Beef
Reverse-Seared Steaks with Cowboy Butter
By Robyn Lindars from GrillGirl.com
Can you sear a steak on a pellet grill? Well, the answer is, it depends on which pellet grill you have. Most pellet grills max out at 400 to 500 degrees, making a high temp sear hard to achieve. But, with the Coyote Pellet Grill, the versatile pellet grill that can smoke, grill, AND sear to temps up to 700 degrees, it is now possible to achieve that nice crust on a steak that can only be obtained from a hot sear.
Let’s redefine a classic sear versus the reverse sear. The classic restaurant-style steak sear involves searing a steak in cast iron or a hot pan to get a nice crispy edge and then letting it finish cooking in the oven to allow the steak’s internal temp to come up to the desired degree of doneness.
Why the Reverse Sear versus Regular Sear?
The reverse sear switches this process and begins by doing the smoke/roast part of the process first, finishing with the sear at the end. The reverse sear effectively gives the steak time to absorb the smoke flavor from the grill before searing it and sealing in the juices. To do a reverse sear on the Coyote Pellet grill, you want to first infuse the steaks with smoke flavor on smoke mode and then, when the steaks are near the desired internal temp, put the Coyote Pellet into sear mode and let those flames rip to get that perfect crust on the outside of my steak, effectively sealing in the juices and adding caramelization to the meat which adds to the overall flavor.
By not searing the steaks until the end, you give the steak time to absorb smoke flavor before you sear the steak and therefore seal in those juices, which results in the perfect steak: a beautiful balance of smoke flavor with a nicely seared crust on the outside.
For a grand finish to this steak, we are making a Cowboy Compound butter that you will want to slather on EVERYTHING in your house. Essentially, this is a garlic herb butter brightened with citrus and smoked paprika that really compliments the seared ribeye. You put this on at the end and you get a perfectly cooked bite with the herbaceous Cowboy Butter and you will be in steak heaven!
Reverse-Seared Steaks Recipe
Reverse-Seared Steaks with Cowboy Butter
Recipe Notes
- Grill Time: Smoking: ~30–45 minutes (depending on steak thickness and target temp) Searing: ~3 minutes (1.5 minutes per side) Resting: ~5–10 minutes
- Total Time: 40–60 minutes
- Yield: Serves 2 (adjustable based on the number of steaks)
- Method: Reverse sear (smoking at low temp first, then high-heat searing)
- Equipment: Coyote Pellet Grill (or any grill with smoking & searing capability)
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Reverse Sear Steak with Cowboy Butter
- 2 bone-in or boneless ribeyes or (grilling) cuts of your choice
- 1 tbsp (or to taste) Kosher sea salt
- 1 tbsp (or to taste) freshly ground pepper, or to taste
- Duck Fat- as a flavorful binder on your steak AND to oil your grill grates
Cowboy Butter
- 8 oz. (organic) butter, unsalted (2 sticks)
- 1 tsp smoked sea salt
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 shallot, small, minced
- zest from 1 lemon
- juice from 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon thyme, stems removed
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Recipe Steps
1: Before grilling your steaks, let’s start by making the compound butter.
2: Let butter come to room temperature. Combine all ingredients with a stick blender or a food processor. Roll butter onto a large piece of plastic wrap forming a log. Roll the plastic wrap up into a log and twist on the ends. Store in the refrigerator until it is time to use.
3: Prepare your steaks by first letting them come up to room temperature by letting them sit on the counter for 30 minutes. Next, spray a bit of duck fat onto your steak and season with salt and pepper.
4: Next, turn on your Coyote grill and prepare to smoke the steaks at 275 degrees until you’ve reached within 10 degrees of your desired internal temperature. Use an instant-read digital thermometer to ensure you have hit the desired temp. For smoking, you will use the smoke/grill insert that came with the Coyote. I like my steak medium rare so I pull mine off at 125 (rare) to prepare for searing. Refer below for reference on temps:
Rare: 125 degrees F
Medium Rare; 135 F
Medium: 145 F
Medium Well: 150 F
Well Done: 160 F
5: After your steaks have reached the desired temp, you will pull them off and set them on a plate and get your grill ready for searing by swapping out the smoker/grill insert in the Coyote with the Sear insert. Use the handy tool that came with the Coyote Pellet Grill to swap out your inserts to get ready for searing and remember to wear heat-resistant gloves when doing this.
6: Now that you have your sear insert in place and have placed the grill grates back in position, place the Coyote pellet grill into sear mode and crank the temperature to 600 degrees. (The Coyote Pellet Grill will get to temps up to 700 degrees but for the purpose of searing a steak 550 is high enough for the desired outcome).
7: Once the grill is at temp, set the timer on your phone for a minute and a half and grill your steaks for 1 and a half minutes per side, removing them promptly after you have grilled both sides.
8: Let the steaks rest (they will continue to cook after you have pulled them off the grill) under foil until ready to serve. Before tenting, place a dollop of butter on the steaks before covering them with foil.
9: Serve these steaks alongside your favorite sides and plenty of Cowboy butter. The reverse sear method ensures a deep smoky flavor and a beautiful crust, and the Cowboy butter brings it all together. This might just be your new favorite steak! Enjoy!
