What better way to celebrate a special day than by grilling a super nice Reverse Sear Cowboy Ribeye? There are a few steps involved, and the end result will be totally worth it!
I am a huge fan of supporting our local farmers and found Long Stone Farm up in Lovettsville, Virginia that had an adorable self-serve farm stand. I dragged my son up there and found a great selection of super thick ribeyes.
We made the mistake to feed our son good cuts of meat when he was younger. It proved to be costly, as he really does prefer a good filet or premium cut of meat. Heck, when I was a kid, it was a big deal when it was my dad’s payday as we got to buy some red meat. Yeah, it’s another “when I was a kid…” story. I’m not sure why, but my son didn’t appreciate it! 😀
🍽️ Why This Recipe Works
- One of the best steaks you’ll sink your teeth into.
- It can be prepped in just five minutes.
- You only need three ingredients.
- Will impress even the toughest crowds.
🥩 Ingredients
You only need three ingredients to make these incredible reverse sear cowboy ribeye’s.
- Ribeye – You’ll need to be looking for a cowboy ribeye that is thick cut. It’s going to be super flavorful and juicy.
- Salt & Pepper – Yep, that is all you need! A little bit of sea salt and coarse black pepper and it will be perfection.
🔥 Instructions
The reverse sear method slowly cooks a thick steak first over indirect heat, and then finishes the cook with a direct flame sear.
Step One: Season the steak with a little bit of salt and pepper. You want the flavor of the ribeye to be the star of the show, not the rub.
Step Two: On the Big Green Egg, I added the plate setter to create an indirect heat cook. For a gas grill, turn off the center burners. Set the temperature to about 250 degrees and added a nice, thick ribeye to the grill to slowly come up to temperature.
The goal here is to evenly cook the steak to about 10 degrees cooler than your final desired temperature. I like my steaks medium rare (~130 degrees), so I slowly grilled the steak until the temperature was 120 degrees.
This is not the time to skimp on using a wireless meat thermometer. I wrote a review post on my favorite wireless thermometer. I spent a lot of money on this Cowboy Ribeye, and the last thing I wanted to do was to overcook it. (Let’s not tell my wife how much it cost, ok?)
Step Three: Now, set up the grill for direct heat at 350-400 degrees. It is time to create that flavorful sear. Grill each side of the ribeye for four minutes and you will have a perfectly grilled reverse sear ribeye.
📌 Expert Tips
Normally, for thinner cuts of meat, there is no problem with throwing it on a hot grill and sear the steak immediately. Because the cut is thinner, by the time the outside has the nice sear, the inside will be cooked to your desired temperature.
That direct heat technique won’t work on thicker cuts of meat, though. If you put it on direct heat, the outside will cook much faster than the inside, resulting in an overcooked outside and an undercooked inside. Blech!
So, any time you plan to grill a thicker cut to grill, think about using the reverse searing method. When you close the lid of the grill it will cook the steak evenly throughout and then you can get that nice sear at the end, after the inside is near the desired temperature.
The term “cowboy ribeye” refers to a much thicker (up to 2”) cut that is not separated from the rib. It is also called a bone-in prime ribeye or a Tomahawk Steak. You may find this at a higher end grocery store’s meat department, but I have had the best luck ordering from the butcher. Make sure that it is cut thick.
Alternatively, to change the flavor a bit on this cowboy, make a batch of Bourbon Salt and use that instead of regular salt to add just a tad bit of sweetness.
🌡️ Temperature
I set my grill for indirect heat at 250 degrees. It took the steak about 45 minutes to reach the desired temperature. Don’t worry about the time as much as the temperature.
The key to a great reverse sear is getting the internal temperature to about 10 degrees below the desired final temperature during the indirect heating.
Recipe FAQs
Cowboy ribeyes are larger, juicier, and have a large bone sticking out of the meat. They are really good-looking and are more impressive than traditional ribeyes. Other than that, there isn’t much difference as far as the flavor.
While these ribeyes are better when they are first cooked, you can save them as leftovers. They will actually last in the refrigerator for up to four days. Keep them airtight and reheat before eating.
You can actually reheat steak in the oven and have decent results. You’ll need to turn the oven to 250 degrees F. Then, place the steaks on a baking sheet that has been covered with foil. Warm for 15-20 minutes or until they reach the desired temperature. Let them rest for a few minutes, then dig in.
Related Recipes
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with me through social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!
Reverse Sear Cowboy Ribeye
Ingredients
- 1 Ribeye Cowboy, Thick Cut
- 1 pinch Salt Sea
- 1 pinch Pepper Coarse Ground
Instructions
- Pat the cowboy ribeye dry and bring it up to room temperature. Apply a sprinkling of sea salt and coarse ground black pepper on both sides. I highly recommend staying away from other ingredients and this ribeye is one of the most flavorful cuts of beef, and you will want that flavor to be the star of the show.
- Set up your grill or smoker to indirect heat and dial in the temperature to 250 degrees. For the Big Green Egg, I installed the plate setter. Your grill may require a different set up.
- Add the ribeye to the center of the grate and insert your wireless meat thermometer. Let it cook until it is 10 degrees lower than your desired cooking temperature.
- When the steak is at your target temperature, remove it and set up the grill for direct heat. Now is the time to add the tasty and gorgeous sear marks. Set the grill temperature to 350 degrees and add the steaks back to the grill.
- Grill each side of the ribeye for four minutes. That will give it enough time to caramelize and develop that sear. The internal temperature should be just below your final desired temp, and it is time to remove. After you remove it, it will continue to rise in temperature slightly.
- This is the hardest part. Wait. Seriously. Let the ribeye rest for 10-15 minutes before diving in. The resting allows the juices to settle in and will result in a super juicy and flavorful cowboy ribeye that will knock your socks off!
Notes
Nutrition
