Sous Vide cooking

[Make Angels Great Again]

Anyone ever try this? Got an absolute steal and picked up the Anova precision cooker from Target for $50 (normally a $200 item). Brand new in the box still.

Tried it last night for the first time and cooked the best steak of my life. Picked up a couple of prime rib-eye cap steaks from Costco (always wanted to try those, never had them), seasoned them with some coarse salt, fresh cracked pepper and fresh thyme.

Stuck them in a foodsaver bag, dropped them in a stockpot with the Anova cooker at 129 degrees for 2 hours (probably could have gone a degree or two higher, they turned out a little closer to rare than medium rare). Since they come out of the bag after 2 hours looking gray and disgusting looking you have to sear them still. I was originally just going to get a cast iron screaming hot and do it in that, but I looked up some comparison videos and got a blowtorch. I hit the steaks with the blowtorch and it got a real nice crust after about a minute per side without cooking into the steaks.

[nate]

So, 129 is fine but instead of a blow torch you should get a cast iron skillet and turn it up as high as you can to do a quick sear when you get it out, it will cook it a couple more degrees and you will have a perfect sear.

[ten ocho recon scout]

Im in no way a chef, but wouldnt it be easier just to throw the steaks on the frying pan for 7 minutes or so, since you have to do something similar after anyway?

[nate]

9 minutes ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

Im in no way a chef, but wouldnt it be easier just to throw the steaks on the frying pan for 7 minutes or so, since you have to do something similar after anyway?

Sous Vide makes for some amazing tender perfectly cooked meats.  The sear is super quick, just a minute and its only to get a sear, not to actually cook it.  Also, since you are vacuum sealing the meat you can add a marinade and herbs/spices/veggies which infuses the meat with the taste.

Don't get me wrong, a good grilled steak is still heaven, but this is definitely another way to do it and when done right it is delicious.

[Make Angels Great Again]

30 minutes ago, nate said:

So, 129 is fine but instead of a blow torch you should get a cast iron skillet and turn it up as high as you can to do a quick sear when you get it out, it will cook it a couple more degrees and you will have a perfect sear.

 

I might try the cast iron next time to see. There's a youtube channel i check out sometimes called sous vide everything where they've done a comparison of different searing methods (far from scientific though) and they thought the cast iron cooked into the steaks too deep. I think their favorite method is a literal flamethrower, lol, also known as a propane torch or week burner. I would have tried that except it is as loud as a jet engine and I live in an apartment with a small patio and didn't want the fire department called on me.

[Make Angels Great Again]

If you can find these at your costco, buy now and think later.

[red321]

I usually do rib eyes sous vide, tri tip as well...normally I use 134, might try 129. Cast iron works great, use a lot of butter and spoon butter onto steak while searing...grill sear is a little tough, haven't gotten that to work. Haven't tried the blow torch method.

 

I still prefer the grill, because I have it absolutely down with my grill but sous vide does a fabulous job.

For grill I turn my grill on for 10 minutes at highest temperature...builds up to 600+. Steak at room temp. Right before you put steak on grill turn down to low. Put grill at 45 degree angle. Flip every two minutes in criss cross fashion. For steaks thicker than 1 1/12 inches...maybe another 30 seconds the first two flips.

I also use this method for tri tip. For a 2.5lb tri tip I do 6-7 minuter per side.

 

Another method I've used that works fantastic for steaks

Set oven to 350

Cast iron as hot as you can get it. Right before you are ready to put in steak, melt a bunch of better

one minute each side and then put in oven for 7 minutes.

 

[red321]

not sure if you mentioned if you had a vacuum sealer. If you don't, pick one up. Another thing we've done is pickup meat at costco. Cook some and then for the rest season, vaccum seal and stick in freezer.

 

Just add an extra hour to your sous vide time, no need to thaw first. Best part about sous vide is there really is no time limit. I'll set it up at lunch, go about my day and dinner is ready when we get home

[nate]

50 minutes ago, red321 said:

I usually do rib eyes sous vide, tri tip as well...normally I use 134, might try 129. Cast iron works great, use a lot of butter and spoon butter onto steak while searing...grill sear is a little tough, haven't gotten that to work. Haven't tried the blow torch method.

 

I still prefer the grill, because I have it absolutely down with my grill but sous vide does a fabulous job.

For grill I turn my grill on for 10 minutes at highest temperature...builds up to 600+. Steak at room temp. Right before you put steak on grill turn down to low. Put grill at 45 degree angle. Flip every two minutes in criss cross fashion. For steaks thicker than 1 1/12 inches...maybe another 30 seconds the first two flips.

I also use this method for tri tip. For a 2.5lb tri tip I do 6-7 minuter per side.

 

Another method I've used that works fantastic for steaks

Set oven to 350

Cast iron as hot as you can get it. Right before you are ready to put in steak, melt a bunch of better

one minute each side and then put in oven for 7 minutes.

 

For grilling if the steak is 1 inch or less I pre heat to about 600, steak at room temp with salt, pepper and some olive oil, cook each side with the lid open until done medium rare, usually just a couple minutes on each side, turning only once, then cover loosely with foil to rest for about 5 minutes.

1.5 inches or thicker I set to 600 and sear with the lid open maybe 2 minutes on each side, lower to about 400, close the lid and cook until medium rare.  Depending on the thickness it might be about ten minutes.  Let rest while covered loosely with foil for half the cooking time.

Like you, I have my grilling down to a science so other stuff like sous vide is more of an experiment, but I have gotten pretty good at that too.

[red321]

oh, and people...stop fucking up your steak/beef. When it comes to seasoning simple is better.

Salt and Crushed Pepper is really it...nothing fancier than Montreal Steak seasoning.

 

Leave the fancy rubs and shit to pork and chicken.

[mrwicked]

8 minutes ago, red321 said:

oh, and people...stop fucking up your steak/beef. When it comes to seasoning simple is better.

Salt and Crushed Pepper is really it...nothing fancier than Montreal Steak seasoning.

 

Leave the fancy rubs and shit to pork and chicken.

agreed. for steaks, salt and pepper and be done.

but, sometimes i will marinade steaks in salt, pepper and whiskey overnight. it's goofy but good. 

people get weird with burgers too, like adding egg and random stuff and squishing the hell out of them which just mucks up the proteins. stop doing that.

[mrwicked]

butcher near me gets a few wagyus in a month, so i try and grab a pair when he does. 

for those, i usually just do 4 mins a side on medium high heat. 2 mins, then rotate 90 degrees.  start them on a 45 degree angle of your grill lines to get the fun diamond pattern.

then flip and do the same on the other side.

f*cking delicious.

[Brandon]

Fuck you guys. I’ll eay my filet migon with French’s mustard if I want to

[red321]

15 minutes ago, Brandon said:

Fuck you guys. I’ll eay my filet migon with French’s mustard if I want to

And burn that fucker to a crisp...don't let anyone tell you different

[nate]

5 minutes ago, red321 said:

And burn that fucker to a crisp...don't let anyone tell you different

You joke, but I was at a high end steak house in Tampa for work about a year ago with a vendor and one of them ordered a filet well done.  It hurt my soul.

[Blarg]

5 minutes ago, red321 said:

And burn that fucker to a crisp...don't let anyone tell you different

That is what my brother does. He leaves the steaks on the grill forever and keeps mashing them with a spatula until there is no juice left. Just plain criminal.

[red321]

1 minute ago, nate said:

You joke, but I was at a high end steak house in Tampa for work about a year ago with a vendor and one of them ordered a filet well done.  It hurt my soul.

I'd point out someone else who enjoys leatherized steak and catsup...but we have enough threads about him

[Blarg]

Did you realize at the last minute you were going to post this and switched from the Dixie paper plate to the Mikasa?

[yk9001]

Is it too much to ask to get a "before eating" picture?

[yk9001]

"And I'm going to wash it down with a generic cola!"

[yk9001]

I've seen partial-abortion slide shows that were less graphic.

[RallyMo]

4 hours ago, Make Angels Great Again said:

Anyone ever try this? Got an absolute steal and picked up the Anova precision cooker from Target for $50 (normally a $200 item). Brand new in the box still.

How did you manage to pull off this heist?

[yk9001]

I'm in the low minors when it comes to cooking/bbq/smoking compared to some of you guys, so I keep low.  But I smoked chicken wings yesterday, with a rub recipe, and great smoke flavor.

I should have taken a picture of all the wing bone discards on my plate afterwards.

[nate]

The Annova for 50 is a great deal.

I got the Joule Sous Vide because of how it is integrated with the app.  Can just choose what you are cooking and hit go and it does the rest.  If I had the option of the Annova at $50 I never would have sprung for the Joule though.

This article is what helped me with the choice.  https://www.cnet.com/news/smart-home-showdown-anova-precision-cooker-bluetooth-wi-fi-vs-joule/

[red321]

I have the Annova as well, Amazon puts them on sale every few months. Not at $50 though