Sous Vide Cowboy Ribeye

[JohnR33]

Hello all, I'm new to this forum and new to Sous Vide, and after some experiments and disappointments, I'm looking for advice an tips to improve my cooking results.

I recently prepared a 2" thick, bone-in, Grass-fed, Angus in a sous vide set for 132° and 2 hours cooking time. I got these recommended settings from an online video. After I removed the Ribeye, I seasoned and browned the steak in a hot cast iron skillet with Avacado oil, 1 minute per side. When I cut it open, the meat was nearly raw next to the bone, and the rest of the meat was rare. Obviously, I needed more heat and more time, does anyone have any pointers?

Also, the steak was missing that unique grilled flavor. Is it better to sear the meat before going into the sous vide?

JohnR33

 

[pepperhead212]

Welcome to the forum!

I'm new to the sous vide, so I can't tell you a lot, except that 132º should have gotten it past that "nearly raw" state. 130º is normally thought of as med-rare. Did you check your water with a digital thermometer, to make sure that the 132º was accurate?

 

[JohnR33]

Welcome to the forum!

I'm new to the sous vide, so I can't tell you a lot, except that 132º should have gotten it past that "nearly raw" state. 130º is normally thought of as med-rare. Did you check your water with a digital thermometer, to make sure that the 132º was accurate?

Thanks, that's a helpful idea. I used a Weston Sous vide machine and the controls are very difficult to use. I should have checked the temp. I returned the Weston and ordered an Anova machine.

 

[Andy M.]

Was the steak completely thawed? There is no harm in leaving it in the SV for longer than the minimum time. If the time given is 2 hours, you can certainly go to 2.5 or 3 hours without issue. That ensures the meat is uniformly cooked at the target temp. Also, the meat near the bone takes longer to cook.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

+1 to what Andy said. For that grilled flavor, you need to sear the outside over fire,or you might set off a smoke alarm.

Seeeeya; letting fat drip onto the coals. The resultant smoke flavors the neat as the browning takes place. You can also sear the neat on a screaming hot cast iron pan, with a light coating of oil. Open windows though .

Seeeeya; Chief Longwiond of the North

 

[jennyema]

Hello all, I'm new to this forum and new to Sous Vide, and after some experiments and disappointments, I'm looking for advice an tips to improve my cooking results.

I recently prepared a 2" thick, bone-in, Grass-fed, Angus in a sous vide set for 132° and 2 hours cooking time. I got these recommended settings from an online video. After I removed the Ribeye, I seasoned and browned the steak in a hot cast iron skillet with Avacado oil, 1 minute per side. When I cut it open, the meat was nearly raw next to the bone, and the rest of the meat was rare. Obviously, I needed more heat and more time, does anyone have any pointers?

Also, the steak was missing that unique grilled flavor. Is it better to sear the meat before going into the sous vide?

JohnR33

Like others have said, check your water temp with a thermometer to make sure your sous vide set up is accurate.

You don't necessarily need more heat. But you might need more time for that thick of a steak.

No. Dont sear before sous vide. Instead, cook to a lower internal temp (132 is pretty high) like maybe 120-5 and sear for longer to get a nice sear and a good crust.

Its not going to taste grilled unless you grill it. Cast iron on the stove or oven works great but since you arent grilling it over an open flame, it wont taste grilled.

Season with salt before you put it in the sous vide bag and again before you sear.

 

[GotGarlic]

You could season it with smoked salt to get a grilled flavor.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Though I use smoked salt, and liquid smoke, It adds a smoky flavor of wood smoke. The grilled flavor, IMGO, comes from fat dripping onto hot coals, burning, which creates smoke, and the smoke particulates clinging to the meat.
However, too much of that smoke is bitter, and can ruin what you're trying to cook. I found that out the hard way, years back. The grilled flavor of a good burger comes from the fat burning and creating smoke, as does a good steak. The smokey flavor of my smoked turkey comes fro, wood smoke. I'm surprised that Wright's, or another company that makes smoke-flavored products , hasn't duplicated that flavor.


seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North.

 

[JohnR33]

Great ideas from everyone, thanks!

Though I use smoked salt, and liquid smoke, It adds a smoky flavor of wood smoke. The grilled flavor, IMGO, comes from fat dripping onto hot coals, burning, which creates smoke, and the smoke particulates clinging to the meat.
However, too much of that smoke is bitter, and can ruin what you're trying to cook. I found that out the hard way, years back. The grilled flavor of a good burger comes from the fat burning and creating smoke, as does a good steak. The smokey flavor of my smoked turkey comes fro, wood smoke. I'm surprised that Wright's, or another company that makes smoke-flavored products , hasn't duplicated that flavor.


seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North.

I see that temperature and time are important, temperature depends on level of done you desire, and I need to set a minimum time that will ensure all is cooked evenly throughout, bone or no bone, and extra time, within reason, won't ruin my steak.

The flavor I'm missing is that rich, salty, charred fat, beefy au jus, you get from a grilled steak. I season my steak before sealing with a generous rub of Kosher salt, cracked pepper, and granulated garlic, which I normally applied prior to grilling (pre-sous vide era). From my experience with braised meats, I know that the initial sear seals in the juices and adds that unique flavor from the char. So I'm figuring that a good sear with my rub all over will add some grilled flavor and it will permeate the meat during the sous vide cycle, and of course follow up with a final sear with seasonings. Any thoughts?

I'm going to experiment over the weekend with some less expensive cuts of meat and see how this goes. I'll post my results. No sous vide turkey for me tomorrow!

 

[Andy M.]

...The flavor I'm missing is that rich, salty, charred fat, beefy au jus, you get from a grilled steak...

A gas or charcoal grill is the only way you can get the flavor you are looking for.

After you finish the SV process. Fire up your grill while the steak rests. Charcoal or gas, get the grill as hot as you can and sear the steak for a minute on each side.

I have just filled my charcoal chimney half-way and put a grate on top to sear a steak. Works great!

 

[GotGarlic]

From my experience with braised meats, I know that the initial sear seals in the juices and adds that unique flavor from the char.

Just FYI, it's an old myth that searing seals in juices. It does create delicious flavors, though [emoji39]

 

[JohnR33]

Ribeye Update

Prepared a 1-1/2" thick Prime Ribeye today. Rubbed it down both sides with olive oil and a generous amount of kosher salt, fresh cracked Pepper, and granulated garlic, then seared in a very hot cast iron skillet (full smoke detector meltdown) with olive oil for 1 minute per side, added more saly, pepper, and granulated garlic, then vacuum sealed and placed in sous vide set for 135° for 2-1/2 hours. Important note: my new Anova sous vide was originally set for 134°, but my Meater+ thermometer said the water temperature was only 133°, so I raised the temperature to 135° on the Anova. After 2-1/2 hours, I removed the steak from the pouch, dried it off and rubbed all over again with kosher salt, cracked pepper, and granulated garlic, and seared once again in a fiercely hot cast iron skillet (took down the smoke detector and put in drawer) for 1 minute per side.

The Ribeye was absolute perfection! The flavors from the initial sear permeated the steak and the interior was perfect medium rare throughout except for a thin 1/8" at the sear, which only added to the flavor. The fat was well coked and crisped by the sear and added to the flavor too. My wife is going to let me keep the sous vide machine and use it again!

Today, I bought a $120.00 grass fed Tenderloin roast, trimmed and tied for Chateau Briand, for Christmas Eve. Wife won't let me sous vide it! I also bought a nice 2" thick grass fed cowboy ribeye, and I will sous vide that and report my results and marital status afterward. Also sitting on a 2" thick grass fed NY Strip earmarked for sous vide, should my wife be promoted from temp to perm at her job. That too will be a sous vide I will report on...hopefully soon! Thanks for everyone's input and comments! Be back soon!

 

[Andy M.]

Glad it worked out great!

 

[powerplantop]

When the weather permits I use a charcoal chimney starter for searing. Fill it about half the way with charcoal and light. When it is about as hot as it will get I put a small grate on top and then sear my steaks. Working on a blog post showing it now but the pictures are uploaded.

https://jamesstrange.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/IMG_20200918_190720-scaled.jpg

One steak was cooked at 138 then lowered the temp to 131 and added the other steak. Then a quick sear over the chimney.

 

[JohnR33]

When the weather permits I use a charcoal chimney starter for searing. Fill it about half the way with charcoal and light. When it is about as hot as it will get I put a small grate on top and then sear my steaks. Working on a blog post showing it now but the pictures are uploaded.

https://jamesstrange.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/IMG_20200918_190720-scaled.jpg

One steak was cooked at 138 then lowered the temp to 131 and added the other steak. Then a quick sear over the chimney.

How long was your sear and was it before or after sous vide or both? Please explain the two cooking temperatures/times and outcomes.

Thanks JohnR33

 

[powerplantop]

One steak was put in at 138F. Held for about 30 minutes. Bath temp lowered to 131F. Add the second steak (the first one was still in the bath). Cooked both for 45 minutes.

When cooking was almost done started the chimney.

When the steaks were done they were removed and dried.

steaks were cooked one at a time. Dropped on the grate for about 30 seconds. Then flipped cooked for another 30 seconds. Flipped and rotated to get grill marks, cooked another 30 seconds then flipped. After 30 seconds used tongs to hit each side for a few seconds.

 

[JohnR33]

I presume the thicker steak went in on the higher temperature, is that right? They look perfect!