Never has there been two words that say manly like “ice chest” and “steak”. And never has there been a word more sissy than “sous-vide”. But follow these instructions and your’ll cook delicious, foolproof steaks that will rival the best steakhouse at a fraction of the cost (and you’ll equally impress your very manly friends)
Problem 1: Meat cooks from the outside in. Put a 40 degree piece of meat on a 500 degree grill or cast iron pan and the outer layers will be dry and overcooked before the middle is anywhere near done. But what if you sealed the steak in a vacuum tight bag and cooked it in a constant 130 degree water bath. Though it will take a lot longer for the steak to cook, when the middle reaches a perfect 130 degrees, so will the outside. Cooking longer also tenderizes tough pieces of meat.
Problem 2: It is very difficult when cooking steaks for a larger crowd to get all of them ready at the same time, especially when some like their meat rare and others like it well done (by the way, both of them are nuts, but more on that later). When food is cooked in a water bath, it can often stay there for hours without overcooking or drying out and will be ready to serve when you are ready to eat (well, almost).
Problem 3: Most of the flavor of a good steak (or hamburger) comes from the dark brown color and crunchy surface of the meat after cooking. This is due to the Maillard Reaction (when sugar and proteins are heated) and caramelization (when sugar is heated). The same reactions give bread its dark crust and toast a golden color. You’ll often hear, “I like my steak with good grill marks.” While it is true that the Maillard Reaction and caramelization are responsible for grill marks, sometimes the grill marks are too done (burnt) and the meat in between the marks is not near as good as it could be. What you want is for the entire surface to turn golden brown without overcooking any part of it (inside or out).
Solution: Sous-vide is a French word that means “under vacuum”. Chef’s around the world use this cooking method where food is placed in a vacuum-sealed bag and cooked in a temperature-controlled water bath. After the food is cooked to the desired temperature throughout, it can be removed from the bag and seared to create the perfect dark brown crust.
- Season steaks (at least 1″ thick ) with your favorite rub and place in a single layer in a water proof bag.
- Fill an ice chest with at least two gallons of near boiling water. Make sure that the ice chest has a lid that seals well.
- If you have a vacuum food sealer, use it to seal the steaks. If you don;t have a vacuum food sealer, place the steaks in a single layer in a zipper lock freezer bag. Seal all but an inch of the bag. Please the bag in the water until only the unsealed edge is exposed. The pressure of the water will force out the remaining air from the bag and you can get a near vacuum seal.
- Drop the sealed bags into the ice chest and close the lid. You can put some towels over the top to help retain the heat. The cold meat will reduce the temperature of the water fairly quickly. Use a good instant read thermometer to check the water temperature every 30 minutes and add hot water as needed to keep the desired temperature (this won’t be necessary if you are using a Yeti or other heavily insulated ice chest)
- Remove the steaks from the ice chest and sear them on a very hot grill, cast iron pan, or blow torch.
- Accept the praises of your guests for a perfectly cooked steak.
Recipe
Credits: The Food Lab; Meathhead
