How To Cook A Thick Steak To Perfection

Whether you have an 30mm thick Rib Fillet, or a bone-in OP Rib or Tomahawk - cooking a thick steak is completely different to cooking a thin (less than an inch thick) steak.

Cooking a thick steak on high heat for too long can result in burning the crust before you reach a safe internal temperature, or cooking the outside of the steak to a far higher degree of doneness than the centre. 

We recommend following our easy guide to achieve your perfect steak: 

Method

We recommend an instant-read thermometer when reverse searing, as thickness and time can vary far too greatly to achieve the precise results you're looking for, Blaze Instant Read Thermometers are available at all Super Butcher stores. 

Here's the finished temperatures you're looking for: 

Rare: 50C
Medium-rare: 54C
Medium: 60C
Medium-well: 66C
Well done: 72C

Step 1

Size isn't all that matters - we recommend choosing a good steak to reverse sear (Gold grade or above) - a thick, low quality steak will always be harder to eat than the same steak cut thin. For best results, try any of our great brands of beef for guaranteed juiciness and flavour.

Bring your steak to room temperature before continuing. 

Step 2

You’ll need some of your favourite BBQ beef rub, or salt and pepper to taste. We love Lanes BBQ Ancho Espresso as a beef rub, which develops a great crust in a short time of searing. Apply your seasoning liberally 5 minutes before cooking. 

Step 3

Pre-heat a source of indirect heat to 140c. Using an oven, a pellet smoker, Weber Gas BBQ with a roasting rack and trivet or our favourite - a charcoal Weber kettle. 

Step 4

Put your steak in the oven or on your cooker/smoker using indirect heat. You can add some smoking wood over the charcoal for extra flavour.

Step 5

Cook/smoke the steak until it reaches an internal temperature of 52C for medium-rare or just under your desired doneness (table above) for medium etc. The internal temperature will continue to rise from the resting process.

Step 6

Remove and rest for 15 minutes covered with foil. The resting process will allow your steak to continue cooking and reach a temperature closer to what is desired. This also redistributes the juices of the steak and relaxes the fibres for a more tender eating experience.

Step 7

Get your cooker/smoker/weber (or a cast iron skillet if you’ve used your oven) as hot as you can get it, we're talking piping hot! The goal is to cook this for as little as possible while developing the best crust you can. 

Step 8

Sear the steaks on both sides. It should only take a minute to get a nice crust. Once you have seared the front and back, we recommend spending some time searing the fat cap and all edges of the steak. Use tongs or a heatproof glove and hold the bone if you want to feel like a MasterChef. 

Step 9

Because the steak has already rested and been cooked almost up to full temp so gently it doesn’t need to be rested again. Take your steak off the heat, slice and enjoy.