Cooking multiple Steaks

Anova Precision® Cooker
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When the family was over for a steak dinner I knew they would want 3 different levels of doneness. Medium Rare, Medium and Well Done. Having only one Anova here is what I did.

First I sealed each steak in its own bag and marked the bags with a permanent marker: MR, M and WD

I started up the bath and set it to 70°C When it was up to temperature I added the WD steak and cooked it for about an hour and a half. I removed it and put in the refrigerator. At the same time I lowered the Anova to 65°C, added some cold water to help cool the bath down and then cooked the Medium steak for an hour and a half. Finally, I lowered the bath to 60°C and put the remaining 2 steaks in. At the same time I added the well done and medium steaks to the 60°C bath. They just stay nice and warm and did not continue cooking. Just before serving I took them out and seared each one in a bit of canola oil while basting with butter. For once everything was done when I wanted it to be and everyone was thrilled to get their steak perfectly cooked their way.

While it seems a bit complicated it is actually very simple and hands on time is very short. I just let them cook away while I watched hockey. I have a little timer from ThermoWorks that I use for smoking meats. It hangs around my neck and it alerted me when I needed to do something no matter where I am. https://www.amazon.com/ThermoWorks-TX-4200-TimeStick-Red/dp/B00FZ2DVJA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1428160210&sr=8-2&keywords=thermoworks+timer&linkCode=ll1&tag=anovacommunity-20&linkId=6728325038f07fbfe18624a843191d35r

Next time I will get the camera out and document it in pictures.

2 Likes
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We do that also, but we just leave the steaks in as we lower the temp.  We start with 63C, then down to 60C, then again to 54C.  They are all at 54 C when they hit the grill for a hot sear...........

 

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I will be doing something similar this weekend with carrots at 90c for 20 minutes, then leaving them in, cooling the water to 62c and cooking chicken breast for 90 minutes.

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I've heard this referred to as step-based cooking. I haven't tried it yet but it seems like the best way to go about using your Anova for multiple dishes without buying a second unit.

@john.jcb If you do end up cooking something like this again, I would love to see the comparison photos of the interiors of each.

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@frog13 said:
We do that also, but we just leave the steaks in as we lower the temp.  We start with 63C, then down to 60C, then again to 54C.  They are all at 54 C when they hit the grill for a hot sear…

I just ordered a unit and steaks will be the first thing I try. I like my steaks medium-rare and my lovely bride likes them medium. Just so I’m clear, are folks recommending that I immerse her medium steak for 1.5 hours, lower the temp and then immerse mine for 1.5 hours (leaving hers in for a total of three hours)? Then a quick finish on the grill.

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@Ladd yes you have it right. I would not recommend any more than 3 steps. Nice thing about Sous Vide steak is that time is not so critical.

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Good to hear. Thanks for the info.