What would your family and friends think if you told them you were boiling up some Wagyu for dinner?
In Texas, it’d be padded room time for sure.
Unless you’re talking about sous vide…
What is Sous Vide?
Sous Vide is a French cooking method (but don’t hold that against it) that uses vacuum-sealed bags to cook meat and vegetables in lightly–very lightly!--simmering water for an extended period of time. Sous Vide requires exceptionally precise control of the temperature and, therefore, requires specialized cooking equipment.
This includes a vacuum sealer and a sous vide machine, which can be as simple as a wand placed into a pot full of water. However, there are more expensive sous vide machines out there that offer even more precise control of temperature and cooking time.
You can find sous vide machines online. They range from about $100 for an entry-level device to $400 for professional machines.
Why Should I Cook A Steak Sous Vide?
Sous vide offers an incredibly precise way to cook. This is especially beneficial for cooking a steak. You know how you like your steak cooked, and if you cook steak often, you’ll also know the right temperature to cook it to. Like your steak medium? Imagine being able to cook a steak to a rarer medium or a more well-done medium with the touch of a button–that’s how precise sous vide cooking is. But that isn’t the only benefit of cooking a Wagyu steak sous vide. Sous vide cooking also cooks steaks evenly. No matter how well you cook steaks, their middle will be the right doneness, but the edges will be more well-done. There’s no way to avoid that with high-heat cooking. With sous vide, however, the steak will be cooked perfectly throughout. Of course, all sous vide cooking is almost entirely inactive time. You vacuum seal your steaks, drop them in the prepared water, and then forget them–for an hour or two, at least. At the end of sous vide cooking, you’ll finish your steak in a cast iron skillet the traditional way to create a crust on the outside. If done properly (IE quickly and on high heat), your steak should still be your preferred doneness.
How Do I Cook a Steak Sous Vide?
Cooking a steak sous vide is simple:
Prepare your steak for cooking as you normally would. Generously salt and pepper both sides of the steak. (Or just use your preferred seasoning method).
Vacuum seal the steak and any aromatics. Evenly distribute aromatics on either side of the steak.
Heat your sous vide cooker to the appropriate temperature. This will be the temperature that you want your steak to be.
Drop your vacuum-sealed steak into the water. Cook to the desired doneness.
Heat a cast iron pan. Once the steak is cooked to temperature, remove it from the vacuum-sealed package and drop it into a hot iron pan with butter and aromatics (if that’s your style).
Cook the steak on both sides to create a crust.
Serve and enjoy.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sous Vide Cooking
What equipment do I need for sous vide cooking?
You’ll need a vacuum sealer and a sous vide cooker to do it easily. Sous vide cookers come in a lot of shapes and sizes, from small wands to full countertop appliances.
It is possible to vacuum seal steak into a zipper-lock bag, too, but the method carries a significant risk of failure.
How long does it take to cook a steak sous vide?
It depends both on how well done you like your steak and what cut you’re working with. Generally speaking, fattier cuts need to be heated a few degrees higher and can take longer.
Most steaks will cook in an hour or two, though, for medium rare.
Can I leave a steak cooking sous vide for a long time–like, 48 hours?
Technically, yes. Since sous vide cooks to a temperature and then stays that way, you can cook your steak for up to 48 hours.
But it will destroy the texture of the meat. You want to cook brisket a long time. Not steak.
Wagyu Steaks from Texas Beefhouse–Perfect for Sous Vide
Cooking steak sous vide requires a bit of investment, but we think it’s worth a try.
Looking for steak to cook sous vide? We can help with that! Bid on Texas Beefhouse beef monthly at www.bidonbeef.com