When it comes to cooking tender steaks sous vide has two huge benefits. First is ease of use. Once you understand the process, sous vide is easy and hands off - freeing you up to enjoy time with the family instead of worrying over the grill or stove.
And second, sous vide gives you the confidence that your steak will turn out perfectly cooked, every single time.
Traditional steaks are one of the easiest items to use with sous vide. Here’s a look at the process of cooking up a perfectly cooked steak.
Season and Seal
Before you sous vide your steak, you will usually want to season it. This can be a fancy spice rub, but for high quality meat like Allen Brothers, simply salting it will let the flavors of the meat really shine.
Once seasoned, seal the steak in your sous vide bag. You can use any heat and food safe plastic bag. You should not sous vide directly in the Allen Brothers vacuum bags.
If you are using a zipper bag, leave one corner unsealed as you place the rest of the bag in the water. The water will force the air out, then you can seal the final corner.
Preheat Your Water Bath
Sous vide is great because you know your steak will turn out the exact temperature you want, every time. You probably know how you prefer your steak - rare, medium rare, or medium. With sous vide, it’s easy to pick a temperature in that range:.
- Rare*: 125°F (52°C) - ranges from 120°F to 129°F (49°C to 54°C)
- Medium Rare: 131°F (55°C) - ranges from 130°F to 139°F (54°C to 59°C)
- Medium: 140°F (60°C) - ranges from 140°F to 145°F (60°C to 63°C)
Set your sous vide machine for the temperature you want and let it fully heat.
Cook Your Steak
Place the sealed steak in the sous vide machine and let it cook until heated through. This will depend on the thickness of the steak.
- 1/2" (13mm) thick in 30 minutes, 40 minutes if frozen
- 1" (25mm) thick in 75 minutes, 2 hours if frozen
- 1.5" (38mm) thick in 2.5 hours, 3.5 hours if frozen
- 2" (50mm) thick in 3.5 hours, 5.5 hours if frozen
Using sous vide is much more forgiving than traditional methods. A 1” ribeye will be amazing cooked anywhere from 1 to 4 hours. So don’t worry if your yard work takes longer than you expected, your steak will be ready and waiting for you when you are done!
*Warning Note: at temperatures below 126ºF (52°C) the food is not being pasteurized and it should only be cooked for less than 3 or 4 hours.
Sear it Off
To add that final burst of flavor, you want to add a crust to your steak. It contributes wonderful flavor and texture. You have many options for searing, and the best are a hot grill, a hot pan - especially cast iron - or with a sous vide torch. Just make sure your steak is completely dry before you sear it. Use paper towels to remove any moisture.
Regardless of which method you employ, your goal is to use very high heat for a very short time. Remember, your steak is already perfectly cooked, you just need to add a crust!
For example, when searing on the grill, close the lid and crank up the heat. Once it’s as hot as it gets, toss on the steaks and sear them for only 60 to 90 seconds per side, just until an even crust forms.
Once seared, your steak is now ready to eat and enjoy! You don’t even have to let it rest, so it’s time to dive right in.
