How to Reverse-Sear a Steak: The Foolproof Method for Any Cut Over 1.25 Inches

Featured-Snippet Intro

To reverse-sear a steak, salt it 24 to 48 hours ahead, bring it to room temperature, then cook it in a 225 degree Fahrenheit oven until the internal temperature reaches 115 to 120 degrees (about 30 to 45 minutes for a 1.5-inch steak). Rest the steak 5 minutes while a cast iron pan rips hot, then sear 60 to 90 seconds per side in beef tallow or a high smoke point oil. Rest a final 5 minutes before slicing. This method eliminates the gray band, gives you edge-to-edge medium-rare, and produces a deeper crust because the steak surface is bone dry when it hits the pan.

[Image 1: Hero shot. A 1.75-inch reverse-seared ribeye sliced down the center on a walnut board, showing perfectly even pink edge-to-edge with a dark crust. Cast iron pan and digital thermometer in the background. Alt text: “Reverse-seared ribeye steak sliced to show edge-to-edge medium-rare doneness with no gray band, Circle 7 Meats ranch-direct beef.”]

Most home cooks ruin thick steaks the same way: they crank the pan, sear it hot, then panic-finish in the oven, end up with a quarter-inch gray ring on every side, and a tight little bullseye of pink in the middle. Reverse-sear flips that order. Low oven first, blistering pan last. The result is a steak that looks like it came out of a Michelin kitchen, cooks more predictably than any other method, and forgives nearly every common mistake. We use it at home on every cut over 1.25 inches that comes off the Circle 7 ranch.

This guide is the long version. Exact temps, exact timing, the science behind why it works, and the six places people screw it up.

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What Reverse-Sear Means

Reverse-sear is exactly what it sounds like: you reverse the traditional order of operations. Instead of searing the outside first and finishing the inside, you cook the inside first at low temperature, then sear the outside last at high temperature.

The traditional sear-first method, which is what every steakhouse, every grill guide, and every grandma in America teaches, works like this:

1. Hit the steak with high heat to build a crust.
2. Finish in a moderate oven or on indirect heat to bring the interior up.
3. Rest.

That sequence has been the default since cast iron pans existed. It produces a great steak on thin cuts. On thick cuts, it produces a steak with a temperature gradient running from well-done at the edges to medium-rare in the center. That gradient is the gray band.

Reverse-sear flips the sequence:

1. Cook the steak slowly in a 225 degree Fahrenheit oven (or smoker) until the internal temperature is 10 to 15 degrees below your target.
2. Rest briefly while a cast iron pan heats to ripping hot.
3. Sear 60 to 90 seconds per side to build the crust.
4. Rest a final time.

The technique was popularized in the US by J. Kenji López-Alt at Serious Eats around 2010, and the underlying logic (slow cooking for even doneness, fast cooking for surface browning) has been documented in food science literature for decades (see McGee, “On Food and Cooking,” 2nd edition, 2004, and López-Alt, “The Food Lab,” W.W. Norton, 2015).

[Image 2: Cross-section diagram of two cooked steaks side by side. Left labeled “sear-first” showing a quarter-inch gray band around a pink center. Right labeled “reverse-sear” showing edge-to-edge pink with only a thin crust on the surface. Alt text: “Diagram comparing reverse-sear versus sear-first steak cross-sections showing the gray band difference.”]

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Why Reverse-Sear Works Better (The Science)

There are four reasons reverse-sear outperforms the traditional method on thick cuts. None of them are opinion. All four are documented in food science literature.

1. Gray-Band Elimination

When you put a cold steak into a 500 degree pan, the surface hits 300 degrees almost immediately while the center is still 40. Heat has to travel from the outside in, and protein denatures (turns gray) at any temperature above about 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The longer the gradient between surface and center exists, the wider the gray band. Reverse-sear shrinks that gradient. By the time the steak hits the hot pan, the interior is already at 115 to 120 degrees. The heat only has to penetrate a millimeter or two to build crust, so the gray zone is reduced to a paper-thin line right under the surface. This is the single biggest visible upgrade.

2. Edge-to-Edge Doneness

A low oven cooks the steak almost like a slow sous-vide. The temperature differential between the oven (225 degrees) and the target internal temp (120 degrees) is small, so the steak warms gently and uniformly. Cook’s Illustrated documented this in their July 2012 issue, measuring internal temperature gradients in 1.5-inch ribeyes cooked at three different oven temps. The 225 degree run produced the most uniform temperature profile from edge to center. The hotter the oven, the wider the spread.

3. More Controlled Pull Temperature

Carryover cooking is the silent killer of expensive steaks. A hot-seared steak can carry over 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit after you pull it from heat, because the outer layers are so much hotter than the center. With reverse-sear, the temperature gradient is small, so carryover is typically only 3 to 5 degrees. That means your pull temperature is far more predictable. If you want a final temp of 130 (medium-rare), you pull the oven phase at 115 to 118, sear briefly, and land within 1 to 2 degrees of target every time. This is the second biggest upgrade for home cooks.

4. Drier Surface for Better Maillard

The Maillard reaction (the chemical browning that creates crust and flavor) requires three things: amino acids, reducing sugars, and a surface temperature above about 285 degrees Fahrenheit. Water actively suppresses Maillard because evaporation cools the surface. A wet steak in a hot pan steams before it sears. After 30 to 45 minutes in a 225 degree oven, the steak’s surface is dehydrated. It hits the pan dry, so Maillard kicks in within seconds and the crust forms deeper and darker. This is documented in Hodge’s foundational 1953 paper on the Maillard reaction (Hodge, J.E., “Dehydrated foods: Chemistry of browning reactions in model systems,” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 1953) and confirmed in modern reviews in the journal Food Chemistry.

“The reverse-sear is the foolproof method for thick steaks. The oven does the hard work of bringing the center up evenly. The sear is just for the crust. You can’t really screw it up.” [QUOTE PLACEHOLDER: attribute to a named Circle 7 butcher or rancher with title and years of experience.]

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When to Use Reverse-Sear

Reverse-sear is the right method for any cut 1.25 inches thick or thicker. That covers most of the steaks worth spending real money on:

• Ribeye (especially bone-in Wagyu Cross ribeye cut at 1.5 inches or thicker)
• Tomahawk (always 2+ inches, see our full-blood Wagyu tomahawk)
• New York strip at 1.5 inches or thicker
• Porterhouse and T-bone (the tenderloin side cooks faster than the strip side, so the slow oven evens it out)
• Picanha (whole, not sliced) at 2 to 3 inches thick
• Bone-in filet at 2 inches or thicker
• Chateaubriand (whole-center-cut tenderloin roasts)
• Bone-in pork chops at 1.5 inches or thicker
• Lamb leg steaks at 1.5 inches or thicker

Anything thick enough that the gray band would otherwise be visible is a reverse-sear candidate. For cuts at 1.5 inches, see our how to cook a ribeye steak guide for method comparisons.

[Image 3: A flat-lay of five thick steaks suitable for reverse-sear: tomahawk, bone-in ribeye, NY strip, porterhouse, picanha, all labeled. Alt text: “Five thick steak cuts ideal for reverse-sear method: tomahawk, ribeye, strip, porterhouse, picanha.”]

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When NOT to Use Reverse-Sear

Reverse-sear is the wrong method for thin cuts. Anything under 1.25 inches doesn’t have enough mass to benefit from the low and slow phase, and you’ll dry out the interior before you even get to the sear.

Specifically, do not reverse-sear:

• Skirt steak (best on screaming hot grill or cast iron, 90 seconds per side)
• Flank steak (same as skirt)
• Hanger steak (same)
• Flat iron under 1 inch
• Sirloin tip and bavette under 1.25 inches
• Any steak under 1 inch thick, regardless of cut

These cuts are made for the sear-first method. They’re thin, lean, and meant to be cooked hot and fast. If you treat them like a tomahawk, you’ll overshoot. For thin steaks, use the techniques in our how to cook a New York strip steak guide adapted for thinner cuts.

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Step 1: Salt 24 to 48 Hours Ahead

Pat the steak dry. Salt every surface generously with kosher salt or coarse sea salt. Use about 3/4 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal kosher per pound of steak (or 1/2 teaspoon Morton’s, since the crystals are denser). Place the steak on a wire rack over a sheet tray, uncovered, in the refrigerator.

Twenty-four hours is the minimum. Forty-eight is better. What’s happening here is called dry-brining. The salt initially pulls moisture out of the muscle, then the brine that forms gets reabsorbed, breaking down some surface proteins and seasoning the meat several millimeters deep. The exposed-air refrigerator stay also dehydrates the surface, which is the same effect dry-aging produces (only faster and less dramatic).

Cook’s Illustrated tested this in 2011 and found that 24-hour dry-brined steaks lost 15 percent less moisture during cooking than steaks salted immediately before. America’s Test Kitchen replicated the result in 2017.

Do not skip this step. It’s the single biggest difference between a good reverse-sear and a great one.

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Step 2: Bring to Room Temperature (Sort Of)

Pull the steak from the fridge 45 minutes before cooking. The center will only warm a few degrees in that time, but the surface will warm substantially, which helps the oven phase start more evenly.

The old kitchen wisdom that you need to “fully temper” a steak to room temperature is a myth. López-Alt tested it at Serious Eats in 2013 by measuring internal temps with thermocouples. A 1.5-inch steak after 2 hours on the counter was only 39 degrees in the center (up from 36 in the fridge). The reason this step still helps with reverse-sear is purely psychological for the cook plus a modest evening of the surface temp. Forty-five minutes is plenty.

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Step 3: Slow Oven at 225 Degrees Fahrenheit (Or Smoker)

Preheat your oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have a smoker (Traeger, Big Green Egg, Kamado Joe, offset), use it. The light smoke adds a layer of flavor that the oven can’t replicate, and the temperature control is equivalent.

Place the dry-brined steak on a wire rack set over a sheet tray. The rack is non-negotiable. If you put the steak directly on the sheet tray, the bottom won’t see airflow and will cook unevenly.

Insert a leave-in probe thermometer into the thickest part of the steak, avoiding bone and large fat pockets. ThermoWorks Smoke, MEATER, Inkbird IBT-26S, and the ThermoPro TP25 are all good options. Do not skip the probe. Cooking by time alone on reverse-sear is the single most common mistake.

Cook until the internal temperature reaches:

• 110 degrees Fahrenheit for final rare (125 degrees)
• 115 degrees Fahrenheit for final medium-rare (130 degrees)
• 120 degrees Fahrenheit for final medium (135 degrees)
• 125 degrees Fahrenheit for final medium-well (140 degrees)

For a 1.5-inch steak, expect 30 to 45 minutes. For a 2-inch tomahawk, expect 45 to 75 minutes. For a 3-inch picanha, expect 75 to 120 minutes. Thickness matters far more than weight.

[Image 4: A bone-in ribeye on a wire rack inside an oven with a leave-in probe inserted into the side, oven thermometer visible reading 225. Alt text: “Bone-in ribeye on wire rack in 225 degree oven with leave-in probe thermometer for reverse-sear method.”]

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Step 4: Pull at 115 to 120 Degrees Fahrenheit

When the probe hits your target pull temperature, take the steak out. Set it on a plate or cutting board.

This is the moment most cooks lose their nerve and let the steak go too long. The steak will look raw on the outside. It will be the color of a $4 grocery store roast. That’s correct. The sear is going to fix it in 90 seconds.

If you’re cooking for guests and you need to delay, you can hold the steak at the pull temperature for up to 30 minutes by tenting it loosely with foil on a warm (not hot) surface. Beyond that, the texture starts to drift toward overcooked even though the temperature doesn’t move much.

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Step 5: Rest 5 Minutes (Pre-Sear Rest)

Let the steak sit uncovered for 5 minutes while you preheat the cast iron pan. This rest serves two purposes: it allows the muscle fibers to relax slightly (which reduces the chance of juice loss during the sear), and it dries the surface even further.

Pat the steak completely dry with paper towels. Every drop of moisture on that surface is one less degree of crust development.

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Step 6: Hot Sear in Cast Iron (60 to 90 Seconds Per Side)

Heat a heavy cast iron pan (Lodge 12-inch, Field No. 10, or Stargazer 10.5 are all fine) on your hottest burner for 5 to 7 minutes until it’s smoking. Add 2 tablespoons of beef tallow, refined avocado oil, or grapeseed oil. Do not use butter, olive oil, or any unrefined fat at this stage. The smoke points are too low.

Carefully lower the steak into the pan, away from you so the oil doesn’t splash back. Sear 60 seconds per side for medium-rare, 75 to 90 seconds for medium. Use tongs to hold the steak vertically and render the fat cap for another 30 to 45 seconds.

The crust will form fast. If it doesn’t, your pan wasn’t hot enough.

For a butter baste, add 3 tablespoons of butter, 4 smashed garlic cloves, and a sprig of rosemary or thyme to the pan after the first flip. Tilt the pan, spoon the foaming butter over the steak for the remaining 30 seconds. This is optional. The reverse-sear method delivers a fantastic crust without it.

[Image 5: Cast iron pan ripping hot with the reverse-seared steak just placed, oil glistening, a wisp of smoke visible. Alt text: “Reverse-seared steak hitting smoking hot cast iron pan for the final sear in beef tallow.”]

[Image 6: The same pan with butter, garlic, and rosemary added, the cook tilting the pan to baste the steak. Alt text: “Butter basting a reverse-seared ribeye with rosemary and garlic in cast iron pan.”]

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Step 7: Final Rest (5 Minutes)

Move the steak to a cutting board. Rest 5 minutes. Because the steak is already close to its final temperature, you don’t need the 10 to 15 minute rest that a sear-first steak demands. Carryover is minimal (3 to 5 degrees), and the muscle fibers are already relaxed from the long oven phase.

Slice against the grain. Serve immediately with flaky salt (Maldon, Jacobsen, or Murray River) and cracked pepper.

[Image 7: Sliced reverse-seared ribeye on a wood board with flaky salt scattered on top, knife and fork beside. Alt text: “Sliced reverse-seared ribeye showing edge-to-edge medium-rare with Maldon flaky salt finish.”]

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Internal Temperature Targets

These are the temperatures to pull the steak from the oven phase and the final eating temperatures after sear and rest.

Doneness	Pull Temp (Oven)	Final Eating Temp
Rare	110 F	125 F
Medium-rare	115 F	130 F
Medium	120 F	135 F
Medium-well	125 F	140 F
Well-done	130 F	145 F

For Wagyu and high-marbling cuts, we recommend medium-rare (130 final) at minimum. The intramuscular fat needs a little heat to render properly. Rare Wagyu is technically safe but textually a waste of the marbling.

USDA recommends a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit for whole-muscle beef with a 3-minute rest for food safety. The 130 to 135 range used by most chefs and home cooks is below USDA recommendation but is the standard at every steakhouse in America. The risk for whole-muscle (not ground) beef from a reputable supplier is extremely low, but you should make the call based on your own risk tolerance and who you’re feeding.

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Equipment Needed

You don’t need much. None of this is luxury equipment.

• Cast iron pan (12-inch minimum, Lodge is $30, lasts a lifetime)
• Wire rack and sheet tray (any half-sheet pan with a rack)
• Leave-in probe thermometer (ThermoWorks Smoke, MEATER, Inkbird IBT-26S, ThermoPro TP25)
• Instant-read thermometer for verification (ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE, or the cheaper ThermoPro TP19)
• Heavy-duty tongs (OXO Good Grips 12-inch is the standard)
• High smoke point oil or tallow (beef tallow, refined avocado, grapeseed)
• Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal preferred)
• Flaky finishing salt (Maldon, Jacobsen)

You don’t need a sous-vide circulator. You don’t need a $400 smoker. A $30 cast iron pan and a $30 probe thermometer will produce restaurant-quality reverse-seared steak.

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Reverse-Sear With Sous-Vide Hybrid

If you already own a sous-vide circulator (Anova, Joule, Inkbird), you can substitute it for the oven phase. The technique is sometimes called the “sous-vide finish” or “sous-vide reverse-sear.”

Vacuum seal or use the water displacement method to bag the dry-brined steak. Set the circulator to your final target temperature (130 for medium-rare, 135 for medium). Cook 1 to 4 hours depending on thickness. Remove from the bag, pat completely dry, then sear 45 to 60 seconds per side in a screaming hot cast iron pan.

Pros of the hybrid:

• Impossible to overshoot the internal temperature.
• Hold time is forgiving (you can keep a steak at 130 for up to 4 hours with minimal texture change).
• Pull temp is exact, not approximate.

Cons:

• Surface stays wet inside the bag, which means more aggressive pat-drying is required before searing.
• The sear has to be faster (45 to 60 seconds, not 90) because the steak is already at final temperature and any longer overcooks the surface.
• You lose the smoker-or-oven flavor option.

For most cooks, the oven reverse-sear produces a better steak than the sous-vide reverse-sear because the surface is drier going into the pan. Sous-vide wins on hold time and precision. Pick based on your priorities.

For a detailed comparison, see our how to cook a tomahawk steak guide, where we walk through both methods for the same cut.

[Image 8: An Anova sous-vide circulator clipped to a clear container with a vacuum-sealed steak floating inside, water bath set to 130. Alt text: “Sous-vide circulator cooking a vacuum sealed steak at 130 degrees as the slow phase of a reverse-sear hybrid.”]

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Common Mistakes

These are the six places people screw up the reverse-sear method. Avoid all six and your steak will be better than 90 percent of what’s served in chain steakhouses.

Mistake 1: Skipping the Dry Brine

A reverse-sear without 24 hours of salt is just a slow-cooked steak with a sear. The dry brine is what gets the salt deep into the muscle and dries the surface for the Maillard reaction. Skip it and the steak will be under-seasoned and the crust will be weaker.

Mistake 2: Cooking by Time Instead of Temperature

The single most common mistake. A 1.5-inch ribeye and a 2-inch tomahawk look similar but cook on completely different timelines. Use a probe thermometer. Always.

Mistake 3: Pulling the Steak Too Late

If you wait until the steak hits 130 in the oven, the sear will push it to 140 and you’ve overshot medium-rare. Pull at 115 for medium-rare, 120 for medium. Trust the numbers.

Mistake 4: Searing in a Pan That’s Not Hot Enough

The pan should be smoking before the steak goes in. If you can hold your hand 6 inches above the pan for more than 1 second, it’s not hot enough. A weak sear means soggy crust and an additional gray band right under the surface.

Mistake 5: Skipping the Pat-Dry Between Phases

Moisture is the enemy of Maillard. Between the oven phase and the sear, pat the steak fully dry with paper towels. Even though it spent 30 to 45 minutes in a dehydrating oven, surface moisture rebuilds during the pre-sear rest.

Mistake 6: Over-Resting After the Sear

Reverse-sear does not need the 10 to 15 minute rest a sear-first steak demands. Five minutes is the maximum. The muscle fibers are already relaxed from the long oven phase, and the carryover is minimal. Longer rest cools the steak without benefit.

Bonus Mistake 7: Using the Wrong Fat

Butter, olive oil, and unrefined coconut oil all smoke below 400 degrees Fahrenheit. A reverse-sear pan needs to be 500-plus. Use beef tallow, refined avocado oil, or grapeseed oil for the sear. Add butter only at the end for basting.

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Why Steakhouses Don’t Use Reverse-Sear (They Use the Broiler for a Reason)

If reverse-sear is so superior, why doesn’t your favorite steakhouse use it?

The answer is volume and economics, not technique.

A high-end steakhouse cooks 200 to 600 steaks a night. The salamander broilers in their kitchens (Montague, Vulcan, Wood Stone) run at 1,500 to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit at the surface. That heat is so intense that it builds a crust in 30 to 45 seconds and finishes a 1.5-inch ribeye to medium-rare in under 4 minutes, top and bottom combined. The gray band is still there, but it’s only a few millimeters wide because the cook time is so short.

You can’t replicate a 1,800 degree broiler at home. Your oven tops out at 550, and your residential broiler maxes out around 850 to 900 surface temperature.

The steakhouse uses the broiler for three reasons:

1. Speed. A salamander turns out a finished steak in 4 minutes. A reverse-sear takes 35 to 50 minutes per steak, even running in parallel. That’s not viable on a Saturday night service.
2. Throughput. A line cook can have 12 steaks under the broiler simultaneously. Twelve reverse-sears would require twelve probes, twelve timers, and twelve plate-up windows. Operationally impossible.
3. Consistency. Salamander broilers are easier to train cooks on than a multi-step reverse-sear. Insert. Time. Pull. Done.

Reverse-sear is a home cook’s method. You’re cooking 1 to 4 steaks at a time, you have 60 minutes, and you don’t have a 1,800 degree broiler. The reverse-sear method levels the playing field. You can produce a steak at home that has better edge-to-edge doneness than the steakhouse does. The steakhouse beats you on speed, not on quality.

“The single biggest gap between home cooks and pros isn’t fire or skill. It’s the thermometer. A $30 probe makes the home cook’s steak the same temperature as the pro’s, every time.” [QUOTE PLACEHOLDER: attribute to a Circle 7 chef partner, restaurant operator, or named butcher.]

[Image 9: A side-by-side overhead shot. Left: steakhouse salamander broiler with multiple steaks under intense heat. Right: a home cook’s oven with a single steak on a wire rack and a probe thermometer. Alt text: “Steakhouse salamander broiler versus home reverse-sear setup comparison showing why pros use broilers and home cooks should use reverse-sear.”]

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Frequently Asked Questions

How thick does a steak need to be for reverse-sear to work?

At minimum, 1.25 inches. Below that, the oven phase dries out the steak before the interior comes up to temperature. The sweet spot is 1.5 to 3 inches. Most Circle 7 thick-cut steaks are cut at 1.5 inches by default for this reason.

Can I reverse-sear on a grill?

Yes. Set up two-zone grilling with the coals or burners on one side. Run the cool side at 225 degrees Fahrenheit (use a dome thermometer to confirm). Cook the steak on the cool side until it hits the pull temperature, then sear directly over the hot side for 60 to 90 seconds per side. The grill version is equivalent to the oven version, with the added benefit of light wood smoke if you add chunks or chips.

What’s the difference between reverse-sear and sous-vide?

Sous-vide cooks the steak in a vacuum-sealed bag submerged in a water bath at the exact target temperature. Reverse-sear cooks it dry in an oven about 100 degrees above the target. Sous-vide is more precise but produces a wetter surface for searing. Reverse-sear is less precise but produces a drier surface and a better crust. Both eliminate the gray band. Pick based on what equipment you own.

Do I need to use a smoker, or is an oven fine?

An oven is fine. A smoker adds flavor (light wood smoke), not technique. If you have one, use it. If you don’t, the oven produces a great steak.

How long does reverse-sear take?

For a 1.5-inch steak: 30 to 45 minutes in the oven, 5 minutes rest, 3 minutes sear, 5 minutes final rest. Total active time about 15 minutes, total elapsed time about 50 minutes. For a 2-inch tomahawk, total elapsed time is closer to 90 minutes.

Can I reverse-sear frozen steak?

Yes, with adjustments. Skip the room-temp step. Salt the steak after the oven phase starts (the surface needs to thaw before salt can adhere). Plan on 60 to 90 minutes in the 225 degree oven for a 1.5-inch frozen steak. The probe is non-negotiable here. Cook by temperature, not time.

What’s the best cut for reverse-sear?

Any thick cut benefits, but the cuts that benefit most are the ones with high intramuscular fat that needs gentle rendering: bone-in ribeye, tomahawk, picanha, and well-marbled NY strip. See our Wagyu Cross bone-in ribeye and full-blood Wagyu tomahawk for ranch-direct options.

Why is my reverse-sear crust not as dark as a sear-first crust?

Two reasons. First, the sear phase is shorter (60 to 90 seconds versus 3 to 4 minutes), which limits Maillard development. Second, the pan may not be hot enough. Preheat the pan an extra 2 minutes, use a high smoke point oil (not butter), and ensure the steak surface is completely dry. If the crust still looks pale, raise the heat under the pan during the sear, not before.

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Reverse-Sear Timing Chart by Thickness

[Image 10: Branded Circle 7 infographic. Title: “Reverse-Sear Timing Chart by Thickness.” Three columns: cut thickness (1.25”, 1.5”, 1.75”, 2”, 2.5”, 3”), oven time at 225 F to reach 115 F pull (20-30, 30-45, 40-55, 45-75, 60-90, 75-120 minutes), and sear time per side (60s, 60-75s, 75-90s, 90s, 90s, 90-120s). Include a “pull temp” callout showing rare 110 F, medium-rare 115 F, medium 120 F. Circle 7 ranch background watermark. Alt text: “Reverse-sear timing chart by steak thickness from Circle 7 Meats showing oven times and sear duration for cuts from 1.25 inches to 3 inches thick.”]

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Ship This Method With a Steak Worth Reverse-Searing

The reverse-sear method only matters if the steak is worth the 50 minutes. A 1.5-inch grocery store choice ribeye reverse-seared is still a grocery store choice ribeye.

At Circle 7, we raise three tiers of beef on the same Texas ranch (Range Angus, Wagyu Cross, Full-Blood Wagyu) and cut every steak at the thickness it was designed to be cooked at. Our Wagyu Cross bone-in ribeye is cut at 1.5 inches. Our full-blood Wagyu tomahawk is cut at 2.5 inches. Both are reverse-sear cuts by design.

“The reverse-sear is the home cook’s edge. You don’t need a $50,000 broiler to produce a steakhouse steak. You need a probe, a cast iron pan, and a steak thick enough to deserve the method.” [QUOTE PLACEHOLDER: attribute to Circle 7 founder, head rancher, or named chef partner.]

Order ranch-direct from Circle 7. We ship every steak vacuum-sealed and flash-frozen at peak quality, cut to the thickness the method requires.

For more cooking guides, see our how to cook a ribeye steak, how to cook a tomahawk steak, how to cook a New York strip steak, beef marbling score guide, and what is Wagyu beef.

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Sources and Further Reading

1. López-Alt, J. Kenji. “The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.” W.W. Norton, 2015. ISBN 978-0393081084.
2. López-Alt, J. Kenji. “The Reverse Sear Is the Best Way to Cook a Steak, Period.” Serious Eats, updated 2023. https://www.seriouseats.com/reverse-sear-best-way-to-cook-steak
3. Cook’s Illustrated. “How to Reverse-Sear a Thick Steak.” Issue July 2012, America’s Test Kitchen archive.
4. McGee, Harold. “On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen.” 2nd edition, Scribner, 2004.
5. Hodge, J.E. “Dehydrated foods: Chemistry of browning reactions in model systems.” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, vol. 1, no. 15, 1953, pp. 928-943.
6. Martins, S.I.F.S., Jongen, W.M.F., van Boekel, M.A.J.S. “A review of Maillard reaction in food and implications to kinetic modelling.” Trends in Food Science and Technology, vol. 11, 2000, pp. 364-373.
7. USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. “Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart.” Updated 2024. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/safe-temperature-chart
8. ThermoWorks. “Reverse Sear Steak: A Complete Guide.” Cooking Reference Library, ThermoWorks, 2023.
9. America’s Test Kitchen. “Why Dry-Brining Beats Wet-Brining for Beef.” 2017 test kitchen results.
10. American Meat Science Association. “Meat Cookery and Sensory Evaluation Guidelines.” 2nd edition, 2015.

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