Oven to Grill Ribeyes to Your Mouth

March 30, 2022

Are you ready for an awesome grilled steak? If so, then here’s a grilling method that you may need to add to your grilling guru toolbox! The oven to grill method is one of the best ways to cook a thick steak! And by thick, I’m talking about a cut that’s at least ¾” to 1” thick or more.

Some people refer to this grilling style as the “reverse-sear” method. Instead of doing a long deep dive into the process, which includes a chemical reaction due to the low oven temperature, I’ll explain this as simply as possible.

Start your thick steak in the oven at a low temperature, cook it until it hits a certain internal temperature, and then finish it off on a gas or charcoal grill over high heat! I have a version of this method in several of my cookbooks including my Great American Grilling title!

Done! But here’s why this works!

Essentially, you’re pre-heating the steak and starting the cooking process before finishing things up with a higher heat source. I mentioned the grill, but you can also use a hot cast-iron skillet. The key is the low starting temperature for your oven which is 275 degrees F preheated. Then place the steak/steaks on a rack placed on a pan or baking dish.

Next, place the pan with the raised steaks on a rack on the center rack and close the oven door. Cook the steaks to an internal temperature of around 125 – 135 degrees. If your steaks are about an inch thick this could take around 30-45 minutes depending on your oven.

Here’s what’s happening – it is a process called the Maillard Reaction. It’s kind of the bread and butter of “low and slow” barbecuing. You know what I mean, tough meat made tender by cooking for a long time using lower temps. That’s the secret to the awesome pulled pork and tender rib recipes found in my cookbooks! Especially my Texas Hometown Cookbook and Great American Grilling.

What happens is that low-temperature cooking breaks down the proteins in the meat into amino acids. Then there’s a reaction with sugars... Long story short – juicy and tender meat! Oh, don’t forget to get your grill started during this time. You want to hit the high heat fast!

Easy Steak House Seasoning

• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground black peppercorn
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground black peppercorn
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon ground sage
• 2 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoon ground red pepper
• 1 cube beef bouillon (crushed)

Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Store in a dry sealed container.

Rub your steaks with this awesome seasoning before grilling! This seasoning blend is also perfect for pork, chicken, and wild game! Use the Oven to Grill method above!

Finishing Up Your Steak

My preferred steak for this is a Ribeye with the second choice being a New York strip cut steak. Both are equally seasoned with my Easy Steak House Seasoning! One note of caution, avoid this method for thinner cuts as it is easy to let the cooking process proceed too quickly. Once your steak is out of the oven, toss them over some hot coals and grill each side to perfection.

Author Bio: Kent Whitaker, also known as “The Deck Chef,” is an award-winning culinary writer and cookbook author. He’s also penned Young Reader, NASCAR, and History titles. The former winner of the Emeril Live Food Network Barbecue Contest also covers football, motorsports, and bass fishing. Kent currently lives in East Tennessee with his wife, and a couple of dogs that love when he fires up the smoker or grill. You can reach out to Kent at thedeckchef.com, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.