Reverse-Sear: Why It Works & How to Nail It

Temps, Timing, Tools (So You Hit the Window, Not Just the Number)

The Meat Hook

Reverse-sear is how we make steaks behave. We warm the inside gently, finish hot, and let carryover do the last few degrees. That order gives calmer cooks, truer doneness, and a crust that makes folks lean in when the plate hits the table. If you’re standing by the grill right now, you’re still in the right place. Study the bullet points, grab a finish option that fits your setup, and you’ll be plating before anyone asks, “how much longer?” Around here it’s honest temps, natural fats, good drinks & good times—and drama.

What You’ll Leave With Today

• Start-sear temps that always land you in the doneness window.

We’ll target an internal temp before the sear that puts you one short hop from perfect. That way the hot finish is about color and crust, not cooking the center to death. You’ll stop “chasing done” and start predicting it, which is how great steak becomes repeatable on a Tuesday. Even better, you’ll be able to pick a pull number that matches thickness so carryover helps you, not hurts you.

• Exactly which finish to pick—cast-iron, grill bars, broiler, or torch-assist.

Each finish draws a different map on the outside: a pan gives full-surface crust, bars give diamonds plus smoke, the broiler brings top heat when the weather says “stay inside,” and a torch is a touch-up artist, not a primary cook. We’ll match the finish to your cooker and your timeline so you get the look you want without playing firefighter. Think of finishes like lenses—you swap the lens, not the subject.

• Fast fixes if something goes sideways.

Every pitmaster has had a pale crust, a gray band, or a steak that climbed faster than planned. The difference is we recover fast. I’ll show you how to dry the surface and re-sear without wrecking the middle, how to stretch the rest when you overshoot by a couple degrees, and how to park a steak on low heat to sneak up on a target like you meant to do it all along.

Pitmaster’s TIps:

Reverse Sear is simply cooking the food slowly by your choice of a number of different ways, then Sear is a high heat finish with grill marks, cast iron crust or again a number of different choices of high heat.

 

Rookie: The Simple Flow

1. Low phase (225–250°F) until ~10°F below your final doneness.

Gentle heat sets the interior evenly so you don’t fight a raw core and overcooked edges later. Think of it as pre-seasoning the center with warmth. When you hit that pre-sear target, the steak is calm and ready to take color fast without blowing through your window.

2. Sear hot & short—about 60–90 seconds per side.

The finish is a sprint, not a 5K. You’re painting Maillard, not cooking the middle. If you want deeper color, rotate for diamonds or do a quick pan-kiss after the grate—but keep each pass short and confident.

3. Pull & rest (medium-rare example).

For medium-rare, pull 125–128°F and rest 5–8 minutes on a rack. Rest is where carryover finishes the job and the crust stays crisp. Tent loosely only if you must; a tight foil wrap will steam your hard-earned exterior.

Pitmaster’s Tips (Before You Sear)

• If you’re using cast-iron, think pan temp, not grate temp.

Aim ~500–525°F on the pan surface so you hit sizzle without scorching butter’s milk solids. A drop of water should bounce around like an pinball and vanish, not sit and simmer. If the fat smokes hard the instant it hits, you’re too hot or using the wrong fat.

• Start with tallow, duck fat or ghee; add butter in the last 30–45 seconds.

Tallow/duck fat/ghee bring heat stability and clean flavor; they burn just not as low as butter at sear temps. Butter is finishing perfume—add it late with aromatics and baste while you count down.

• On grill grates, oil the steak—not the bars.

Brush or spritz tallow/duck fat on the meat off heat, then lay it down. Butter on the bars turns to caramel and smoke in one breath; save it for the pan or the board.

Backyard Pro: Pick Your Finish

• Cast-iron (tallow/ghee + butter late): biggest, most even crust.

The entire face of the steak gets Maillard, which means a wall-to-wall crust that eats like steakhouse. It’s the most forgiving finish for wind, weather, and distracted cooks, and it hides little mark mistakes under a blanket of brown.

• Grill grate (GrillGrates (the brand name) or heavy cast Stainless Steel): diamonds + smoke.

Bars bring line art and a little smoke halo that says “cooked outside.” For maximum wow, mark fast at 575–600°F, then do a 30–45 sec pan-kiss to even out the parts between the bars. You get the postcard and the steakhouse bite.

• Broiler (high top heat indoors):

Great when rain shows up and the party won’t wait. Put the steak on a preheated rack, keep the pan space tight to limit smoke, and flip at color. Finish with a 30-second stovetop baste if you want that butter glow.

• Torch assist (finishing tool only):

Think of a torch as a paintbrush for pale edges after a pan or grate finish. Keep it moving, hover a few inches off the surface, and stop as soon as sheen appears. A torch shouldn’t be your main sear unless you like butane cologne.

More Pitmaster Tips

• Surface dry = crust fast. Pat before sear; moisture is the enemy of stripes and crust.

• One steak per preheated pan. Crowding drops surface temp and trades crust for steam.

• Rest on a rack or board, not tight foil. Preserve the crust you worked for.

Pit Legend: Precision & Timing

• 1.5–1.75″ ribeye/strip.

Start the sear at 120–122°F, sear 60–90 sec/side, pull 125–128°F for medium-rare, and rest 5–8 min. That sequence repeats cleanly week after week. If you need a minute for sides, keep the steak on a warm rack—not over a burner.

• ≥2″ steaks (tomahawk, thick cuts).

Start the sear at 118–120°F, pull 125–128°F for medium-rare, and rest 8–10 min. Big steaks carry more heat and climb harder; starting the sear a couple degrees lower protects your center while you chase that deep crust.

• Marks and crust (hybrid).

Do a 45–60 sec grate mark at 575–600°F for diamonds, then 30–45 sec per side in hot tallow for full-face Maillard. That’s the photograph plus the steakhouse bite.

Pitmaster’s Probe Tip

Insert the thermometer from the side into the center mass. You avoid hot surface readings, fat pockets, and bone, and you get the number that actually matters.

 

Step-by-Step: 2″ Ribeye (Medium-Rare)

1. Low phase: 225–250°F until 118–120°F internal. The goal is a calm, evenly warm interior that won’t fight you at the finish.

2. Searing: Move to screaming-hot cast-iron. Tallow/ghee first; add butter last 30–45 sec with thyme and garlic. Go 60–90 sec per side, tilting the pan to baste and pushing the cap into the fat for a quick render.

3. Pull: 125–128°F, then rest 8–10 min on a rack. You should see beads on the surface and juices not sprinting across your board.

4. Finish: Board butter or compound butter to taste. Slice and serve while the crust still talks back.

Fireline Fix (Fast Troubleshooting)

• Pale crust. The surface was wet or the pan cool. Pat the steak bone-dry, heat the pan to ~500–525°F, and add 30–60 sec. If using bars, extend each pass by 10–15 sec and consider a quick pan-kiss.

• Overshot in the low phase. You drifted past your start-sear number—no panic. You can still hit the pull: mark one side at the grate until you reach target, or mark both sides quickly if time allows, and serve with the best side up.

• Overshot 3–5°F on the finish. Stretch the rest by a minute or two, brush a touch of butter for polish, and slice a hair thinner. Next time, start the sear 2°F lower or shorten each pass by 10–15 seconds.

• Under in the center. Back to 225–250°F to add ~5°F, then a very quick re-sear to refresh the exterior. Don’t blast it over open flame; you’ll add gray band without fixing the middle.

• Gray band. Your sear tool wasn’t hot enough, so you cooked too long on direct. Go hotter/shorter, or flip every 30 seconds for a more even gradient. A two-sided sear only (skip the edges) can help on leaner steaks.

Tools & Supplies

Two-zone grill or oven + cast-iron • Instant-read thermometer • Tallow or ghee + butter (late baste) • Paper towels • Wire rack/board for resting • Tongs you trust

Pair It

• Drink: Bourbon highball with an orange twist—clean bubbles, gentle sweetness, and a citrus nose that flatters browned fat.

• Zero-proof: Iced black tea with lemon—the tannin resets your palate between bites like a quiet dishwasher.

• Side: Charred broccolini with garlic & lemon—bitter, bright, and crunchy against rich steak.

 

The PitMaster’s Toast

To gentle climbs and brave finishes—may your crust sing and your center smile. Salud!

Pitmaster/Grillmaster

Michael McDearman is a Pitmaster/Grillmaster, restaurateur, and good ol’ country boy with a passport full of cook-offs and a phone full of grill photos—not a backyarder playing pitmaster online. He’s represented 50+ major BBQ & grilling companies, served three years as Grillmaster for Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner., won contests around the world, earned six straight Golden Tickets to the Steak World Championship, and judges food sport on the world’s biggest stages. Michael shows up with tongs, temps, and a plan: honest temps, natural fats, good drinks & good times.

Safety

Chef’s note. We give culinary pull temps (e.g., pull 125–128°F for medium-rare, rest to finish). That’s a style choice—not the USDA safety standard. Your backyard, your call. When in doubt, follow the government numbers.

Fire note. We’re cooking with heat and fat. Keep a proper extinguisher close, give the grill clearance, and keep the night friendly.

Check out more of our posts, videos and  info:

• Beef Steak Doneness & Pull Points

• Perfect Grill Marks: Temps, Timing & Rotation

• Two-Zone Fire 101

• Fuel Guide (Charcoal • Wood • Pellets • Gas)