Reverse Seared Steak with Smoked Baby Potatoes

Each season carries its own nostalgia, things for which that season is pleasantly remembered for. Fall has it’s apples and pumpkins. Winter has it’s first snow, spring the smell of fresh cut grass.

For me, summer is celebrated through freshly picked strawberries, baseball, and meals prepared on the grill.

Summer days are long, and for us they’re filled with chores around the farm. There’s always so much to do, and who wants be inside when the sun is out? Especially when the winters are as long as they are in Iowa. We work hard in the summer, and so I covet the evenings with the family as we gather on the patio around the grill.

When it comes to grilling steak, I don’t usually deviate from the technique my family has loved over the years. Simple seasoning and locally sourced meat over a Weber charcoal grill. But man, sometimes you’ve just gotta try something new. You know?

Ever since Katie bought me my smoker, I’ve been dreaming about all the things I could smoke. I’m convinced just about anything can be smoked and come out delicious. So when I came across the technique of reverse searing steak after it comes out of the smoker it was game on.

Searing steak certainly isn’t a new concept. You do it to trap in the natural flavor of the beef before grilling at a lower temperature. It’s the same concept with reverse searing. The steaks sit in the smoker at 225 degrees, soaking up all that flavor while the fat and tissue breaks down into tender morsels. Searing on an open flame locks in all that juice and preserves the hard work done with the smoker.

And if you’ve never thought about smoking potatoes? Ah, friend, you haven’t lived. They are delicious!

Reversed Seared Steak with Smoked Baby Potatoes

What you’ll need:

• Your favorite cut of steak (my favorite is ribeye)
• 12 or more baby potatoes, rinsed clean (we used Yukon Golds and Kinnebec Reds from the garden
• Dry Rub Seasoning (my recipe is below, but you can use your own or your favorite stuff from the store)
• We used cherry pellets in our smoker

Steak Seasoning Dry Rub Mix:

• 2 TBS Sea Salt
• 2 TBS Black Pepper
• 2 TBS Brown Sugar
• 2 tsp Granulated Garlic
• 2 tsp Onion Power
• 2 tsp Thyme
• 1 tsp Chile Pepper
• 1 tsp Chipolte Pepper

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Instructions:

1. Prep your potatoes – Use a fork to pierce eat potato several times on both sides. Place on a medium sized sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Then sprinkle with garlic salt.
2. Start the potatoes in the smoker – Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees. It’ll take the potatoes 2-3 hours in the smoker until they are tender, so start them while your steaks are coming to room temperature.
3. Prep the steak – If your steaks are frozen, let them completely thaw out in the fridge over night. While your potatoes get a head start in the smoker, season both sides of each steak with your dry rub and let them sit on the counter until they come to room temperature (about an hour).
4. Add the steak to the smoker – If your smoker has an upper shelf, move the potatoes to make room for the steaks. Keep the smoker temp at 225 and let your steaks smoke until they reach your optimum internal temperature. If your smoker doesn’t have a digital probe, you can use an external meat thermometer to keep track of the temps. Whatever you do, you don’t want to lift the smoker lid if you can help it!
5. Reverse searing – When your steaks reach an internal temp of 120 degrees (this will get you a steak finished at medium rare; if you prefer rare take your steaks out at 110 degree & 130 degrees for well done), it’s time to take them to the grill. I like to use an open flame on a charcoal grill. Whatever you use, make sure the grill is nice an hot. Grill the steaks for a minute on each side, locking in all that delicious flavor, then remove.
6. Final steps – Let the steaks sit for another 10 minutes for cutting into them. Steak will continue to cook when it comes off the grill, and letting it sit will allow it to come to its final internal temperature. Remove the potatoes and serve. The potatoes should be so tender and flavorful they won’t even need butter!

Know Your Meat Temps

Understanding your preferred meat temps will help ensure a perfect steak. The thing to remember when reverse searing is to pull your steak out of the smoker when it’s about 20 degrees below your desired final temp. Meat will gain another 10 degrees when you pull it off the grill.

• Rare – 130 degrees
• Medium Rare – 145 degrees
• Medium – 160 degrees
• Well Done (I call it chewy) – 170 degrees

Ready, set, grill! Or in this case, get your smoker going. I guarantee you’ll enjoy your meal.

Be well.