Reverse Searing

One of the highlights of living in Melbourne was the Costco, and one of the perks that I'd missed when I left. Costco's a celebration of good ol' American excess, with eye-catching prices from fuel to food to liquor. I wish Costco would come to Singapore!

We had a chance to get reacquainted recently, when I visited my sister in California during my holidays. We spent an inordinate amount of hours wandering up and down the aisles and (me) grabbing everything in sight. Despite my enthusiasm for all things Disney, I skipped Disneyland this visit (Costco is my wonderland!). We went a little crazy in the meat section of Costco, but the upside was we had a lot of practice with newfangled cooking methods. 

Kenji from Serious Eats explained the reverse-searing concept in much greater details than I could, but essentially, the traditional process of cooking meat is 'reversed': the meat here is cooked over low heat first, and then seared over high heat. This replicates the effects of sous-vide, and with the additional benefit of the steak having a dry surface when it's subsequently seared on a hot frying pan. Steaks cooked this way are evenly cooked inside, with the cross-section going from the seared surface to an even pink interior, with no overcooked layers (which can be seen as grey-colored band). 

The guideline below is a good way to estimate cooking times in the oven, but a meat thermometer takes the guesswork out of the equation. A ruined steak costs way more than a thermometer, so get one!  With a little prep work, the resultant steaks were as good as any in fancy steakhouses, and at a fraction of the price.

Approximate cooking guidelines - from Serious Eats

Reverse Searing 
Thinly sliced steaks cook too fast in the oven, and for reverse-searing, each steak has to be at least one-and-a-half inches thick.  

EQUIPMENT 
Rimmed baking sheet, which fits in the fridge
Wire rack, to be placed within the baking sheet

STEPS

1. Season your thick-cut steaks with salt and pepper on all sides, and then transfer to the wire rack set set in the baking sheet. Place the set-up uncovered in the fridge overnight, or at least 8 hours. This dries out the exteriors.

2. When ready to cook, preheat the oven between 95 to 135°C (200 - 275°F). The lower you go, the more evenly the meat will cook, though it'll also take longer. Be aware that the timing estimates in the picture above was for 120°C, and that some smaller ovens may not hold temperature consistently below 100°C. 

3. Place the set-up in the oven, and roast until they reach an internal temperature close to the target temperature.

4. Over the highest burner in the stovetop, set a frying pan and add a tablespoon of vegetable oil. As soon as that oil starts smoking, add the steaks along with a tablespoon of butter. It'll take about 45 seconds til the steaks are nicely browned on the first side. Flip the steaks and brown the other side, and then hold the steaks sideways to sear their edges. Serve the steaks immediately, or, if you'd like, let them rest for at most a minute or two.