Reverse Sear on a kamado - best technique?

[Dav3_Dyr0ff]

I like do reverse-sear when I cook thick steaks. The best one I’ve made was one I finished on the stove with a carbon steel pan. Having said that, I have since been banned from high-temp searing inside for various reasons.

I have recently acquired a kamado and intend to use that for the final step, but that introduces a number of variables. What temp to adjust the kamado to? Sear directly on rack or use the cast iron griddle accessory? If the former, “high” or “low” for the racks and with or without the ceramic heat shield in place? If the latter, flat side or “grill mark” side? (Is there any advantage to the latter other than grill marks which I don’t really care about since this is to eat and not for the 'gram?).

I could test all this by trial and error, but if any of you kamado-owning reverse sear fans already have an approach dialed in that you like, I’d rather start with that. Thanks in advance!

[ybarselah]

if you’re looking for the fastest and hottest sear, then the cast iron pan on the grill will do that because of reasons / physics.

but…since you’re already building a fire, you might as well take advantage of it. especially for larger cuts, you can get a really nice caramel crust over a the live fire by flipping every 30 seconds or so. more fat rendering, deeper flavor, a bit of smoke. baste with herbs, butter, garlic, etc. build layers of flavor in addition to all that nice maillard.

i’m hungry.

[Brent_C_l_a_y_t_o_n]

Reverse sear is generally an indoor method to reduce smoke. If you have a ceramic grill, get that thing rolling up to the red line and just sear 2-3min on each side and watch internal temp you’ll be better off!

[bradkaplan]

I use my Big Green Egg for the reverse sear - while it’s cooking off the heat on my Weber, just get the flame going as hot as it can get, then when the steak is at the internal temp you want before searing, throw it directly on the open grill over the coals and be very careful with the flare ups (have long tongs) because they will be hot! About 30sec per side should do it, but maybe longer.

[Dav3_Dyr0ff]

Not looking for fastest-hottest, looking for tastiest result. Trying to get into the Maillard sweet spot but not veer over the line into too much char (a little char is fine). I can get the kamado up to about 850 degrees, but wondering if that’s really necessary (or even counter-productive). I guess the internal dome temp won’t matter as much if I’m searing it close to the coals and keeping the lid open so I can flip every 30 seconds.

Not sure I follow Brent’s comment. I don’t use reverse sear to reduce smoke, I use it to reduce the doneness difference between the center and the edge, eliminate the need for resting, etc. Looking for that nice medium-rare temp all the way through, except for the crust. I can do the slow part in the Anova oven on “sous vide” mode (not actually in a bag in water), but prefer to do it on the pellet smoker with oak pellets at about 210 degrees.

[brigcampbell]

@Dav3_Dyr0ff

I have since been banned from high-temp searing inside for various reasons

Do tell

[Andrew_K]

The ceramic plate is for indirect heat i.e. smoking. One would never use that for searing.

For final searing, you would want the fire as high as possible and the meat as close to the fire as possible.

I used to do this and then I installed a high-powered hood vented outside with a 12" duct and now I can sear inside to my heart’s content and it’s way better!

[Dav3_Dyr0ff]

@brigcampbell

Do tell

I wish it were something Berserker-worthy like a major grease fire but sadly it’s mostly just grease splatter and mess. I do have a high-powered vent hood so the smoke wasn’t really a problem.

[ybarselah]

your previous post makes it sound like you know exactly what you’re doing. your instincts are right on.

i live in a city apt, so don’t have these options. but that grease splatter thing is real. i use this all the time and it’s great.

[Dav3_Dyr0ff]

I know enough to be dangerous, but I’m not a food chemist. For example, is there a limit to “hotter is better”? I know that below a certain temp, there’s no Maillard reaction, but is there a temp (in the relevant range) above which you just get “burnt” instead of “Maillard” (or you go too quickly from “Maillard” to “burnt”)? Or am I actually going to get a better crust without burning by getting the coals as hot as possible but just flipping often and removing at the right point? Is the Maillard reaction more a question of air temp, or contact heat provided by (e.g.) a solid cast iron surface, or by heat coming off of nearby (but non-contact) coals?

We do have a splatter screen somewhere, maybe I dig that out and try to get permission to give the carbon steel pan one more shot? I did really like the consistent crust that gave me.

Then again, there’s some primal appeal to having two pieces of outdoor equipment going, one fired up to several hundred degrees. But I will give that up for a superior steak.

So maybe I should ask that separate question - assuming I have the option of a kamado or a carbon steel pan on a high-btu gas burner which is going to give me a better result for the finishing sear?

[ybarselah]

@Dav3_Dyr0ff

I know enough to be dangerous, but I’m not a food chemist.

here you go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZY8xbdHfWk

[Rick_Joyer]

I have never heard of, nor thought of, Reverse Searing steaks as an indoor method intended to reduce smoke. Simply put, I think it is the best way to get optimally tender steaks with the most consistent doneness throughout the cut (ie a nice rosy color from edge to edge with minimal gray banding along the exterior).

The above aside, I am a long time believer of this method and have been cooking steaks this way on my BGE for many years at this point. Common sense rules, and so long as you stick to some basics, you’ll find that they are hard to screw up. Having said that, I don’t think it’s necessary (or even beneficial really) to get super high temperatures for the searing portion. I used to think it was cool to get that thing up over 700*+ and have a jet like flame shooting out the top before putting the steak in to sear but, honestly, for me it’s not worthwhile nor do I think the result is better. I’m usually now targeting to be in the 450*-550* range for the searing portion.

My basic success formula looks something like this:

Set the Kamado up for direct grilling, with quality lump charcoal and a nice hunk of wood in there for smoke flavor (I like post oak the best for steaks, but pecan is nice too). I will on occasion use the heat diffuser plate in there and it does indeed extend the amount of time it takes for the steaks to come up in temp (resulting in more smoke flavor and ensuring all of the fat gets broken down/liquified), BUT then you have an issue later in the cooking process as you’ll have to remove it while hot and place it somewhere…not an impossible task, but generally speaking not something I want for a typical steak cook. If I’m putting a larger roast in there then sure, definitely put the diffuser in, but for a typical steak cook (even with my Flannery stuff) I just go with direct grilling set up and simply position the steaks in a cooler part of the grill to extend low-temp cooking time.

Season steaks to your liking and put them onto the Kamado at ~250* until a meat thermometer reaches somewhere between 100* and 110* internal temperature. I should note that if I had a pellet smoker, I’d likely do temps below 250* but I find that my BGE isn’t happy at temps much below ~250* and I don’t like the smoke flavor I get at those temps as I find that it tastes more acrid to me as a result of choking down the fire to more of a smolder.

I would suggest getting the cast iron grill grate, as those made a big difference in the crust I was able to achieve, but nothing will beat the crust you’ll get when you use a solid cast iron surface. I found a great circular cast iron pizza pan years ago that is perfect for a L size Kamado that is awesome and is a highly recommended addition as it’ll be cheaper than any OEM cast iron option.

Once you hit the 100*-110* range on your steaks, remove them and set them aside to rest while you open up your vents and crank the Kamado up to your searing temperature. This is where you’d have to remove the diffuser if you’re using one, and also where you’d add your cast iron pan on the grate to heat up.

Once you’re at temp (and give it a good while if adding the cast iron pan to ensure it heats up fully), then it’s show time and I like to put the steaks back on over direct fire and turn them every 1-2 minutes until I get to my desired temperature.

From there, all you have to do is remove them, sip your wine like the champ that you are and be prepared to throw out your elbow giving all of the high fives to your friends and family as they ooh and awe over the crust you achieved atop a perfectly tender, mid-rare steak from end to end.

[Alan_Rath]

I have an egg, but same device. The fire does get hot, and imo too hot to leave for long. If not really careful, you’ll progress through nicely charred to burnt in the blink of an eye. Follow Yaacov’s advice to flip often if cooking for any length of time on charcoal.

As for reverse sear, i have not attempting it on the egg, because I think it’s too cumbersome and time consuming to get the fire burning at low temp for the initial cook, then open it up and let it rip for the sear. But that’s mainly about time, if you have the patience. If I wanted to use the egg for this, I’d probably do the initial cooking in the oven, which is well controlled, then take it outside for the sear.

Edit: it can obviously be done, as Rick describes. If I had a bigger family at home, instead of just the two of us, I might do this more often. Frankly, for two I almost always use the gas grill, it’s just more work than I want to fire up the egg for a quick cook.

[Dav3_Dyr0ff]

@Alan_Rath

If I wanted to use the egg for this, I’d probably do the initial cooking in the oven, which is well controlled, then take it outside for the sear.

This is what I do, except I use the pellet smoker for the low & slow portion.

[Brian_Tuite]

I don’t use my BGE for steaks. They never cook the way I want them to. I always do them on the Weber indirect 400°~500° about 15min/side. My coals are in the indirect baskets an inch below the grill. I transfer the steaks to the direct side and move them constantly until the flame flares up and leaves a nice char on each side. Back to the indirect side until internal hits about 125° then rest 10-15 uncovered before slicing. This is with a 1-1/2 to 2” thick steak so your timing may vary based on your steak.

[Anton_D]

I have played with the broiler a little.

It’s gotta be thick 2 1/2+ inches, even an intact land/beef loin…

We Sous vide to 120, then get the broiler full hot in a preheated oven.

Meat into broiler. For a Flannery lamb loin or full tenderloin, 5 minutes per side.

For a Jorge style steak, 3 minutes.

I always wish you the best, man!

[Milton_Hudson]

Here are the steaks from last night off my egg clone. The one in upper left was done to medium for my dad. These were salted fridged then on the counter for 2 hours or so. The filets were about 2.5” and the ribeye 1.5”

[J_a_y_H_a_c_k]

@Dav3_Dyr0ff

. . .
I have since been banned from high-temp searing inside for various reasons.
. . .

The trick is to disconnect all smoke alarms in advance. I know, from personal experience.