I was cooking steak the wrong way for years—this fixed it

For steakhouse results at home with minimal effort, do this.

In my book, few things are more satisfying than a beautifully cooked steak. It’s hard to beat that balance between a tender, juicy interior and a deeply caramelized crust.

For most of my life, I thought a generously oiled cast-iron skillet over high heat was the only way to achieve a flawlessly seared, perfectly cooked steak. While that method creates an excellent crust, it can be tricky to nail the doneness—especially with thicker cuts.

I’m partial to medium-rare, but the high-heat cast iron skillet method often left me with a blackened outside and an inside not far off from mooing. After ruining one too many premium cuts of beef (I plead the fifth on just how many), I did some research and talked to a few chefs, who pointed me toward a technique that completely changed my steak game: the reverse sear. Reverse searing is a two-step cooking method that slowly cooks a steak in a low-temperature until it’s nearly done, then finishes it with a quick sear in a blazing-hot pan to create a deeply browned, flavorful crust.

Of all the techniques I’ve tried, reverse-searing steaks has transformed me from an average steak cook into someone who can confidently turn out restaurant-worthy results at home.

Related: The “Breakup Steak” I Make for Anyone Who Has Been Wronged

Why Try Reverse Searing Your Steaks

“The biggest advantage is consistency,” explains Francis Falivene, Executive Chef at Rails Steakhouse, Towaco, New Jersey. “Reverse searing gives you much more control over the final temperature, making it far easier to achieve the doneness you’re looking for. It also creates a better crust because the surface of the steak is dry before it hits the hot pan.”

Chef Falivene also notes that home stovetops don’t typically get as hot as commercial restaurant ranges. Reverse searing is an excellent way to achieve steakhouse-quality results without much extra effort.

If you’re like me and have a habit of overcooking steak, that added control over the cooking temperature makes it much easier to land at medium-rare instead of accidentally ending up with a well-done steak.

How To Reverse Sear Steaks

The reverse sear is all about low and slow, a technique I used to associate with brisket and ribs rather than steak. But it’s now the only way I cook steak.

“Start by seasoning the steak and placing it in a low-temperature oven, around 225°F to 250°F, until it’s about 10 to 15 degrees below your desired final temperature,” says chef Falivene. “Then remove it, let it rest for a few minutes if needed, and finish it in a very hot cast-iron pan or on a blazing hot grill for about a minute or two per side. The result is a beautifully browned crust with an evenly cooked interior from edge to edge.”

Some cuts take to the technique better than others. Falivene explains, “Reverse searing works best with thicker steaks—generally 1 1/2 inches thick or more. Cuts like ribeye, New York strip, porterhouse, T-bone, and filet mignon are ideal because they benefit from the gentle cooking and develop a fantastic crust.”

For thinner cuts, such as flank and hanger steak, he recommends sticking with traditional methods like pan-searing or grilling because they cook too quickly to benefit from a reverse sear.

Falivene recommends starting with a high-quality steak and seasoning it generously with salt and pepper. “Remember,” he says, “cooking great food is about patience, not rushing the process.”

Read the original article on Simply Recipes