Sous Vide Steak

1. Stage

Set up the immersion circulator: Fill your stock pot or plastic container with water. Insert the immersion circulator into the water and turn it on, setting the temperature to the desired doneness of your steak (see chart above). Wait for the water to reach the right temperature.

2. Stage

Prep the steaks: Season the steaks liberally with salt and pepper; sprinkle from high above the steaks for even coverage. Place one steak into a gallon-sized resealable freezer bag. Do not seal the bag, but lower the steak into the heated water, and allow the water to “press” out the air from the bag. Continue to lower the bag until the water level is right below the zipper and has pressed out all the air. Seal the bag. Repeat with the second steak in a different bag. Completely submerge both bags into the water. If necessary, you can use a large binder clip to keep the bags from moving around too much, as you don’t want them stopping up the immersion circulator.

3. Stage

Cook the steaks: Cook the steaks for a minimum of 1 hour or up to the time recommended above in the chart. When the steaks are done, remove them from their bags and pat them dry with paper towels. Add any additional seasonings that you might want.

4. Stage

Sear the steaks: Drizzle the olive oil into a large cast iron or other heavy skillet and heat on high until the oil starts to shimmer, and you see wisps of smoke. Place the steaks on the hot pan and let them sear for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the bottom of the steak has darkened and caramelized. If you have a grill, heat it as hot as you can. Once it’s ready, sear the steak for the same amount of time, 1 to 2 minutes, or until dark grill marks form. Flip the steak over and repeat on the other side. If the steak has a fat cap on the side, use tongs to stand the steak up on its side to sear and brown the fat. Salt and pepper to taste, and then serve immediately.