How to Sous Vide the Perfect Steak

Posted by Rachel Schwartz on 8/18/2020 to Family

pieces of meat, fish, and chicken vacuum sealed in bags next to pieces of garlic, peppercorn, and half a lime

Being able to make the perfect steak is one of life's little pleasures. Or, if you are a grill master, a puzzle to unravel with the right combination of ingredients, temperature, and time. But there are several ways to make a steak and perhaps the most underrated method is sous vide. In basic terms, sous vide uses a temperately controlled water bath to cook your food to perfection. While this method does take longer, it also gives you more control over the cooking process and makes it almost impossible to overcook your food. Anything can be cooked via sous vide--steak, meat, poultry, fish, vegetables.

Typically, how long you should cook your meat depends on the cut and thickness of the meat but in general, the cooking time estimates for each level of doneness is below:

How to Sous Vide Steak:

Preheat the sous vide. It's important to make sure that the water bath has reached your desired temperature before adding the steak.
While the sous vide is heating up, season the steak. Taking your seasoning of choice, generously season both sides of the meat. If desired, add a sprig of fresh herbs on top.
Once seasoned, seal the steak into a bag. Depending on your method, this can be done using a vacuum sealer or, if using a Ziplock bag, by using the displacement method. This involves slowly lowering the open bag into the water and letting the pressure from the hot water expel excess air from the bag. Be careful not to let any water get inside the bag while doing this. Once most of the air has been pushed out, close the bag and fully immerse it in the water. If sealed properly, the meat should sink to the bottom of the water bath.
Cook the steak. Double check that the bag isn't blocking the intake or output areas of the sous vide, then leave the steak to cook for the length of time suggested for your desired level of doneness.
Once the steak has finished cooking, remove it from the water and take it out of the sealed bag. Place it on a paper towel and pat dry on both sides.
At this point, the steak should be completely cooked, however it will lack the browned outer appearance that steaks cooked on the grill or stovetop often have. If you would like to add the brown appearance and texture to the outside of the steak before serving, finish by briefly searing the steak in a skillet on the stove or grilling it on an outdoor grill.