Cooking steak indoors? Embrace the reverse sear

By Nick Kindelsperger Chicago Tribune

Cooking steak outside? That’s easy. Get the grill as hot as possible, toss the meat on and cook until done.

But attempt that same stunt indoors, and you’ll smoke out your family and any immediate neighbors. Sure, you could turn the heat down, though then you risk either ending up with a sad, gray piece of meat devoid of an evenly browned crust or a steak that is horribly overdone.

As a condo dweller without easy access to an outdoor grill, I’ve tried a number of different methods, from using electric grills and grill pans to placing multiple fans around my kitchen to help direct the smoke out the window. Turns out I was thinking about it all wrong. Instead of worrying about what to do with an excess of smoke, what if I used a method that keeps the high-heat cooking to the shortest amount of time possible?

That’s the deal with the reverse sear, a method of cooking thick steaks that is contrary to two long-held, though entirely false, pieces of steak-cooking lore — searing “seals in juices” and flip a steak only once. Instead we’re going to do the opposite. Gently cook the steak until nearly done in a very low oven, and then sear it quickly at the end, flipping every 30 seconds.

The advantages of the reverse sear are easy to see. The steak will develop a stunningly browned exterior, without a spot of gray. Cut in, and instead of a thick band of gray meat around the exterior, the steak is mostly rosy pink from top to bottom.

Two words of warning. This recipe only works with big steaks, the kind that are at least 1½ inches and up to 2 inches thick, and which weigh about 2 pounds. And you won’t be able to measure the steak’s internal temperature without a good meat thermometer, preferably an instant-read digital thermometer. It’s the only way to ensure you never overcook a steak again.

1 bone-in rib-eye steak, about 2 pounds, 1½ inches to 2 inches thick Kosher salt 1 tablespoon canola oil 1 tablespoon butter Freshly ground black pepper

If you have the time, liberally sprinkle salt on both sides of the beef, transfer meat to a wire rack set on a baking sheet, and then place in the fridge. Let rest for at least an hour. If you don’t Heat

Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until just starting to smoke. Add steak and butter. Carefully spoon melted butter over the steak. Flip steak after 30 seconds. Continue spooning butter and flipping the steak every 30 seconds, until the steak has been in the pan for 2 minutes. Remove steak and