Reverse Sear Cowgirl Steak with Charred Pineapple Chimichurri

sliced cowgirl steak fanned out, melted butter pooling, chimichurri spooned over the top

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If you've never reverse seared a steak before, this recipe is your sign to start. It's the easiest way to get a thick, juicy cowgirl steak cooked perfectly edge-to-edge, with a deep, dark crust on the outside. Then I top it off with my charred pineapple chimichurri — sweet, smoky, a little spicy, and nothing like the jarred stuff.

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Table of Contents

• Why Reverse Sear Works

• Ingredient Notes

• How to Reverse Sear a Cowgirl Steak

• Tips for the Best Crust

• Charred Pineapple Chimichurri

• Storage

• FAQ

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Why Reverse Sear Works

Reverse searing flips the usual steak method: instead of searing first and finishing in the oven, you cook the steak low and slow first, then hit it with high heat at the very end.

That slow start cooks the steak evenly from edge to edge, so you don't get that gray overcooked ring around a pink center. The hard sear at the end is just there to build the crust — fast, hot, and done in under two minutes a side.

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Steak removed from packaging, laid out to show the marbling and bone before prep

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Ingredient Notes

• Cowgirl steak — a bone-in ribeye cut, thick and well-marbled. Ask your butcher for one at least 1.5–2 inches thick; anything thinner cooks through too fast for reverse searing to shine.

• Butter — plain unsalted butter melted over the steak at the end. Simple on purpose here since the chimichurri is doing the flavor work.

• Pineapple — fresh, sliced into rounds so it chars cleanly on the grill or in a hot pan.

• Jalapeño — for heat you can control. Leave the seeds in if you want more kick.

• Lime juice — brightens the whole chimichurri and balances the sweetness of the charred pineapple.

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Dry-seasoned steak on a wire rack over a sheet pan, ready to go in the oven for the reverse sear

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How to Reverse Sear a Cowgirl Steak

1. Season and rest. Pat the steak completely dry, season generously with kosher salt and black pepper, and set it on a wire rack over a sheet pan.

2. Low oven. Cook at 250°F until the steak hits about 115°F internally for medium-rare — this usually takes 25–35 minutes depending on thickness. Use a meat thermometer; don't guess.

3. Hard sear. Heat a heavy skillet until just smoking. Sear the steak 60–90 seconds per side, including the fat cap along the bone, until you've got a deep, dark crust.

4. Rest and finish. Move to a cutting board, top with butter so it melts down over the steak, and rest 5–8 minutes before slicing.

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Pineapple slices with deep grill marks/char in a hot cast iron pan

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Tips for the Best Crust

Dry the steak thoroughly before it goes in the oven, and dry it again before searing. Any surface moisture steams instead of browning, and that's the difference between a flat sear and a real crust. This is the one step people skip that changes the whole result.

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Charred Pineapple Chimichurri

While the steak is in the oven, char pineapple rounds in a hot pan or on the grill until you get deep color, then dice them small. Toss with diced red bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Let it sit while the steak finishes so the flavors come together.

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Finished chimichurri — diced charred pineapple, peppers, onion, cilantro tossed together in a bowl

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Storage

Leftover steak keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days — slice thin and reheat gently to avoid overcooking. The chimichurri holds well for about 2 days refrigerated, though the pineapple softens slightly over time.

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Just-seared steak resting on a cutting board, butter melting over the crust before slicing

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FAQ

• Can I reverse sear on the grill instead of the oven?

Yes — set up two-zone heat, cook the steak on the indirect side until it hits about 115°F, then move it to the hot side to sear.

• Do I need a meat thermometer for this?

Highly recommended. Reverse searing depends on hitting a specific internal temperature before the sear, so eyeballing it is risky with a cut this thick.

• What if my steak is thinner than 1.5 inches?

Reverse searing works best on thick cuts. A thinner steak will overcook before the crust develops — go with a traditional sear instead.

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Print

Reverse Sear Cowgirl Steak with Charred Pineapple Chimichurri

Yield 2

Author Kim Alexander

Prep time

15 Min

Cook time

35 Min

Total time

50 Min

Thick-cut cowgirl steak reverse seared for a perfect edge-to-edge crust, finished with butter and a bright charred pineapple chimichurri

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 1 cowgirl steak (bone-in ribeye), 1.5-2 inches thick
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoons black pepper, coarse grind
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil (avocado or grapeseed)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1.5 cups fresh pineapple, sliced into rounds
• 0.3 cups red bell pepper, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 0.3 teaspoons kosher salt (for chimichurri)

Instructions

1. Season the steak: Preheat oven to 250°F. Pat 1 cowgirl steak (bone-in ribeye), 1.5-2 inches thick completely dry and season generously on all sides with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoons black pepper, coarse grind. Place on a wire rack over a sheet pan.
2. Reverse sear: oven stage: Slide into the oven and cook until it hits about 115°F internal for medium-rare, roughly 30 minutes depending on thickness. Check with a thermometer.
3. Char the pineapple: While the steak is in the oven, get a grill or cast iron pan very hot. Add 1.5 cups fresh pineapple, sliced into rounds and char 5 minutes per side until deep grill marks form. Remove, cool slightly, and dice small.
4. Make the chimichurri: In a bowl, combine the diced charred pineapple with 0.3 cups red bell pepper, finely diced, 2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced, 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped, 1 jalapeño, finely diced, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 0.3 teaspoons kosher salt (for chimichurri). Stir and set aside to let flavors meld.
5. Reverse sear: hard sear stage: Pat the steak dry again. Heat 2 tablespoons neutral oil (avocado or grapeseed) in a heavy skillet over high heat until just smoking. Sear 3 minutes per side, including the fat cap along the bone, until a deep crust forms.
6. Rest and finish: Remove steak to a cutting board. Immediately top with 2 tablespoons unsalted butter so it melts down over the steak. Rest 8 minutes.
7. Slice and plate: Slice against the grain. Plate, spoon any pooled butter over the top, and finish generously with the charred pineapple chimichurri.

Notes

Dry the steak thoroughly before the oven and again before searing — surface moisture is the difference between a flat sear and a real crust.

Use a meat thermometer for the oven stage; don't guess.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

663

Fat

56 g

Sat. Fat

17 g

Carbs

21 g

Fiber

3 g

Net carbs

18 g

Sugar

14 g

Protein

24 g

Sodium

2738 mg

Cholesterol

99 mg

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