So i finally bought the Sous Vide from BB for a good deal. I was so excited that i bought all the equipment to go along with it.
12 quart Rubbermaid container
Lid
FoodSaver FM2000
Bernzomatic TS8000 torch
I might’ve gone overboard but i want that restaurant quality steak/chicken. I didn’t get the Searzall attachment yet but hopefully sometime. I’m planning to get some ribeyes at Costco, season it with garlic powder, himalayan salt and pepper, then drop it in the container with the setting of 130F for 2 hours. Once done, pat it dry then im going to use the torch. Sounds like a plan? Any other tips, recommendations?
I’ve also been watching all these videos on Youtube “Sous Vide Everything” and that really got me excited.
After drying with paper towels, re-season with Salt & Pepper - especially the salt. (Your initial salt tends to wind up in the bag juices - remember this if you make a pan sauce; also, the new salt on the surface helps with browning, [Maillard reaction] , & you get a better sear. )
When you plate your steak, take a few seconds to rub the meat with the cut face of a garlic clove, then add a faint smear of butter.
If you like your garlic heavy with a sting, rub hard, conversely, just a very light rub will give a nice garlic edge to the meat.
Start light and if you want a more pronounced garlic condition, next time try a heavier rub.
Last words.
If you buy pre-packed meat from a supermarket or box store, try a temp of 135 for beef just to be a little safer. Otherwise, if you can find a good and clean butcher, get your meat there. Other butcher advantages are getting the cut you want at the thickness you want and the ageing you want too.
Jhego, welcome. You are clearly a member of the if-it’s-worth-doing-it’s-worth-over-doing-club. Good for you.
You have a sound plan, follow it and use Suburban’s tricks.
When it comes to food, restaurants usually have only a few significant advantages over home cooking and that’s knowledge and consistency. You can have the same or better attitude and skills.
As you learn consider using a cooking journal to ensure you achieve consistent results. That’s the best advice cat can offer you. Keep a permanent and detailed record of every cook complete with your evaluation of the outcome and, if any, suggestions for improvement in future cooks.
For clarity that means date, product description, its thickness, cooking time and temperature. You might also want to add product weight and the yield as in the number of portions, but you don’t really need to unless you’re cooking for a business. You can also customize it with notes on pre and post cook seasonings, aromatics, etc. You will soon realize i am encouraging you to write your own cook book so you don’t have to depend on ill-written recipes that are far too available…
If you decide to keep a journal pay close attention to the product descriptions. All meat is not created equal. How it is fed, graded and processed makes a big difference in the final product. Note how it is aged as well. I think you are well on your way and please share your results.
John couldn’t be more correct. If there’s any common shortage observable here, particularly among new comers, it’s attention to detail. Successful precision cooking requires care.
Welcome to the club! You won’t regret your purchases and you’ll be sous viding (new verb?) everything in sight. My personal preference is just salt and pepper for steaks and skip the garlic powder! Or find a good steak rub.
Thanks for all your useful tips! I’m actually changing the way I sear, from torch to chimney method, I really want that charcoal taste in the end. How many of you guys prefer this method instead?
My searing tool of choice is a Harbor Freight weed killer, AKA the Flamethrower. The chimney method is nice in that imparts more of a charcoal flavor but then again, it means you have to spend time setting and expense with setting up the charcoal–double duty. Since you’re a novice, I encourage you to subscribe to and watch the youtube series “Sous Vide Everything”. The three guys there are phenomenal. They continually tests all kinds of meats, fish, and even desserts – all using SV. The Anova is their primary choice although they have other SV units. They even had a series where they had a competition for the best searing method (spoiler alert: they chose the Flamethrower!) They’re so popular that vendors send them equipment for testing as well as a lot of the meat they test, including Wagyu steaks.
My only quibble with Guga (the main host)–he insists on adding garlic powder to virtually all his meats. I don’t take a back seat to anyone when it comes to using garlic in cooking, but adding garlic POWDER to great steaks taints the flavor. But of course that’s a matter of personal taste.
Ya! Sous Vide Everything is what actually gave me ideas to get certain equipments. I will try without the garlic powder next time, just salt and pepper.
NY Steak from Costco, seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder. Finished sear with chimney method. However, it was too salty for my taste since i re-seasoned it again after the bath to get a nice sear. I might try the grill method since i do miss that smokey charcoal taste as well. But other than that, SV did a great job producing that medium rare. Thanks for all your tips!
Looks great! The chimney method was my go-to approach until I discovered the flame thrower (especially when I have more than one steak to cook). No need for the grill if you’re using the chimney–you’ll get the charcoal flavor that one, too. A variation on the chimney is to place the chimney on TOP of the steak instead of the steak being on top of the chimney. This gives you the same effect as a restaurant salamander and you don’t get the burned spots that come from direct contact with the flames.
PS As long as you’re shopping at Costco, try the ribeye instead of the NY strip. Just a buck or two more but with the increased marbling, a much more flavorful steak IMHO
