Sous Vide Steak

Ingredients

• Steak
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions

1. Start by filling your Sous Vide machine with water, setting the temperature (I like 135 for medium rare), and allowing it to heat.

Next you need to “vacuum” seal the steak.

1. Now put the rest of your steaks into the water bath but keep them from touching each other
2. Set a timer for how ever long you like (see chart) – there really is no “over cooking” here, I typically cook for 2 hours
3. When the steaks are finished, you will notice they do not look too appetizing as there is no mallard reaction (browning) in a water bath so… we need to brown the steaks
4. To brown the steaks and give them a nice sear you can do one of several methods
5. You can heat a cast iron skillet on high (let it get good and hot) and place each steak (one at a time) in the skillet just long enough to brown on each side
6. You can fire up the grill outside, get it good and hot, and quickly brown each steak on each side
7. Or you can do my favorite method which is to put the steak on a cast iron skillet and use a torch (I use my kitchen “Creme Brulee” torch) to sear the outside
8. That’s it, you’re done
9. Enjoy!

Notes

Temps and Times for Sous Vide Strip, Ribeye, Porterhouse/T-Bone, and Butcher’s Cuts

Highly marbled cuts, like a grain-finished, prime-grade ribeye or strip, should be cooked a few degrees Fahrenheit higher than leaner steaks like tenderloin, since their copious intramuscular fat helps keep them moist while delivering plenty of flavor. I prefer ribeyes and strip steaks cooked medium-rare to medium, around 129°F (54°C) to 135°F (57°C).

Fattier steaks also have natural insulation, which means they’ll take slightly longer to reach the correct internal temperature.

Porterhouse and T-bone steaks contain a large section of strip and a smaller section of tenderloin. Since both sides must be cooked together, it’s better to select a temperature and time based on the side you like to eat better. Personally, I like to optimize cooking time and temperature for the strip. It means my tenderloin comes out slightly more cooked than I generally prefer, but the insulating bone helps it stay plenty moist and juicy.

Timings are all given for steaks one and a half to two inches thick. For steaks one inch thick or less, initial cooking time can be shortened to 40 minutes. Steaks cooked under 130°F should not be cooked longer than two and a half hours at a time, for food-safety reasons.

Strip, Ribeye, Porterhouse/T-Bone, and Butcher’s Cuts: Temps and Times

Very rare to rare 120°F (49°C) to 128°F (53°C) 1 to 2 1/2 hours

Medium-rare 129°F to 134°F 1 to 4 hours (2 1/2 hours max if under 130°F)

Medium 135°F to 144°F 1 to 4 hours

Medium-well 145°F to 155°F 1 to 3 1/2 hours

Well-done156°F and up 1 to 3 hours

Temps and Times for Sous Vide Tenderloin Steaks

Lean tenderloin is easily overcooked and, lacking intramuscular fat, will become dry. I cook my tenderloin steaks at several degrees Fahrenheit lower than fattier cuts, like ribeye or strip. I like my tenderloin in the very-rare-to-rare range, between 120°F (49°C) and 128°F (53°C), for optimal tenderness and moistness.

The timings here are all given for steaks one and a half to two inches thick. For steaks one inch or less, initial cooking time can be shortened to 30 minutes. Steaks cooked under 130°F should not be cooked longer than two and a half hours at a time, for food-safety reasons.

Tenderloin: Temps and Times

Very rare to rare 120°F to 128°F 45 minutes to 2 1/2 hours

Medium-rare 129°F to 134°F 45 minutes to 4 hours (2 1/2 hours max if under 130°F)

Medium 135°F to 144°F 45 minutes to 4 hours

Medium-well 145°F to 155°F 45 minutes to 3 1/2 hours

Well done156°F and up 1 to 3 hours