Tag Archives: Steak

Sous Vide Steak Sunday

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WOW! I can’t believe it’s been one year to the day since I’ve blogged here. Life. Tonight I decided I’d like a traditional steakhouse meal of Ribeye, mashed potatoes, and green beans (unfortunately I am out of asparagus). I picked up a really nice ribeye the other day, from Carolina Fish Market, who have recently started stocking Meats by Linz. The best way to cook a steak? Sous vide, of course. It gives you the perfect cook – every time – from edge to edge. Also, you can just drop it in it’s little bath and leave it alone for a while. You can learn more about sous vide cooking on the Sansaire site.

Let’s get started.

I like my steak rare, so I set my Sansaire to warm the water bath to 122 deg. F. (Depending on how you like your steak done, you can refer to the Sansaire guide for cooking steak.) While waiting for the water to heat up, I seasoned my steak. I’m a big fan of lots of freshly ground black pepper, as it makes a very nice crust when you sear it. I used ground black pepper, pink Himalayan salt, and a shot of Hudson Bay Beef Spice from Savory Spices – my favorite spice store.

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After seasoning, it needs to go into a waterproof bag with the air removed. I used my Food Saver machine, but you can also use a Zip-lock bag if you don’t have a sealer. Before sealing, I added about two tablespoons of garlic-infused olive oil. Sealed it up and it was ready for the bath.

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I dropped it into the 122 deg. F water and let it go for 90 minutes. Because the Sansaire keeps the water at the perfect temperature, you can leave it there for up to four hours without worrying about overcooking.

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In preparation for it leaving the bath, heat a skillet on high. You can also create your sear on the grill, a cast iron skillet, or by using a searing torch. Your standard kitchen torch for creme brulee will not cut it here – you need one much stronger. I have yet to order one, so for me tonight it’s an All-Clad Copper Core pan.

I heated my pan on high, and when it was hot, added a tablespoon of butter. Keep that butter moving so it doesn’t brown. When the bubbles start to settle down, add the steak. I continuously keep mine moving in a circle around the pan, so it doesn’t burn and keeps moving the butter/juices around. After about a minute, check the sear and flip the steak if it suits you. Same thing on the other side, and then plate it. There is no need to rest a steak when cooked via sous vide.

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Now I know you are all thinking, ‘Let’s see the inside! Show me that edge to edge perfectly cooked steak.’ Here you go, plated with mashed Yukon Gold potatoes and French green beans; freshly ground black pepper and a sprinkle of sea salt flakes. Happy sous viding! 🙂

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Tuna au Poivre with Red Wine Sauce

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Steak au Poivre used to be one of my favorites when I was still eating red meat. Now that I’m a pescatarian and eat only fish and seafood, I decided to try a twist on the original with yellowfin tuna. It turned out to be a fantastic dish that I’ll definitely go back to, nice presentation for company as well.

Instead of just the standard peppercorn crust, I also added some Chinese Five Spice. I love this spice, it’s a mixture of peppercorns, star anise, cloves, cinnamon, and fennel; and covers five flavors – sweet, sour, bitter, pungent, and salty. The flavors pair very well with tuna, and I also use it when making Tuna Tataki.

I served the beautiful cut of yellowfin tuna with garlic mash and French greens as sides.

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3/4 lb fresh tuna, cut into 2 steaks about 1-inch thick
Salt
Fresh Coarsely Ground Peppercorns
Chinese Five Spice
Olive oil

1 tablespoon butter
2 shallots, finely diced
1 cup red wine
1 cup vegetable broth

Season tuna steaks with salt. Sprinkle both sides with Chinese Five Spice and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and rub to coat evenly. Let marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes; or refrigerate for up to 4 hours and bring to room temperature before cooking.

For the red wine sauce:
Melt butter over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add vegetable broth and reduce until 1 cup sauce remains, about 10 minutes. Season with salt, set aside and keep warm.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, lay in steaks and sear for 2 minutes, until nicely browned. Flip and cook 1 minute more for rare, 2 minutes for medium rare. Serves 2.

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