|
1. Why bother?
I've found this method to be the easiest way for me to achieve consistent, predictable results, especially with steaks of differing thicknesses. It's very forgiving in terms of timing compared to other methods I've tried, and (when using modest domestic equipment) interferes less with the cooking of other components of the dish that would otherwise be sharing an oven.
I'm making no claims about this being the 'best' way to go about it. I'm not a chef. What I know is, I've tried a bunch of recipes and this works best for me.
2. What's the downside?
It can be a ball-ache if your guests insist on widely varied degrees of cooking. Personally I won't cook fillet beyond 'medium', and so far I've managed to convert everyone who initially demanded 'well done'. Medium-rare and even rare steaks do not bleed out onto the plate with this method, which is often what puts people off.
3. What do I need?
* Fillet (Tenderloin) steaks.
* Sealable freezer/sandwich bags (1 per steak)
* A meat thermometer
* A large pan of water
* A sink full of water
* A frying pan (Cast iron if possible, if not, careful you don't get it too hot - thanks Sinensis for this reminder)
* Butter, oil, salt, pepper.
* One lemon.
* (optional) Something to eat with the steaks.
4. Ok, what do I do?
* Remove the meat from refrigeration at least 1/2 hour before cooking.
* Put each steak into a sandwich/freezer bag. Don't seal it yet.
* Slowly immerse the bag in the sink, taking care not to let the open end go below the water. This has the effect of squeezing the air out of the bag. Seal the bag when as much air as possible has been expelled.
* Heat your pan of water, using your meat thermometer to check the temperature. 60C is for rare, 70C for medium.
* Put all your baggedsteaks into the water. The temperature will drop - make sure it returns to the desired level.
* Do other things for the next 18 minutes, checking the temperature occasionally.
5. Now what?
* Set out a warmed plate for the meat to rest. Take the steaks out of their bags. They should be pale, hot, and extremely floppy and relaxed - much more so than when raw. Season with salt and lots of pepper on both sides and allow to rest.
* Do other things for at least the next 10 minutes until the resting juices have seeped out.
* Strongly heat the frying pan with a spoon of sunflower/olive oil. Add a knob of butter when the pan is hot, just before you start to sear the steaks (thanks to isleyofthenorth for this tip).
* Sear all around the edges of each steak, then the top and bottom. It should take no more than ten-fifteen seconds a side to char and crisp the surface. Transfer directly onto warmed plates with the rest of the dish.
* Tip the resting juices from the plate into the pan and stir for a few seconds. Pour a little juice over each steak.
* Squeeze a few drops from the lemon onto the steaks and serve immediately.
The result should be an extremely tender and succulent steak with a tasty, slightly crunchy exterior, which slices effortlessly with ordinary cutlery and doesn't bleed onto the plate.
Enjoy!
|
Interesting. Any reason you prefer this over other methods?
Got any pics?
also you should just bludgeon well down people with your frying pan if they refuse to convert
|
What temperature are you searing your steak at to char the surface at 15 sec? I do not think these temperatures can be safely accomplished without a cast iron pan. Use extreme caution.
|
On September 24 2012 23:21 Sinensis wrote:
What temperature are you searing your steak at to char the surface at 15 sec? I do not think these temperatures can be safely accomplished without a cast iron pan. Use extreme caution.
yeah I was thinking about that as well
it probably is safe though if you're cooking in water i would assume, since the cooking in the pan at the end is merely for the outside it would seem? even 15 seconds on a super hot cast iron would just give it the char (which does seem to be the way to go here)
|
Grilling is by far my method.
In terms of consistancy what you really need is to start buying better quality. If you are buying from a butcher you can specify the size and dimensions you are looking for. If you become a regular they will know what cuts you like and how to size them.
For me, I buy Omaha steaks. The Filets I buy are always 6oz and always the same thickness. They are by far better than anything I can get in the grocery store.
Because my steaks are so consistant I know exactly how to cook them on the grill. 425 degree grill, placed toward the back in the center of my grill. 2 minutes and 40 seconds on each side.
Boom. Cooked perfectly medium rare.
But these steaks are so good, like how a great quality golf driver is forgiving when you miss that sweet spot, as too is how the Omaha steaks are when you don't cook em perfectly.
As a gift I gave some to my friends father. He put them on his not so warm grill, still pretty frozen, and cooked em for wayyy too long. You know what? They still tasted all right.
For me the quality of the steaks you use is the fastest way to improve taste.
|
is this supposed to be sous-vide? because it sounds like it.
but then you're supposed to cook the meat alot longer than 20 minutes ...
|
On September 24 2012 23:21 Sinensis wrote:
What temperature are you searing your steak at to char the surface at 15 sec? I do not think these temperatures can be safely accomplished without a cast iron pan. Use extreme caution.
Yep, it's a cast-iron pan. The temperatures are not excessive, though - it's not a smoking dry pan or anything. It crisps much quicker because it's already hot and cooked, as opposed to room temperature. The butter helps too.
|
Um, I'm not understanding this correctly? Are you submerging the steak into a pan of water?
As far as cooking steaks on the stove/oven, I think this is the best way besides on the grill. Since you have to preheat the oven to make other food anyways, this isn't so bad. Especially since it only takes a few minutes depending on the thickness of steak. And you have to let whatever you put in the oven rest. If you plan properly, you can get all your dishes done at the same time.
|
This is like.. "fast" sous vide which is an oxymoron. The temps listed are higher than rare/medium (should be 52-55C for rare and 60-65 for medium) so it won't be evenly cooked throughout but it has the benefit of being highly repeatable and precise. I'll give it a shot next time I make a steak.
|
yeah definately use a massive cast iron pan if you do this. also put the butter(use some neutral oil only) in at the very end otherwise it will go very brown and have that unwanted nutty flavour
|
On September 25 2012 00:12 a176 wrote:
is this supposed to be sous-vide? because it sounds like it.
but then you're supposed to cook the meat alot longer than 20 minutes ...
It isn't a true sous-vide.
He took the same principle and then modified it. A proper sous vide in almost any restaurant that currently does it will involve equipment that is far more precise to make sure it is a perfect cook. IE cryovac machine to ensure 0 air in the bag, a controlled electonical waterbath that only heats water to the specified temperature and allows you to also temp your meat without letting water actually touch it etc...
It is a pretty intelligent method to cook a steak this way if oven space / bbq is not an option for some reason as it allows you to do everything on your burner tops.
|
On September 25 2012 00:12 Smancer wrote:
Because my steaks are so consistant I know exactly how to cook them on the grill. 425 degree grill, placed toward the back in the center of my grill. 2 minutes and 40 seconds on each side.
Absolutely not going to argue with that  I posted this not because I think it's the absolute best method, but because it is very forgiving of irregularities in cuts of meat, getting distracted for a minute or two by other tasks / friends / passing glasses of wine, and because it transfers well from kitchen to kitchen as a fixed recipe with only basic equipment.
Um, I'm not understanding this correctly? Are you submerging the steak into a pan of water?
Once sealed in a sandwich/freezer bag with the air squeezed out, yes.
The temps listed are higher than rare/medium (should be 52-55C for rare and 60-65 for medium) so it won't be evenly cooked throughout but it has the benefit of being highly repeatable and precise.
You saying that has prompted me to add a caveat: we may not be talking about quite the same beast here. In the UK, your typical store-bought fillet is no more than an inch thick. The technique I described results in (so far as I can tell) perfectly even cooking-through of that size cut, but is untested on much thicker steaks.
It is a pretty intelligent method to cook a steak this way if oven space / bbq is not an option for some reason as it allows you to do everything on your burner tops.
What I was finding was that the moisture from the steaks would steam anything else in the oven, preventing it crisping properly (plus opening and closing the door wasn't helping my timings)
|
What is the point of sandwich bagging the steaks and heating it up? Can't you just sear them at room temperature?
|
On September 25 2012 05:11 nosliw wrote:
What is the point of sandwich bagging the steaks and heating it up? Can't you just sear them at room temperature?
You can, but then you get a gradient through the meat (so only part of it is cooked exactly as desired) and you also have to get the temperature and time right for the thickness of the cut - which is easy if you have a very consistent supplier and grill, not so easy otherwise
Bagging and cooking the steaks in water first lets you pick exactly how you want your steak done by using the meat thermometer to heat the water to the right temperature. Timings are constant - I've cooked rare in one pan and medium-rare in another, rested and seared them all together - and because the cooking is gentler, the gradient through the meat is all but imperceptible. There's a nice crust from the searing, and then all the rest is exactly as you like it.
|
On September 25 2012 00:12 a176 wrote:
is this supposed to be sous-vide? because it sounds like it.
but then you're supposed to cook the meat alot longer than 20 minutes ...
Yes, this is pretty much sous vide. The main difference would probably be that the vacuum pack in proper sous vide is more effective and that proper sous vide machines have more accurate temperature control.
As for the time I'd hazard a guess at the main reason sous vide cooking takes a long time is not because the food takes that long to cook. It's probably going to reach the desired temperature relatively quickly (and for lean meat like a filet that's pretty mcuh all you want), depending on size and temperature etc. of course. The main reason you cook sous vide for a long time is more likely to be hygienic. It's perfectly possible to kill pretty much all disease causing germs at temperatures as low as for example 55C (and quite a bit lower than that actually), it just takes a lot longer than if you cook the meat to 70C. Thus you hold the meat at the desired temperature until you feel sure it's safe to eat.
|
|
|
|
|
|
EPT
