Elevate your steak night with this reverse sear ribeye with cherry onion marmalade. Reverse searing results in juicy ribeye steaks with beautiful color. The cherry onion marmalade is a star supporting condiment – perfect with fresh or frozen cherries!
I can’t order steak at restaurants anymore. The Godfather has completely spoiled me, making amazing steak at home, and this reverse seared ribeye was no exception! I contributed by making the cherry onion marmalade, which paired beautifully with the steak for dinner, but starred in sandwiches for lunch the week after. Make this recipe for a date night in using fresh cherries now, or use frozen cherries later. It’s a good one to make for company too, because you can always make the cherry marmalade in advance.
The key to making an amazing steak is using the right technique for the cut. Reverse searing has become our favorite way to make rib eye steak because it creates a nice crust, but keeps the meat juicy and tender. We don’t even own steak knives – we don’t need them. Rib eye is already a pretty tender cut because of the fat marbling. The key to making it perfectly is crisping enough of the fat without drying out the meat. To do this, you use relatively high heat (a cast iron skillet is perfect!), and flip often! It sounds counter-intuitive, but it works. The Godfather had always grilled ribeye outside, but when we couldn’t the evening we planned to make the steaks, we tried reverse searing after reading about it in The Food Lab, and haven’t grilled a ribeye since. Not that grilling isn’t fabulous too, it’s just that somehow every time we planned to make ribeye in recent months, it rains. *shrug*
Now let’s talk a little about the sauce. Just making the cherry onion marmalade will have you drooling. Our dog Dolce was circling the kitchen when we made the steak, but the Godfather was circling in a similar manner when I made this savory cherry marmalade! It takes about an hour to prepare, so plan accordingly, but the results are so worth it. It’s jammy with the right amount of acid and a perfect touch of sweetness.
I like that the marmalade recipe made more than what we needed for our meal. That being said, we had 2 adults and 1 small child eating. We were generous with the marmalade on our steaks, but obviously were at just under half the full serving size. If you are making for 6 in one sitting, you may not have leftovers. At which point I may recommend doubling the marmalade recipe if these are flavors you love. If you’re going to put the work in, you may as well get extra. Extra cherry onion marmalade can be frozen for later if not consumed within a week or so.
I hope you enjoy this recipe and learned a new technique for making ribeye!
Reverse Sear Ribeye with Cherry Onion Marmalade
Ingredients
Ribeye Steaks
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 8-10 ounce ribeye steaks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Cherry Onion Marmalade
- 2 medium red onions (or 1 very large sweet onion), diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cherries, pitted, if using frozen, thaw
- 1 cup red wine
- 1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Instructions
Make the Cherry Onion Marmalade
- In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and salt and cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent and start to just slightly caramelize.
- Add the remaining sauce ingredients and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Continue to cook an additional 45-60 minutes until the liquid has reduced and the sauce is thick.
- Transfer to a heat-proof container and set aside while you make the steaks, or cool 15-20 minutes and then store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
How to Reverse Sear Ribeye Steak
- In a bowl, combine the rub ingredients (brown sugar, kosher salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder).
- Using paper towels, pat the steaks dry, followed by applying the rub ingredients. Pour the olive oil in a cast iron skillet and set the stove to medium-high heat. Carefully place the steaks on the skillet just prior to the pan smoking.
- Flip the steaks about every minute. Using a meat thermometer, continue to flip the steaks until desired finish. For medium steak, remove the steaks from the skillet when the temperature reads 130 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 12 minutes from when the steaks were first placed on the skillet).
- Place the steaks on a plate and cover with aluminum foil and allow them to rest for at least five minutes. Remove the foil and serve with the marmalade.
Notes
I have used both red onion and sweet onion in the marmalade with fantastic results. When I use sweet onion, I let the onion cook over medium low heat for closer to 20-25 minutes until the onions are a light brown and just slightly caramelized.
Recipe adapted from Chef Colleen at Savory Kitchen.
