob4, I think it makes the chicken. I caution, our approach to chicken and timing may be different. I’m never in a hurry. I pre sear over the coals, just to get the Maillard reaction a kick start, then I move it back over the sear zone 2 more times through out the cook, and will finish it there if needed. I cook for about 90 minutes in the 325 to 350 range.
Last edited by Richard Chrz; February 10, 2023, 10:15 AM.
Front sear steaks up to Tri-Tips. Roasts SV or rear sear.
A little bit of a grey band does not bother me. Like Mosca said, "PLUS just a tiny bit of medium well band, PLUS the crust, that makes a great steak".
But the two main reasons I front sear is:
1) The crust (seasoning + fond) is where most of the flavor is. The crust I can control. Internal marbling I cannot. We've all learned from Meathead that only salt penetrates protein. Herbs, seasoning and marinades penetrate very little.
2) I've found at times that the fire has died down some when I go to finish a steak over the fire with a rear sear. Sometimes I'm not getting that final sear I want and have to leave it longer over the fire. Does this now increase the internal temp beyond my target temp? This uncertainty bothers me. No such issues, for me, with front sear.
One thing I've not seen mentioned in this question is the state of the meat when the sear is applied. On a front sear, the meat is raw and cold, whereas in a reverse sear, done say via SV or 2-zone indirect, the meat is (mostly) cooked and warm. Surely the meat will respond differently to searing conditions in these two states? My intuition says that this factor would swamp most of the others for its effect on the outcome, but of course have not done the experiments or made the measurements.
Would the answer be different on different cookers? Say on a charcoal grill like SNS, If I front sear I would have to get the coals blazing hot and then would that be to hot to slow down for the final desired IT temp?
I usually did steak sous vide then sear, or reverse sear on the gasser/IR burner. Just now getting to the charcoal method.
Great point. You can't turn down a bed of blazing coals... I suppose one could don the grill gloves, get some appropriate tongs, and fish out a bunch of the blazing coals, drop them in your chimney and let 'em burn out, and then you could probably get to a decent indirect temp in a reasonable time. But manipulating blazing coals that way is an accident waiting to happen... yikes.
I get a 2 zone fire going in my kettles or PK's which is pretty hot. Sear to my desired crust and then just move the meat over to the indirect side. No issues. If the meter says too high, just cut down the air flow. No pulling charcoal out.
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