Some Thoughts on Beef

Before I discovered sous vide and got my Anova Precision Cooker I always cooked my beef towards the rare side. I would remove a steak from the grill when its internal temperature hit 125°F or a little less. After resting this gave me a steak that was pretty close to where I wanted it medium rare. Cooking thick steaks was always problematic and while most turned out OK the thicker ones were often a bit undercooked and required a little time off the flame in the hot grill to finish.

Now I have raised my cooking temperature to a 135°F. The texture and flavor of the meat is perfect. and I think it is at its juiciest and has the best flavor. More importantly I am not serving a steak that is a bit too rare in the middle with a layer of overcooked meat surrounding the medium rare part.

I was also very concerned that searing would overcook the meat. I have not found this to be the case at all if you use a very hot pan and a little bit of canola oil. For a nice presentation I use a torch to sear the sides while the two flat sides are cooking. This has also worked out well for me.

Cooking a steak sous vide requires no special skills and with a little planning your meal comes together a lot easier. Everything can be served hot and together as you are no longer guessing when the meat will be done.

I have had some great success finishing beef under the broiler. I do have a Searzall which is pretty great also!

@bigfish3 I am glad warmer weather will be here soon. A month or so and no more freezing temperatures. I have an induction plate that will work great outside and I wont have to set up a cross draft to get the smoke out… The Searzall looks like it would do a good job. I was pleased to find out that searing was pretty forgiving and it was easy to get a good sear on everything I have done so far.