Have you ever seen the big thick black Angus Bone in Ribeye cowboy cut steak at the butcher counter and wondered how am I going to cook it?
Reverse searing on the BBQ is the answer.
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Reverse searing a bone in ribeye
When you have a thick bone in ribeye steak reverse searing on the BBQ is easy and perfectly cooked. It starts with a low and slow. The gradual increase in internal temperature makes it simple to get to the steak’s level of doneness before a rest and then a sear to finish. Here is why I choose to reverse sear:
- Even cooking – The reverse sear’s low-temperature cook lets that thick black Angus ribeye’s internal temperature come up slowly and cook more evenly.
- Tenderness – The low and slow on the BBQ gives the steak a remarkable tenderness.
- Option to smoke on the BBQ – Since it starts with a low and slow on the BBQ, you have the time to smoke the cowboy cut steak. I used a hunk of maple wood to add sweetness.
- Control of doneness – The low-temperature cook gradually increases the steak’s internal temperature. So there is no rush pulling the ribeye once it is close to your level of doneness.
- Sear and serve – Once the bone in ribeye has rested, put the steak back on the grill to sear. The best part is you can take it right off the grill and serve immediately.
Homemade sweet & tangy dry rub
We use just 7 everyday ingredients for the homemade sweet & tangy dry rub that complements the star of the show, the black Angus bone in ribeye.
The dry rub starts with brown sugar for its sweetness and caramelization during the sear. The combination of onion and garlic powder brings their own unique addition to the sweetness as well. Now for the tanginess, the lemon pepper, Paprika, and ground mustard bring balance to the sweetness. The salt blends everything together and is key to the dry brining for a more tender bone in ribeye.
How to reverse sear a bone in ribeye on the BBQ
1. Preparing the bone in ribeye – Make the dry rub, rub it onto the black Angus ribeye, and place it in the refrigerator to dry brine.
2. BBQing – After about 4 hours in the fridge, prepare the BBQ for indirect cooking. Bring the cowboy cut steak out to the BBQ and cook for approximately 1 hour.
3. Rest – Pull the black Angus bone in ribeye once it is about 10 degrees F. from your level of doneness to rest. Remember the internal temperature will continue to rise as it rests.
4. Sear – It is a quick sear on each side of the bone in ribeye to get that lovely crispy caramel color.
5. Serve and share – You can serve and enjoy the cowboy cut steak right away if you are a hungry cowboy or girl. I shared the black Angus ribeye with my two daughters.
Head down to the recipe card for detailed step-by-step instructions and ingredient amounts.
Cuts of steak I enjoy reverse searing
- Tomahawk – Tomahawk steak is ideal for the reverse sear method with it being so thick and weighing over 1 ½ pounds.
- T-Bone and Porterhouse – These steaks have two different cuts of beef: a strip steak and a tenderloin filet on either side of the bone. When they are thick I find the reverse sear method cooks the steak more evenly for perfect doneness.
- Top sirloin – A thick top sirloin can be a bit tricky to get the exact level of doneness you want. I choose to use the reverse sear method to make the cook easier and more precise. Check out the T-Bone post on how I added two thick sirloins to the cook.
- Filet Mignon – The low and slow lets your seasoning develop in the steak and even brings more tenderness. If you like to smoke, here is your chance to add your favorite smoking wood.
Remember the bone in ribeye’s internal temperature is going to continue to rise during the rest. I find it raises around 10 degrees F.
Equipment
For this cook, I used an 18-inch BBQ. You will need a remote meat thermometer. Optional, butcher’s twine, I find it makes handling the steak easier.
Storage / Leftovers / Rewarm
- Storage: You can store the bone in ribeye in the refrigerator for 3 – 4 days.
- Leftovers: Slice some pieces up and use them in our Quesadillas or Street Tacos. Of course, you can leave some meat on the cowboy cut steak’s bone and enjoy the dino rib a few days later.
- Rewarm: I like using the air fryer for this at 330 degrees F. Depending on how big the piece of the black Angus ribeye is, it should take around 4 – 5 minutes.
FAQ
Yes. I have done 12+ hours.
Yes. You will have to rely on a regular meat thermometer to find your level of doneness. I would suggest checking the black Angus ribeye about halfway through the initial part of the cook and adjusting the cooking time accordingly.
Yes, you can. Just heat up a good cast iron pan while the cowboy cut steak is resting. Add some herb butter for a savory twist.
Yes. It is important for them to be of similar size and weight. If not then you will need to do a bit of work on timing, due to their differences. Check out the T-bone post to see how I did it with top sirloin steaks.
More reasons to fire up the BBQ
Steak & Potatoes
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Bone in Ribeye on the BBQ
Equipment
- 18-inch BBQ
- Remote meat thermometer
- BBQ spatula
- BBQ tongs
- Griddle/pan (Optional)
- Butcher's twine (Optional)
- Maple wood (Optional)
Ingredients
- 1 black Angus bone in ribeye steak (Cowboy cut, 2 ¼ pounds)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
Instructions
Preparing the Bone in Ribeye
- Make the homemade sweet & tangy dry rub. In a bowl, place the brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, lemon pepper, Paprika, and ground mustard, then mix until combined.
- Unpack the black Angus bone in ribeye cowboy cut steak and place it on a tray.
- (Optional) Tie the bone in ribeye with the butcher's twine. I find that it makes it easier to handle and gives a nicer shape.
- Coat the steak with the dry rub and rub it in. Place the bone in ribeye back in the refrigerator to dry brine. For this recipe, I did 4 hours. You can go longer if you want. I have done 12+ hours.
BBQing
- After 4 hours or longer, prepare the BBQ for indirect cooking at 250 degrees F.NOTE: For this cook, I chose to soak the maple wood chunk overnight. Once the BBQ is stable at the temperature I added the smoking wood.
- (Optional) Oil a cast iron griddle/pan and place it in the BBQ while it is preheating.
- Bring the black Angus ribeye out to the BBQ and insert a remote meat thermometer.
- Place the steak on the BBQ grill grate or griddle. Close the BBQ lid and cook for approximately 1 hour. Your time may vary by the size of your steak or steaks, see notes.
Rest
- Pull the black Angus bone in ribeye before it reaches your level of doneness and rest for 10 minutes. As the steak rests it will continue raising in temperature by around 10 degrees F.
- Set up the BBQ for direct cooking. I find that the resting time gives the BBQ plenty of time to get up to 450 degrees F. The fire box should have a good even layer of burning charcoal across it.
Sear
- (Optional) Time to sear. You can leave the remote thermometer in to ensure your level of doneness.
- Place the cowboy cut steak on the grill and sear for 2 minutes on each side then check for doneness.
Serve and Share
- Remove the bone in ribeye and serve. Okay, you can enjoy it yourself if you are really hungry.
- Sharing the black Angus ribeye: I cut the bone off with a good bit of meat still on it, dino rib, and divided the rest for my 2 daughters to enjoy.
Notes
- BBQing more than one, as you add more cowboy cut ribeyes the initial low-temperature cook will increase by around 15 minutes.
- Doneness. For this recipe, I wanted medium rare. I pulled the steak when it reached 115 degrees F. During the rest, the ribeye increased to 125 degrees F. and after searing it was at 128 degrees F. I prefer my medium rare between 125 – 135 degrees F. If you prefer a different internal temperature (doneness), just adjust it to your liking.
- Regular thermometer user tip. If you are a little under the internal temperature you want for doneness after the initial cook, don’t worry. You can still rest the bone in ribeye. A trick I have found that works is to decrease the searing temperature and go longer. I’d suggest 3 minutes on each side.
- If you need a little extra heat diffusion for the indirect cooking, you can use a griddle/pan.
Food safety
You will be working with raw beef and may need to do some trimming, so please be careful. Take all the standard precautions, like washing your hands and avoiding cross-contamination. We prefer our steak medium rare. If this is not your preferred doneness, just increase the temperature to your preference. As always, USDA has more food safety information if you need it.
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