Ribeye with roasted garlic herb butter
Winner 2024 
Siebe Grijpma from @bbqmoods created this recipe with herb butter and garlic prawns. How good does this look? Preparing a thick steak? Discover the culinary magic of the reversed sear grilling method for your BBQ. The "reversed sear" method is a fantastic technique for cooking a juicy and perfectly cooked ribeye. By slowly cooking the ribeye at a low temperature with some smoking wood and then searing it briefly, the meat retains all its flavor and juiciness, while the smoke adds an extra dimension of taste. The reversed sear method ensures incredible tenderness and even cooking throughout your entire steak. Try it yourself for an unparalleled taste experience!
Note: You will find the preparation of the accompanying herb butter at the bottom of this email. It’s also a good idea to prepare it in advance so it has time to firm up in the fridge. That way, it's ready to go!
Tying the Ribeye with Butcher's Twine
I [Siebe] started by tying the beautifully marbled Black Angus ribeye with two pieces of butcher's twine. Since some of the (intramuscular) fat will melt during cooking, parts of your steak may become looser, especially if you choose a piece of 800 grams. By tying your steak with butcher's twine, you keep the ribeye together nicely and prevent it from falling apart or cooking unevenly.
After tying the steak, I made a simple rub. I believe that the flavor of a good steak is best showcased with a simple spice mix. Of course, you can use your favorite rub or spice mix—feel free to experiment! I used a mix of equal parts coarse sea salt, coarsely ground black pepper, and garlic granules—the so-called SPG rub, or Salt Pepper Garlic rub. I sprinkled this rub on the ribeye, making sure to coat the sides as well.
Reversed Sear Method in 2 Steps
The reversed sear method consists of two phases:
- Cooking the steak evenly at a low temperature (105°C) with some smoking wood, using an indirect method.
- Grilling the steak directly at high heat (250°C).
Low & Slow Cooking Your Ribeye
For the first phase (slow and even cooking of the steak), set your BBQ to approximately 105°C with indirect heat (a Kamado with a platesetter or a kettle BBQ using the snake or Minion method).
Once your BBQ is at the right temperature, add a piece of smoking wood. Use a type of smoking wood you love. I used a piece of maple. I placed the ribeye on the grill (connected to a meat thermometer) and poured myself a glass of wine. Depending on the thickness of your steak and the temperature inside your BBQ, it takes about an hour for the steak's core temperature to reach 45°C. By then, your ribeye will have developed a beautiful color, and the seasoning will have formed a crust on the meat.
The core temperature and color signal when to remove the steak from the BBQ and start the next phase (grilling). Place your ribeye on a rack, loosely covered with aluminum foil.
Grilling Your Ribeye
Once my ribeye was safely set aside, I converted my Kamado from indirect to direct heat and placed the cast iron grill on it. A stainless steel grill works just fine too. I then opened the air vents and the top vent to create a temperature of about 250°C inside the BBQ. Make sure your grill is properly heated before starting the second phase. If the grill isn’t hot enough, it will take longer for the desired grill marks to appear, and the core temperature may already exceed your preferred doneness.
For grilling, leave the ribeye on the grill for about 1.5 minutes (with the lid closed), then rotate it slightly (45 degrees) to create diamond-shaped grill marks. After one minute, flip the ribeye and repeat the process on the other side. During grilling, some fat from the meat may drip onto the coals, causing flames or flares. This isn’t a problem, but make sure your meat doesn’t stay in the flames. Keeping the lid closed helps prevent excessive flames.
Check the core temperature with a meat thermometer to ensure it has reached your desired doneness (for me, this is 51–52°C). If so, remove the meat from the BBQ. Loosely cover it with aluminum foil again and let it rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.
Preparing Herb Butter
It’s quite common to serve a ribeye with herb butter. I made a herb butter using butter, roasted garlic, parsley, sage, salt, and pepper.
Make sure to take the butter out of the fridge in time—working with a rock-hard block of butter is tricky. You can cut it into small cubes to speed up the softening process. Place the butter in a large bowl.
Cut the top off two whole garlic bulbs so that the tops of the cloves are visible. Place the cut garlic bulbs on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle them with olive oil. Wrap the foil tightly around the garlic to create a sealed packet. Bake this garlic packet in a preheated oven at 200°C for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, finely chop a generous amount of parsley leaves until you have about two tablespoons. Also, chop the sage leaves finely. Once the butter is soft, mash the chopped parsley and sage into it with a fork. Add salt and pepper to taste. Avoid table salt—use flakes or coarse varieties like Maldon or Himalayan salt.
After 45 minutes, remove the garlic packet from the oven. Carefully open it, and once it’s cool enough to handle, squeeze the now-soft garlic cloves into the butter and herb mixture. Make sure to mix the warm roasted garlic thoroughly into the butter. This step may slightly thin the butter due to the heat.
Once the garlic is evenly distributed, place a piece of plastic wrap on your counter or cutting board. Spoon the butter mixture onto the wrap in a thick log shape. Carefully roll it up as evenly as possible. Twist the ends shut like a classic candy wrapper, then place the butter in the fridge (or freezer) for about an hour to firm up before use.
Once your ribeye is sliced, serve it with a beautiful slice of homemade herb butter. How delicious is that?!
ENJOY!
Siebe prepared a ribeye from Black Angus from Canada, but the choice is yours—go for your own taste and budget!
