Tried reverse searing a steak on a gas grill and got worse results than pan only

I kept hearing everyone rave about reverse searing steak on a grill. So last Sunday I tried it with a 1.5 inch ribeye. I cooked it low on the cool side of my Weber Spirit at 250 for about 40 minutes until internal hit 115. Then I seared it over high heat for 90 seconds per side. The crust came out uneven and the inside temp jumped to 140 by the time I pulled it. My pan seared steaks always come out better with a solid crust and perfect medium rare. I think the grill just doesn't retain heat as well as a cast iron skillet for that final sear. Has anyone else had trouble with the grill losing heat when you open the lid to flip?

2 comments

2 Comments

sethtorres4d ago

Whoa, hold on there... I gotta disagree with you on this one. The grill is the whole reason reverse searing works so well for me. You might've just hit your target temp too early, or your grill's thermometer is off, because 250 on the dial can actually be way hotter or cooler than that. And honestly, 90 seconds a side over high heat is a lot, that's probably why your temp jumped so much. I pull mine off the grill and let it rest for like ten minutes before I even think about searing it, or I sear it directly over the hottest coals if I'm using my charcoal kettle. Cast iron is great, but the smoke and that open flame flavor just can't be beat, even if the crust takes a little more patience to get even.

miabennett4d ago

Same temp issue happens with cast iron too. You just don't notice it as much because the pan holds heat better than an open grate. The smoke flavor is the thing I'll give you. Fire and fat dripping does something you can't fake with a pan. But my sear comes out way more even on cast iron. No hot spots from grate marks, no flare ups charring one side. Ten minute rest before searing sounds risky. Meat temp drops fast. You gotta time that rest just right or you're back to square one.