How to Cook a Thick-Cut Giant Ribeye (Reverse Sear)

A straight pan sear works beautifully up to about three quarters of an inch. Past that, the physics turn against you: by the time enough heat has travelled to the centre, the outer half inch is grey and overcooked. Our two Giant cuts sit firmly past that line, so they want a different method.

The answer is the reverse sear. You bring the steak up to temperature slowly in a low oven first, then sear it hard for about a minute a side at the very end. It sounds like more work than it is, most of the time is hands-off, and it is close to foolproof.

Which cuts this is for

• Classic Giant Ribeye, ₱1,599: 1 kg, 2 cuts, 1 to 1.5 inches per slice. USDA Angus, butter-aged 28 days.
• Prime Meltique Giant Ribeye, ₱1,499: 2 cuts, 1 to 1.25 inches. Tallow-infused, so read the Meltique notes below before you start. Sold out as of August 2026, so the Classic Giant is the one to order today.

If your pack is the standard Gold Ribeye, the Gold Artisan Ribeye or the standard Meltique Ribeye, you have half-inch slices and you want a straight sear instead. Use how to sear a ribeye at home for those.

Step 1: Thaw fully, and mean it

A thick steak that is still frozen in the middle is the one failure this method cannot rescue. Give the sealed pack a full 24 hours in the fridge, not overnight. A 1.5 inch cut holds cold in its centre far longer than a thin slice does, and a frozen core will read done on the outside while the middle is still refrigerator temperature.

Press the centre of the steak with a finger before you start. If there is any firmness that feels like ice rather than muscle, give it longer. The full thawing guide covers the cold-water shortcut if you are behind.

Step 2: Salt early, this time

This is the one cut where salting ahead is worth it. Salt both faces generously, set the steak on a rack over a plate, and leave it uncovered in the fridge for 45 minutes to a few hours. The salt draws moisture out, then the meat reabsorbs it seasoned, and the uncovered fridge time dries the surface so the final sear catches instantly.

On a thin steak that process would over-season and dry the meat. On a thick one it is exactly right. Skip this for the Meltique Giant, where salting ahead draws softened tallow to the surface. Salt that one just before it goes in the oven.

Step 3: Low oven until the centre is close

Heat your oven to 110 to 120°C. Set the steak on a rack over a tray so air circulates underneath, and put it in.

Cook until the centre reads about 10 to 12°C below your target: roughly 42 to 44°C for a medium-rare finish. On a 1 inch cut that is usually 20 to 25 minutes. On a 1.5 inch cut, 30 to 40 minutes. Ovens vary enough that time is a rough guide and the thermometer is the real instruction. If you do not own an instant-read thermometer, this is the cut that justifies buying one.

No oven? A heavy pan with a lid over the lowest possible flame does the same job, turning the steak every 5 minutes. It is less even, but it works.

Step 4: Rest it before the sear, not only after

Pull the steak out and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. This is the trick that makes reverse sear better than a straight sear: the resting happens now, while the steak is still gentle, so once it comes off the final sear you can serve it immediately with the crust at its crispest. Pat the surface dry again while it rests.

Step 5: Sear hard, about a minute a side

Get a heavy pan hotter than you would for a thin steak. Cast iron, ripping hot, a film of high-smoke-point oil just starting to smoke. For the Meltique Giant, go dry: it will supply its own fat.

Lay the steak down and give it 45 to 60 seconds. Flip and repeat. That is genuinely all it needs, because the inside is already cooked and you are only building colour. Then hold the steak on its edge with tongs and roll the fat cap across the pan for 30 seconds or so until it renders and browns. On a Giant Ribeye that fat cap is substantial and worth the attention.

In the last 20 seconds, add butter, a smashed garlic clove and thyme (₱79) and baste. Halve the butter on the Meltique.

Step 6: Slice thick, across the grain

Because you rested before searing, a 2 minute pause is all you need now. Slice across the grain into finger-width strips and fan them out. A Giant cut is meant to be shared off a board, not served whole on a plate, and slicing it shows off the wall-to-wall pink that this method produces.

Doneness targets

Pull from the oven at these temperatures, then sear:

• Rare: oven to 40°C, finishing near 48 to 50°C.
• Medium-rare: oven to 42 to 44°C, finishing near 52 to 54°C. The target for both Giant cuts.
• Medium: oven to 47 to 49°C, finishing near 57 to 60°C.

The searing stage adds roughly 8 to 10°C on a cut this thick. That is the number to plan around.

Why not just sear it longer?

You can, and it will be edible. What you get is a band of grey, overcooked beef under the crust and a narrow ribbon of pink in the middle. On a ₱1,599 steak that band is the part you are throwing away. Twenty-five minutes of hands-off oven time is a cheap price for edge-to-edge pink.

Feeding two

Each Giant pack is 2 thick steaks, so one pack is a proper dinner for two with no sharing required. Idahoan Mashed Potato (₱219), Beef & Herb Gravy Mix (₱59) deglazed into the searing pan, and Mix Veggies (₱79) makes the full table for ₱1,956 with the Classic Giant, or ₱1,856 with the Meltique Giant. More pairing ideas if you want to build it differently.

The Classic Giant Ribeye is ₱1,599 and the Prime Meltique Giant Ribeye is ₱1,499, both with no minimum order. Browse the range or order on Messenger, delivered cold across CALABARZON and Metro Manila.