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reverse sear steak sliced on a wooden board

In collaboration with Thermapen

It’s nearly that time of year again – time to dust off the barbecue, dig out your “Grill Master” apron and get grilling.

Forget about your usual burgers and sausages though – it’s time to leave them comfort zone, try new skills and become BBQ brave!

I promise you that steakhouse-worthy steaks cooked to perfection are EASY to achieve in your own backyard, with a little help from Thermapen.

What Is Reverse Searing?

As the name would suggest, this method takes the traditional way of cooking steak and turns it on its head. The meat is first cooked at a low temperature and then seared over high heat.

On a barbecue you will need to create two cooking areas – a cool side for the first step and a hot zone over direct heat where you will finish the cooking.

The initial slow cooking dries the surface of the steak which then browns instantly the minute it hits the hot grill. The result? Perfect golden crust and evenly cooked perfectly tender meat.

barbecue set for two zone cooking with coals on left and a cool side on the right with a steak

Best Steaks for Reverse Searing

The reverse searing method works best on thick-cut steaks, at least 1 1/2 inches. Luckily there are a lot of cuts available right now that would benefit from reverse searing – such as rib eye, tomahawk, tri-tips and t-bone steaks.

These steaks don’t come cheap sadly, but a large thick steak will feed two. If you can bear to share that is!

Essential Tools

Grilled steak perfection is easy using the reverse sear method provided you have a Thermapen! This amazingly accurate digital thermometer gives temperature measurements in seconds and takes the guesswork out of cooking.

A Thermapen will allow you to cook your steak exactly how you like it. Remember that you are cooking your steak around 5-10 degrees less than your desired temperature during the first stage of reverse searing.

The final sear should register the following temperatures, depending how you like it cooked.

Medium Rare 57C / 135 F
Medium 63C / 145F
Medium Well 66C / 150F

Digital thermometer, carving set and seasoning on a marble board

How to Reverse Sear Steak on a Grill

↓ For the full ingredients and detailed method, jump to the recipe card.

STEP 1 Take your steak out of the fridge and bring back to room temperature. Brush your steak with vegetable oil and season liberally with salt and pepper plus a steak spice mix of your choice.

seasoning a large steak with salt and pepper

STEP 2 Prepare your barbecue for two zone cooking – pile coals to one side of the grill leaving the other side empty. Heat until coals turn ashy and any flames have died down.

STEP 3 Place your steak on the cool side on the BBQ. Close the lid and cook for approximately 15-18 minutes per side or until the internal temperature registers about 10 degrees below your desired temperature (here 55°C for a medium steak).

checking temperature of bbq steak with a digital thermometer

STEP 4 Move your steak over to the high-heat zone and sear over direct heat for 1-2 minutes per side, pressing down to get the perfect grill marks.