Popularised by J. Kenji López-Alt and Serious Eats circa 2015; went viral via YouTube food science channels 2016–2020
The reverse sear method for cooking thick steaks went viral across YouTube and food media from around 2015, championed by food scientists including J. Kenji López-Alt at Serious Eats. The technique inverts the conventional approach — sear then rest — by cooking the steak low and slow in the oven first, then finishing with a high-heat sear. The result is a steak with edge-to-edge even doneness and a superior crust, addressing the grey band of overcooked meat that surrounds the centre in a conventionally seared steak. The physics are straightforward: in a conventional sear-first method, the hot exterior continues cooking the inner meat before the interior reaches serving temperature. The reverse sear avoids this by bringing the steak to temperature gently in a 120°C oven, then searing briefly and aggressively at the end. Because the steak is already at the correct internal temperature, the sear is only building crust — it is not cooking the interior — and the brief contact time means no grey band forms. The method requires a thick-cut steak — at least 3.5cm, ideally 5cm. A steak under 2.5cm thick will reach internal temperature too quickly in a low oven before a meaningful crust can form, making the reverse sear pointless. The steak is placed on a wire rack over a baking sheet and placed in the oven at 120°C until it reaches an internal temperature of 49°C for medium-rare (the final sear will add approximately 5°C). This takes 20–50 minutes depending on thickness. The steak then goes directly from the oven to a screaming-hot cast iron or stainless steel pan — no resting is needed at this stage because the low oven did not stress the muscle proteins. The sear takes 60–90 seconds per side, with continuous basting in butter, garlic, and thyme. Resting for 5 minutes after searing completes the process.
Deep beef crust and Maillard flavour, edge-to-edge even juicy interior, butter-thyme richness
Use a steak at least 3.5cm thick — thinner steaks cook through before the reverse sear technique functions Bring to 49°C internal temperature in a 120°C oven for medium-rare — the sear will add the final 5°C No resting is needed after the oven stage — go directly from oven to hot pan Sear at maximum heat in cast iron for 60–90 seconds per side only — the interior is already done No resting is required after the final sear — the low-and-slow oven step has already allowed the juices to redistribute
Season the steak generously with salt 24–48 hours before cooking — dry brining improves crust formation significantly For maximum crust, pat the steak completely dry before placing in the sear pan Add cold butter, crushed garlic cloves, and fresh thyme to the pan during the sear and baste continuously For a bone-in ribeye or tomahawk, add 10–15°C minutes to the oven stage to account for the bone's thermal mass A cast iron pan pre-heated for 5 minutes in the oven at maximum temperature before the sear gives a faster, more even crust
Using a thin steak where the technique provides no advantage over conventional searing Not monitoring internal temperature — going by time alone produces inconsistent results Using a non-stick pan for the sear — it cannot be heated to the required temperature safely Searing for too long after the oven stage — the grey band that the reverse sear avoids is recreated Confusing the reverse sear with sous vide — the reverse sear is more accessible but less precise