In the last several months, I have read a lot about how to produce the perfect steak. Most of the technique behind a good steak has to do with the The Maillard Reaction. This is the process where meat turns from pink or grey to Golden Brown and Delicious (GBD). This reaction happens between sugars and amino acids and produces new molecules. These molecules are what forms the crust on the outside of a steak. There are factors that limit this reaction from happening. For one is the presence of liquid. Liquid reduces the temperature that the outside of the meat can get so in the cooking process you will stay below the 240-340 ° mark you need to get the non enzymatic browning process to take place. The meat will not get above boiling (~212°) until the liquid is gone. There is much debate over what temperature this process happens. This has much to do with the pH of the meat. Not to bore you to death with details, but if your meat is acidic (or been marinated), then the Maillard reaction requires higher temperatures to become GBD. This is why you see baking soda added to bbq chicken to crisp skin and pinch added to onions to hurry the caramelization process. You want the Maillard Reaction to occur at the lowest point possible to avoid burning. Burning or pyrolysis happens at 355 °.
So you ask, “What does all this have to do with steak and cooking it?”. For years I have been a fan of the sear-roast method for cooking just about everything. The blending of direct and indirect cooking methods make for crusty outside and juicy inside. It always seemed to me that the searing process was highly variable in time per side. In culinary school we studied the Maillard reaction and the fact that the meat outside had to hit a certain temp before it would become brown. That is when I discovered The Reverse Sear, described below, where you indirectly heat your steak first, then sear on a hot pan or grill in just a couple of minutes. This makes the Maillard Reaction more effective, and makes it easier to keep the inside of the steak at the temperature that you desire. Sear-roasting produces more of a (no pun intended) grey area between crust and red or pink interior.
Preparing the meat Your choice of steak is important when cooking any beef. You really want the steak to be between 1-1.5 inches thick. NY Strips and ribeyes work the best, in my opinion. Make sure you get at least choice-grade beef. Select is not good enough. (Choosing a great steak is another post altogether. Buying high-quality beef with the recent increase in prices is another issue.) Pull your steak from the refrigerator 45 minutes to 1 hour before you want to start the cooking process. Pat steak dry with a paper towel, season with kosher salt and your favorite steak seasoning, and let it rest at room temp. Avoid seasonings with citrus as they will mess with your pH. I like Weber’s Chicago Steak Seasoning. 
Reverse-searing steaks First of all, your indirect heat source needs to be about 225 degrees F. I use an oven as it is easiest to keep consistent , but reverse-searing can also be done on a grill or kettle. Pat the steak dry with a paper towel again. A digital instaread type thermometer is needed to test the interior temp of the meat. I found about 12 minutes for a 1″ steak will get the center of a steak to 110° for a future-perfect medium-rare. Start checking your temp around the 9 minute mark because you really don’t want to go over temp.
As you wait for the steak to hit internal temp, put a heavy pan (like a multi-layer clad pan or cast iron) on the stove over high heat with a splash of vegetable oil with a high smoking point (avoid olive oil; I use canola). You want to make sure that you do not get the pan much hotter than 400° F as you will smoke your oil and give your steak an off-flavor. A laser thermometer is great to have in your arsenal to check the temp. When the steak hits 110°F and your pan is ready, throw your steak in the pan. You will have a GBD (Golden Brown Delicious) crust within about a minute. It will happen more quickly than you think, so don’t walk away. Flip steak over and repeat on the other side. Remove steak to your plate and let it rest for 8-10 minutes. Do not skip this step. Plus, this is a great time to pour you a glass of red wine. Then enjoy. Recipe for Reverse-seared steaks
- Get steaks out of refrigerator, dry, then season and set at room temperature for 45 minutes to an hour.
- Preheat oven to 225°F. Preheat iron or steel skillet to 400°F.
- Dry steak with paper towel, put it on a sheet pan, and get insta-read thermometer ready. Put steak in oven. Start checking temp of steak after 9 minutes.
- Remove steak from oven when it hits the right internal temp and sear on each side for approximately 45 seconds or until it gets desired crust.
- Let rest 8-10 minutes and enjoy