Sous vide cooking has actually been around since the mid 1970’s, but it’s only in the last few years that home cooks have really had the opportunity to use it widely. Today, there’s dozens of sous vide machines available for a variety of price points with corresponding features. I own one - a gift from my wife about a year ago - and I’ve gotten comfortable using it. Plus, I had a few requests to write about it, so, here you go! We’re going to make one of the signature uses of a sous vide, a chop house quality steak.

There’s a lot to know about Sous Vide cooking, so I’ll put some notes below, but let’s get right to it. This recipe is adapted from the Anova sous vide app, courtesy of my friends Ken and Julia. Your machine, time, and tastes may differ, but the basic steps and process will be the same.

  1. Get a pair of good steaks. The exact cut is between you and your butcher; we used a pair of Ribeyes last week for this but a great strip steak or sirloin works well. Ours were an inch thick, so 1 hour at 130 degrees Farenheit (54.4 C).
  2. Put your steaks in the bags (one per bag). Season each in the bag with a clove of crushed garlic, some onion powder, salt and pepper, and a couple sprigs of thyme and rosemary if you have them.
  3. Seal the bags, removing as much air as possible. This ensures that the bag will actually stay submerged and cook evenly.
  4. When your bath is up to temp, put the bags in to the bath. Go and relax for a bit.
  5. Get a cast iron pan ripping hot - the meat will come out completely cooked, but with a unattractive gray color. We’re going to reverse sear these steaks - put the sear on after the meat is already edible. I can’t stress this enough - smoking hot, scary hot, not just very hot.
  6. When the bath is done, take the bags out, and then take the steak out of the bag to rest for a couple of minutes. 2-3 minutes is adequate, because A) we’re still going to be searing it, and B) we really just want any excess moisture to run off now, so we get a better sear.
  7. Dab a little bit of a high temp oil on the meat before using tongs to put in the pan to sear. The method that I’ve seen work best is 15 seconds on the steak’s fat cap, take off to turn, 15-30 seconds on one side, take off to turn, 15-30 seconds on the other side, take off, and finally the side opposite the fat cap for a final 15.
  8. Let rest for 5 minutes before carving. You want to carve because the meat will “bloom” and change color from what looks like over cooked grayish pink to perfect Medium Rare as the juices come to the new surface from each cut.

And there you have it! Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Machine: There’s a wide variety of machines out there, but I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about the Anova culinary line. There’s a lot of helpful info at that site and on the app that goes with it. I have a Cook’s Essentials brand sous vide, for what it’s worth.

Set up: You can use any container you want. A bathtub would work, in theory. That said, a tall stock pot is likely a good fit for most applications. One small note from experience - you will want a lid solution if you choose overnight or longer cook times, because the water evaporates, and most devices will shut off if the water level dips too low.

Bags: a vacuum sealer and vacuum bags are ideal - Sous Vide literally means “Under Vacuum” in French, but they are not neccessary. Good strong freezer bags will work just fine. Don’t use cheapo bags however, because they will leach plastic and also tend to degrade and soak your food.

Adjusting the recipe: The thickness of your steaks, and their desired doneness will determine the right temp and time for you. That’s by far the biggest determinant of how the dish turns out.

Other uses: the list is virtually endless. You can do some damn near magical things with eggs, and every other protein, but don’t discount the possibilities that vegetables offer you. If you’re health concious, Sous vide preparation won’t lose any of the nutrients in veggies that boiling or even steaming will. You have total control over your food, and ultimately, that’s what is so appealing about Sous Vide cooking.

Sous vide is a great option and fantastic tool to be comfortable using, whether for fancy evenings in or trying to prep a week’s worth of meals on Sunday. The control you can exercise is unparalled by other cooking options, and I hope this helps you start on the path to learning what you can do with it.