Reverse Frying Is Faster in the Deep Fryer
After years of pan-frying steaks to the charming tune of Brooklyn smoke detectors, I was glad when I finally learned about reverse searing , a cooking method in which you slowly bring a steak to temperature in a conventional oven and then sear it briefly. This method minimizes smoke puffs, ensures the protein cooks more evenly, and prevents overcooking. The trade-off: relatively long cooking times.
Since I’m always interested in making a good thing work better for me, I decided to try to speed up the reverse firing method. I just needed something to bake neatly but quickly. Luckily, there is a device that does just that: an air fryer. Not only will you be able to fry food in the air fryer with greater success, but you will also save time.
How an air fryer improves reverse frying
Frying is easy – nothing can be improved with a hot frying pan – you need help in the oven. Grilling the steak is the first step in this method and can take anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes depending on the thickness of the steak and how well you want it cooked. An air fryer can do the same thing, but with forced air convection to speed up the process. It’s still gentle enough to get the job done, but it’s about twice as fast.
Additionally, the fryer is smaller and perhaps larger in steak size. Why reserve the entire oven to carefully reheat a couple of steaks when you can free up the stovetop and put the meat in a smaller appliance, reducing both cooking and preheating time.
Reverse searing also requires keeping a close eye on the temperature of the steak. Since you’ll have to broil it briefly after baking, you’ll want to reduce the baking time to about 15 degrees below your target temperature. This means checking it frequently with a thermometer. Personally, I find it much easier to do this using an air fryer. The appliance is already at countertop height, so I didn’t have to squirm to probe the steak or stick my whole hand into the hot oven.
How to Find the Correct Fan Speed
The hardest part for me was determining what fan speed would speed up the baking without overdoing it. Air fryers are extremely efficient and I didn’t want to overcook my steak right away.
As I mentioned earlier, the steak should be baked at 200 to 250°F for 20 to 30 minutes in a conventional oven. I used this as a guide and then tried each fan speed on my Instant Vortex air fryer (find out why in my review here ). If your air fryer doesn’t have fan speeds listed, they are listed under names like “bake,” “fry,” and “air fry.” “Bake” is the lowest fan speed and “Air Fry” is the highest fan speed.
While each setting saves some time compared to the reverse fry method, I have had the most success with the air fry setting.
How to fry in an air fryer
I started with a sirloin steak seasoned with salt and MSG, about an inch and a half thick. Much thinner than an inch and you may have trouble keeping the pink color in the center. Preheat air fryer to 250°F on air fry setting. This should only take a minute or two.
Place the steak on the air fryer rack and let it cook for 10 minutes until the steak is medium rare. At this point my steak was 113°F and after searing it was 128°F. I suggest checking the temperature of the steak halfway through to see how it’s progressing, and again at about the eight-minute mark. Air fryers vary from brand to brand, and your steak will cook differently depending on its size. If you want to cook your steak at a different level, check the target temperatures in the picture below.
A few minutes before the steak is done, heat a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat. You want the pan to be near and smoking hot. Once you are happy with the temperature of the steak, place it in the pan and sear each side for about 30 seconds. Let the steak sit for about five minutes before taking the temperature again and you’ll be in good shape.
My steak reached 130°F and came out exactly as intended, with a perfect crust and plump, juicy interior. In general, the air fryer reverse frying method should only take about 15 minutes. Definitely an improvement over 30 minutes in a regular oven. As an added bonus, cleaning the Instant Vortex grill is pretty darn easy, and I hope your grill is too. Enjoy your backfiring.