Reverse sear thinner ribeye?

pwshine

We're not a family that's going to eat huge steaks. We've settled on ribeyes being our favorite cut to grill. My method that I've worked out for medium rare steaks is about 600 degrees, cook on each side for about a minute, flip one last time and shut everything down for about a minute. Pretty darn consistent result for decent size smaller ribeyes (.75 lb each, 1/2 to 3/4 in. thick approx). 

Tried reverse searing last go round and failed, over cooked the "bake" portion. Anybody have any luck/tips with thinner steaks? Or should I just stick with conventional method? I do not currently have a thermometer/probe to keep a constant eye on internal temp

Killit_and_Grillit

Without an instant read thermometer you're just kind of playing a guessing game. 

I'd say do it like you have been...until the UPS guy drops off your thermapen which I'm hoping by now you have already ordered 

saluki2007

Reverse sear really shines on 1.5-2" thick steaks.  Any thing less you should just lit'em rip.  I'm not one to tell people to buy things, but you really should invest in a good instant read thermometer.  It will take your grilling to the next level and turn out consistent great results.

fishlessman

water bath for an hour or two, then sear. or use the sousvide and sear

Hans61

agree with @saluki2007

If you try it, when you sear do not close the dome 

da87

+1 to @saluki2007.  After lots of experiments I'm back to reverse sear only on 1.5"+ steaks and am often too lazy to bother until 2".  Really shines with good beef - the first SRF filets I reverse seared sold us on both RS and SRF.  Haven't tried the pan cooking method demonstrated on the SRF web site yet though...

Focker

An $80 instant read TP here is like taking a .308 AR to the indoor pistol range.....OVERKILL.  For a sub inch steak that cooks so fast, go by feel, even time would work to get things dialed in.

HellrodKC

Stick with what works. If you really want to give reverse sear another shot, try get some 2" thick ribeyes and share them, instead of having everyone get their own.

Good luck!

Webass

Why not buy a nice thick ribeye, or two depending on how many you're feeding, reverse sear and slice.  I'd think the flavor will be better also.

My go to now is Duke's mayo brushed with Montreal Steak Seasoning, CI sear one minute each side, vacuum seal and sous vide 1.5-2 hours at 130.  Then CI sear again one minute each side.  Perfect for our tastes every time with no fuss. 

SmokeyPitt

We are not a family of huge eaters either but I like cooking thicker steaks. I just buy 2-3 steaks for my family of 5 (or one big steak if it is just the wife and I). I slice up the meat on a cutting board and let everyone grab what they want. 

northGAcock

Webass said:

Why not buy a nice thick ribeye, or two depending on how many you're feeding, reverse sear and slice.  I'd think the flavor will be better also.

My go to now is Duke's mayo brushed with Montreal Steak Seasoning, CI sear one minute each side, vacuum seal and sous vide 1.5-2 hours at 130.  Then CI sear again one minute each side.  Perfect for our tastes every time with no fuss. 

I have to agree with Webass here. Cook a thicker steak and share it as opposed to smaller portions for each. My wife and I do this all the time.....and she is still with me so must be doing something right.

fishlessman

thicker steak, even if you only cook half of it is a good option, heres a piece of dry aged cut in half for two meals during the week

pwshine

Killit_and_Grillit said:

Without an instant read thermometer you're just kind of playing a guessing game. 

I'd say do it like you have been...until the UPS guy drops off your thermapen which I'm hoping by now you have already ordered 

I should clarify, I have a thermometer, but not one where I can leave the probe in and monitor temps at all times with dome closed 

Theophan

Thermapen or no Thermapen, thinner steaks won't benefit from reverse sear.  If you love your steaks the way you're doing them, keep doing them the way you love!

For my own taste, I'm with those who suggested sharing thick steaks, because it's just inescapable: there's MUCH more juicy red meat compared to browned savory seared meat, and I like that.  But we all have different tastes!  If you love steaks the way you cook them, keep cooking them that way!

Killit_and_Grillit

@Focker

there is no kill like overkill. 



Here, have a gummy bear. 

jtcBoynton

A 1/2" steak is way way too thin to bother with reverse sear.  

poster

pwshine said:

We're not a family that's going to eat huge steaks. We've settled on ribeyes being our favorite cut to grill. My method that I've worked out for medium rare steaks is about 600 degrees, cook on each side for about a minute, flip one last time and shut everything down for about a minute. Pretty darn consistent result for decent size smaller ribeyes (.75 lb each, 1/2 to 3/4 in. thick approx). 

Tried reverse searing last go round and failed, over cooked the "bake" portion. Anybody have any luck/tips with thinner steaks? Or should I just stick with conventional method? I do not currently have a thermometer/probe to keep a constant eye on internal temp

Not knocking your method, but do you have any eyebrows?