Oven appliances and methods of automatic reverse sear cooking

An oven appliance comprising:

• a cabinet;
• a plurality of chamber walls mounted within the cabinet, the plurality of chamber walls defining a cooking chamber;
• a heating element mounted within the cooking chamber;
• and
• a controller in operable communication with the heating element, the controller being configured to initiate a cooking operation comprising
• receiving a user selection signal indicating an automatic cooking cycle for a food item receivable within the cooking chamber,
• directing the heating element according to a first slow-cook stage,
• detecting a first threshold condition of the food item within the cooking chamber during the first slow-cook stage, the first threshold condition corresponding to the user selection signal,
• directing the heating element according to a second sear stage in response to detecting the first threshold condition, and
• detecting a second threshold condition during the second sear stage,
• wherein the second threshold condition is a maximum time period of the second sear stage, and
• wherein detecting the second threshold condition comprises measuring elapsed time of the second sear stage greater than or equal to the maximum time period.