The perfectly cooked steak — what every self-respecting carnivore lusts after. A tender and juicy center cloaked in a subtly crisped and caramelized crust. Cooking these prized cuts of beef to perfection at home can be illusive or sporadic, at best – fostering a myth of exclusivity of this prized feast to high-end steakhouses and seasoned grill masters. Until now!
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Enter the era of sous vide for the home cook! Previously only available as an exclusive appliance for high-end restaurants, the availability of affordable circulators allows both novice and pro home cooks, to ace the steak, cranking out fantastically flavorful, juicy and tender prime cuts of beef.
I love to bake and cook, but, truth be told, steaks and grilled meats have always been left to the men in my family. I just didn’t enjoy lording over the meat, stressfully waiting for that elusive window between perfectly done and overdone. Any distractions and the steaks were overcooked. There’s no babysitting with sous vide. It’s an uber simple, foolproof method of cooking with predictable results, each and every time. That’s why it’s one of my favorite methods of cooking and the only way I cook steaks.
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The only seasonings we use for this steak are kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Hey, when the flavor of the meat is this good, there’s no need to add any extras.
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We prefer to pre-sear the steak in a very hot pan just until it browns, about one minute per side. Although pre-searing is optional, we think this step prevents carry-over cooking when the steak is quick-seared (30 – 40 seconds) after the water bath.
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You can seal the meat in a vacuum seal or you can use a zip seal bag as we did here. Either way works perfectly.
Unlike grilling or pan cooking, the sous vide method cooks the meat at a specific temperature, which depends on how done you want it (we like medium-rare). The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the steak rather than the weight.
The bag should be suspended in the water bath, so the warm water can circulate completely around the meat for even, edge-to-edge cooking. We use folder clips to clip the top of the bag to the edge of the pan/ container to keep it in place. If we are cooking more than one steak, we place metal skewers over the top of the pan and clip the tops of the bags to each skewer. Adding butter to the bag is optional, but the flavor boost it gives the steak makes it so worth it.
Once the steak hits the fiery hot pan for the second time (30 – 40 seconds), you’re only moments away from devouring this tender, juicy smoking beauty.
Cutting into an incredibly tender, perfectly cooked prime cut is the delight of any true beef eater, delivering spectacular flavor, end to end. Enjoy!
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 1 - 2servings per steak | 15minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 1.5hours |
|
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- 1 or 21.5 " / 3.8 cm beef steakribeye, NY strip or sirloin, boneless
- saltsea or kosher, to taste
- black pepperfreshly ground, to taste
- 1- 2Tbs butter unsaltedoptional + extra for searing *
- 1 zip seal or vacuum seal baggallon or quart size to easily seal meat
- 1 sous vide immersion circulatorsee notes below *
- 1 - 2Tbs white vinegaroptional
- Fill a large stainless steel pan or heat-safe plastic container with water. Attach the immersion circulator to the inside of the pan / container. Adjust the water level to the water markings on the immersion circulator, according to the manufacturer's directions. Add the white vinegar to the water. *
- Season both sides of the steak with the salt and pepper. Melt 1-2 tablespoons of butter or oil in a steel or heavy frying pan over medium-high heat until hot. Place the seasoned steak in the hot pan, searing both sides quickly, about 40-60 seconds on each side or until crispy, brown edges have formed. Transfer the steak to a plate to cool slightly while preparing the plastic bag.
- If using, cut 1 - 2 tablespoons of butter into small cubes. Roll the top edges of a zip seal or vacuum seal bag down about 1 inch (3 cm), before placing the meat inside the bag. This will keep the top sealing area of the bag from coming in contact with the raw steak. Roll the top edges of the bag up. Evenly place the butter cubes on both sides of the steak. Vacuum seal if using a vacuum seal bag. If using a zip-seal bag, leave the top open, so the air will be pushed out of the bag when placed in the sous vide water bath.
- When the temperature of the water reaches 144 °F / 62 °C (the digital readout on the immersion circulator), place the bag of meat in the water. The meat must be completely immersed in the water, but should never come directly in contact with the water. The immersed bag should be suspended so the heated water can circulate completely around the meat for even cooking. If using a zip seal bag, seal the top of the bag once the air has been forced from the bag. Binder clips will help to keep the bag in place and the top of the bag from entering the water. (see notes below) *
- Allow to cook for 1 1/2 hours for medium rare.
- Remove the bags from the water bath and transfer the steak to a plate. Melt the additional butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Place the steak in the hot pan, searing both sides quickly, no more than 20-30 seconds per side to crisp the edges.
- Remove immediately and serve. The steak doesn't need to rest.
Time & temperature - the time it takes a given portion of food to come to temperature depends on the thickness of the portion, not the total weight. Cooking time increases exponentially to thickness. A 4-inch thick steak needs at least 3 times longer cooking time than a 2-inch thick steak does.
Butter - oils with a high smoke point (400 °F / 204 °C) can be substituted for the butter when searing the steak. Canola oil and grapeseed oil work well. If adding butter (for flavor) to the steak during the sous vide cooking process, do not substitute with oil.
White vinegar - we add this to the water to keep the water spots on the immersion circulator to a minimum, just as we do when we use a water bath to can / preserve low-acid foods.
Binder clips - these metal binder clips can be used to clip the top edge of the bag to the outer edge of the pan/ cooking container to keep the bag in place. If cooking more than one steak, we place metal skewers over the top of the pan and clip the top of each bag to a skewer.
The bag should be suspended in the water bath, so the warm water can circulate completely around the meat for even, edge-to-edge cooking.