Reverse searing
Bring the food up slowly on indirect heat, then finish it hot and fast over direct. One method, two heat configurations, in that order — which is exactly why the technique and the fire arrangement are described separately here.
How the heat is arranged
1. Indirect heat
Food beside or above no fire at all, with the lid down so the chamber does the cooking. Slower and far more even, which is what thicker pieces usually benefit from: the centre can cook through without the outside over-browning.
Fire beside · convective heat · lid closed
2. Direct heat
Food directly above the fire. Fast, radiant, and the most effective way to drive the surface browning and char that make a steak taste like a steak — but the surface reaches its finish long before the centre of anything thick.
Fire directly below · radiant heat · lid open
What it suits — and what it doesn't
Suited to
- Thick steaks, roughly 3 cm and up
- Anything where an even interior matters more than speed
Not suited to
- Thin steaks, which have no interior to protect