The standard advice for steak is sear first, then finish in the oven. The reverse sear flips that order, and for cuts thicker than an inch, it produces a consistently better result. Here is why it works and how to do it.
Why Reverse Sear Works Better
When you sear first, the exterior gets very hot very fast. By the time you finish the steak in the oven, the outer half-inch of meat is already past your target temperature while the interior is still catching up. The result is a gray band of overcooked beef around the perimeter of a properly cooked center.
When you reverse sear, the steak comes up to temperature slowly and evenly in a low oven first. The entire steak reaches a uniform temperature before it ever touches the hot pan. Then a brief, aggressive sear at the end builds the crust without continuing to cook the interior — because the entire steak is already at temperature, the sear time is shorter, and the gradient between exterior and interior stays tight.
The result: wall-to-wall medium rare from edge to edge, with a hard, properly developed crust.
The Method
Step 1: Season and set up. Salt the steak generously on all sides. Place on a wire rack over a sheet pan. Leave uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or overnight. The dry surface will produce a better crust during the final sear.
Step 2: Low oven. Preheat your oven to 250°F. Place the rack and sheet pan into the oven. Cook until the internal temperature reads 115°F for medium rare (the sear will add another 10–15 degrees). This takes 20–45 minutes depending on steak thickness. Use a probe thermometer — time alone is not reliable.
Step 3: Rest briefly, then sear. Pull the steak from the oven and let it rest on the counter while you heat a cast iron over the highest heat your stove can manage. Add beef tallow. When the fat is smoking, add the steak. Sear 60–90 seconds per side — no more. The steak is already nearly at temperature; the sear is just for crust.
Step 4: Final rest. Rest the steak for 5 minutes before cutting. The internal temperature will settle to 130–135°F for medium rare during this time.
Best Cuts for Reverse Sear
This method is most valuable on cuts over 1 inch thick. It works especially well on bone-in ribeye, New York strip, and sirloin. For thinner cuts like flank or skirt steak, a direct hot sear is faster and produces comparable results.
All of these cuts are available in our Steaks collection.