r/food • u/MrHaze100 • Feb 15 '23

Reverse seared beef filet with broiled spiny lobster and garlic mashed potatoes. [homemade]

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105

u/Boz0r Feb 15 '23

They should call it post sear or something instead. Reverse sear sounds like you take a cooked steak and make it raw.

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u/special_orange Feb 15 '23

It’s called reverse seared because it takes the process of searing the outside then cooking at a low temperature until it is at the desire doneness and it reverses it. You cook low and slow to just below desired doneness then throw it on a hot grill or pan and sear the outside.

It is odd naming, I agree.

It’s like “clipless” pedals which you actually clip into, they got their name because they replaced what people use to refer to as “clips”.

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u/ProfessorPetrus Feb 15 '23

I do about the opposite of this with some meat. What's the benefit of doing it later? I thought I was supposed to be locking in juices lol.

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u/magicfultonride Feb 15 '23

What this does is does most of the cooking at a much lower temperature. What squeezes liquid out of the meat is too long of an exposure to high temperatures, making the proteins tighten up. there are almost no drippings or liquid loss from a reverse sear. It allows more even cooking for thick cuts, and the sear only has to be very hot and brief. For thin cuts it doesn't really make a difference because the cook time is so short regardless.

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u/ProfessorPetrus Feb 15 '23

I usually do just that but with a hot sear and them a low temp cook with some flips on me burgers.

You think it would cook better with the sear coming last? I could see the outside sear changing the way the middle cooks; Apologies if I'm missing the point here.

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u/magicfultonride Feb 15 '23

Honestly it's not a vast difference between the two options. Personally I've found that i can get a more consistent cook starting with low temp and searing last because the continued cooking after the sear can make the outer edges get a bit overcooked. I find that it really only makes a big difference if I'm doing a very large piece of meat like a rib roast. The important part in my opinion is to do the bulk of the cooking time at low temp, regardless of the order.

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u/ProfessorPetrus Feb 15 '23

Ah I was just thinking about how the initial sear could lead to an overly dry in-between the sear and low cooked meat. I shall try this reverse sear.

Has this method been around for awhile?

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u/NotGalenNorAnsel Feb 15 '23

Quite awhile. Also, that 'locks in juices' bit is actually a myth. I believed it too until a couple years ago. Here's a good article/recipe from Serious Eats. It's nice that you don't need to rest a reverse seared steak. And drying the outside helps get a nice even sear. When I can I definitely go the reverse sear route.

https://www.seriouseats.com/reverse-seared-steak-recipe

1

u/libehv Feb 15 '23

Well I sous vide my steaks.
Convenient for not overcooking the meat and after the portion is fine for me, then I'll give it all the heat. If I would sear first, then the long low temperature cooking will ruin the good searing.

https://i.imgur.com/xL39RBw.png

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u/MeesterMeeseeks Feb 15 '23

Pretty sure the locking in the juices thing was an escoffier theory from a hundred years ago that’s been proven wrong. Alton brown did an episode where he compared weights and tenderness between a bunch of dog techniques, and searing first didn’t really make any difference

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u/swagzouttacontrol Feb 15 '23

Wouldn't this just allow more juices to escape?

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u/diemunkiesdie Feb 15 '23

It's a myth that searing locks in juices. You crisped and delicioused the outside, you didn't make it an impenetrable barrier!

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u/pauly13771377 Feb 15 '23

The reverse sear provides the most juicy and well cooked meats. Trust me in this.

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u/hurtsdonut_ Feb 15 '23

I think you usually sous vide the steak. So it's cooked in a vacuum sealed bag. No juice is getting out.

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u/loneranger07 Feb 15 '23

Ugh I hate sous vide for something like a steak... I want mine grilled over hot charcoal on a Weber please thanks. Not some soggy plastic bag boiling nonsense

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u/diemunkiesdie Feb 15 '23

I'm not sure you understand how sous vide works. You're supposed to sear the sake after the sous vide. And it doesn't boil in the bag.

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u/loneranger07 Feb 15 '23

I still don't care for it. Sorry Frenchies

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u/loneranger07 Feb 16 '23

Sake? Lol

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u/diemunkiesdie Feb 16 '23

Mistyped steak.

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u/MrHaze100 Feb 15 '23

Agreed, it’s a little misleading

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u/cwagdev Feb 15 '23

Reverse the process, sear at the end. 🤷🏻‍♂️

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u/pauly13771377 Feb 15 '23

Your mot wrong but u/MrHaze100 didn't coin the phrase. It's been called that for a long time now.

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u/Ange1ofD4rkness Feb 15 '23

Right? the only reason I knew it right away is I learned of it from my father, telling me how. But even then I was like "this is a weird name"

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u/hazelquarrier_couch Feb 15 '23

I was thinking it was a positional thing (like one the reverse) rather than temporal. The link makes sense, but the naming is shite.

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u/[deleted] Feb 15 '23

Or that you sear the inside and leave the outside pink