So I dry brined these overnight then reverse seared them and let them rest in a resting butter afterwards. They were incredible BUT I couldn't get the kind of beautiful crust I sometimes see posted around here. Any tips? I used a slow n sear for the process but I don't think that really hurt me at all. New York trips btw.
by Malkier3
27 Comments
gotta get your meat dry, and hot
Straight up has to be higher heat. There is no secret.
After the initial cook you have to pat them down and what I do is coat them in a light layer of oil with a brush and either directly over flames or on a cast iron skillet on grill/stove.
One thing I do want to point out is that you used a paper towel to block the hole so butter didn’t drain on your sink but it still absolutely got everywhere on your stove regardless 😂
Bry brine, wipe off the salt and season. Reverse sear. Smoke the meat until desired temperature and then take it off for about 15-20 minutes to cool down a bit. Pat that sucker DRY. Get your cooking surface very very hot. I prefer a charcoal sear, so I light a chimney of coals let it get nice and hot and dump them in. Then i hit the coals with my outdoor fan that’s hanging in my smoke shack. This gets the coals very very hot. Sear the shit out of them steaks. Occasionally I will do cast iron instead. Turn the stove to medium high heat and let the pan heat up for 5-10 minutes.
I dry brine mine a couple of days before with just salt and pepper and then take it out of the fridge and throw it directly on the fire, high heat.
https://www.reddit.com/r/steak/s/1h31vQdfZa
Those look good, but if you’re aiming for that next-level crust, you’ll need to crank up the heat during the sear. Don’t be shy about turning up the flames a bit (stoke the coals if necessary).
I’ve been experimenting with different cuts over the past few weeks—my first attempt was tasty, but I’ve learned since then that getting a proper crust takes much more heat than you’d expect.
Higher heat with less cook time
I chased the perfect crust for a while, then got a set of stainless steel pans that can handle extremely high heat. Got a beautiful crust on the first try. I never could achieve that on a grill.
Pan greased with ghee btw- butter would cook off too fast at high temps. I
I’d post a pick but don’t know how
What are they covered in?
Like another guy said salting the steak for 3-24 hours prior to cooking is very helpful to promote a good crust. The salt draws out liquid but it diffuses back in and that salty meat holds water better than unsalted meat. Less water in the meat at the surface means less water to steam the steak in the pan so you can develop that Maillard reaction.
It won’t make up for a less than hot grill but it will help. But ultimately the answer is get that grill ripping hot.
Cooking torch
High heat and pepper will give you a nice crust.
More heat on sear time. Simple as that. I get a cast or whatever I’m using at 450-500 minimum
Surface of meat must be COMPLETELY dry, and heat must be high. Pat dry multiple times with paper towels. Leave out open in the fridge if possible for more dryness.
Crust cheat code heat up a cast iron at your max oven temp for 1 hour. Sear both sides for as long as your heart tells you. Hopefully it says to stop after 1 min max each side.
FIRE!
Some steakhouses use a torch.
Wet meat steams vs browns
High heat browns
Combine these things
There’s no need to slow roast a steak this thin. Sear the shit out of it and let it rest.
more spice longer time against the cast iron.. repeat cast iron
25# pizza flour
1.75 gal water
2 cup olive oil
8 oz salt
1 is dry yeast
Graham Cracker is a fan favorite. ❤️
Dry Brining – Pat dry, salt the steak and leave out at room temp for 30 to 40 mins. Sear in high heat on grill or cast iron to get a great crust. Finish on lower temp until 125. Let rest and naturally carry over to 130 to 135. Depending on steak cut rest for 10 to 15 mins.
Stop reverse searing or sear them at a lower heat.
So everyone else is saying the right stuff. But I haven’t heard anyone ask when you pulled the meat for the sear part? I typically pull mine about 20-25 below where I want it (about 105-110 for me to get med rare with good crust). If you’re doing it in a pan get that fucker hot….i don’t mean hot, I mean oil is SMOKING and setting off smoke alarms lmao. The other thing I haven’t seen mentioned and is a crucial part is that you may have done the best with the thickness of steak you got. I’d recommend finding thicker cuts even of NY strip so that way you get more time on the sear before overcooking it. Then let rest approx 10 minutes under some foil.
Moisture on the surface is the enemy of a good crust.
Pat it dry before searing, and save the butter for after the sear.
Use paper towels to dry the surface of the meat just before you sear. This applies to all searing methods whether it’s over flame, charcoal, or in a pan
in addition to what others have said, the resting butter isn’t helping, it’s only softening whatever crust you have (although it’s tasty). If crust is your goal, make a separate sauce.