Reverse Sear Steak on Traeger with Smoked Garlic

1. Before You Start: Please note that this recipe requires a dry brining time of at least 24 hours prior to cooking. I encourage you to brine your steaks up to 48 hours, if time permits.

To Dry Brine the Steaks (24–48 Hours Prior to Cooking)

1. Gather the ingredients. You will need just the steak and the kosher salt for this dry brine step.
2. Place 3 lb tenderloin steak in a tray. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt generously so it covers all sides of the steak. The steaks should be around the same size and thickness.
3. Cover the steaks with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours (and ideally 48 hours, if time allows).

To Cook the Steaks

1. Preheat the Traeger or pellet grill to 200ºF (93ºC).
2. Take the steaks out from the refrigerator and sprinkle 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper.
3. Place the steaks directly in the Traeger. Insert a meat thermometer inside the thinnest piece of steak.
4. If the thermometer is working correctly, the steak temperature should be around 50ºF (10ºC).
5. When the thermometer reads 125ºF (52ºC), the steaks will be medium rare throughout, after about 1 hour.
6. For medium steaks, remove them from the Traeger around 135ºF (57ºC).
7. For medium-well steaks, remove them from the Traeger around 140ºF (60ºC).
8. If you are cooking each steak to a different doneness, label them after you remove them. Now, rest the steaks for at least 1 hour before searing them. During this time, you can prepare the Smoked Garlic (see instructions below).

To Sear the Steaks

1. Brush 1 Tbsp neutral oil on the steaks and coat all sides.
2. Preheat a grill to 500ºF (260ºC). If you are using a cooktop, heat 2 Tbsp neutral oil in cast iron pan until the oil is smoking.
3. Sear the steaks for 1–2 minutes per side and 3–4 minutes total until they’re to your liking. Remove from the grill. Slice against the grain and enjoy with Smoked Garlic.

To Make the Smoked Garlic

1. Preheat the Traeger to 350ºF (177ºC). Cut off the tips of 2 bulbs garlic crosswise.
2. Drizzle ½ Tbsp neutral oil per head of garlic and surround with aluminum foil. Do not wrap as you want the smoke flavor to infuse the garlic. You can put the cut tip of garlic back or leave it off. Garlic without the tip will appear darker but won’t dry out.
3. Place the garlic in Traeger for 40 minutes. You can grill corn or other vegetables in the Traeger at the same time to go with the steak.