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I did sous vide steak for many years, but recently switched back to doing it the old fashioned way: Sear both sides for 30-45 seconds and then throw in the oven

I did sous vide steak for many years, but recently switched back to doing it the old fashioned way: Sear both sides for 30-45 seconds and then throw in the oven for several minutes at max heat (500F for me) until reaching the desired internal temp. It’s so much faster and I find the taste at least as good. Sous vide is still really interesting for certain things, but I don’t see the point for steak anymore.

LordAtlas 6y ago
If you don't want to spend the time on a sous vide, then at least do the reverse sear.
nielsbot 6y ago
Anecdotal: I have a similar way. Put a cast iron skillet (which holds lots of heat) in oven at 500F on the top rack. Once it's hot, add the steak and turn on the broiler. Flip 1/2 way through. Takes 6-12 mins. You can get a well-seared exterior with lots of crispy, browned fat, and the inside is still pink. Tastes great! (Very smoky.)
- leetbulb 6y ago
  This is almost a reverse sear, which, imho, is the best way to cook a medium+ thickness steak, especially ribeye or filet. I preheat 250-300 and watch a remote meat thermometer until the steak is 95% to desired temp. Usually takes 30-45 minutes. Then I crank up a skillet with ghee until it just starts smoking (~500F) and sear the hell out of the steaks for only a minute on each side. Perfect crust every time. Let rest for about 10 minutes.
  - nielsbot 6y ago
    Does it work without the oil? I haven't used any oil for mine--I like the result. But maybe I'd get better results with oil.
    - leetbulb 6y ago
      Yes, I've had good luck without oil. Without oil, I usually wait to pepper until afterward. Pepper burns quickly and most of it will just stick to the skillet, interfering with the surface contact. Personally, I like using butter or ghee. Aside from the taste, it increases and distributes the heat transfer more evenly across the surface which provides a more uniform sear. If you do use oil, I'd recommend using ghee or refined olive oil and make sure to "temper" it first (allow it to warm with the skillet).
ReptileMan 6y ago
Sous vide is wasted on ribeyes/filets. It is made for skirt - put the skirt steak for 4 hours at 45C then 24H at 56C - and you have perfectly beefy meat with nothing chewy. And juicy beyond comparison.
- ogre_codes 6y ago
  I wouldn’t say sous vide is wasted on good cuts, but it definitely shines most with tougher cuts.
- gruez 6y ago
  >Sous vide is wasted on ribeyes/filets I do it just because I don't have to worry about doneness later - the inside is already cooked, just sear it and it's done.
ogre_codes 6y ago
I think sous vide shines best when you are cooking tougher cuts which don’t do well with short cook times. With better cuts you have a lot more options for how you can make them shine.
- ivankirigin 6y ago
  I did a 24 hour sous vide ribs. It was ridiculously good. So I know it works for slow cooking "bbq" when you don't have a smoker.
  - azemetre 6y ago
    What recipe did you follow? Also did you cut up the ribs to fit in your sous vide? Like in 2s or 3s?
    - ogre_codes 6y ago
      We put in a whole rack of 10 or so ribs at a time with a dry rub on them. Then just pull them out and broil for a couple minutes each side.
    - ivankirigin 6y ago
      No, it was just a really big plastic bag, in a big tray. We used those catering trays with the hot water, which are generally useful if you’re ever throwing a party. The run included mustard as a base with lots of the predictable spices.
Negitivefrags 6y ago
If you want the perfect edge to edge doneness of sous vide, but you also want an amazing crust then I have an another approach for you. You sear both sides for 30-45 seconds and then let the steak rest for about 2 minutes, and then repeat until you reach the internal temp you want. Usually about 3 or 4 times for a reasonably thick steak. I can highly recommend this method and it's also good for cooking large numbers of steaks because you can do 2 or even 3 batches at the same time with the same cast iron pan.
- julesallen 6y ago
  That's very interesting. Do you tent it as it rests?
  - Negitivefrags 6y ago
    No, but I would recommend resting on a rack rather than a plate if you want the get the best possible crust. It doesn't make a super huge difference, but the side sitting on the plate will get wet as juices come out which impedes browning slightly in the next sear until they evaporate off. Just make sure to save those juices that drip down for your pan sauce if you are making one!
    - julesallen 6y ago
      Awesome! Thanks v. much.
gruez 6y ago
Have you considered doing reverse sear instead? It results in less "grey" band than the conventional way (what you've described). https://www.seriouseats.com/2017/03/how-to-reverse-sear-best-way-to-cook-steak.html https://www.seriouseats.com/2017/03/how-to-reverse-sear-best...

LordAtlas 6y ago

If you don't want to spend the time on a sous vide, then at least do the reverse sear.

nielsbot 6y ago

Anecdotal: I have a similar way. Put a cast iron skillet (which holds lots of heat) in oven at 500F on the top rack. Once it's hot, add the steak and turn on the broiler. Flip 1/2 way through. Takes 6-12 mins. You can get a well-seared exterior with lots of crispy, browned fat, and the inside is still pink. Tastes great! (Very smoky.)

leetbulb 6y ago
This is almost a reverse sear, which, imho, is the best way to cook a medium+ thickness steak, especially ribeye or filet. I preheat 250-300 and watch a remote meat thermometer until the steak is 95% to desired temp. Usually takes 30-45 minutes. Then I crank up a skillet with ghee until it just starts smoking (~500F) and sear the hell out of the steaks for only a minute on each side. Perfect crust every time. Let rest for about 10 minutes.
- nielsbot 6y ago
  Does it work without the oil? I haven't used any oil for mine--I like the result. But maybe I'd get better results with oil.
  - leetbulb 6y ago
    Yes, I've had good luck without oil. Without oil, I usually wait to pepper until afterward. Pepper burns quickly and most of it will just stick to the skillet, interfering with the surface contact. Personally, I like using butter or ghee. Aside from the taste, it increases and distributes the heat transfer more evenly across the surface which provides a more uniform sear. If you do use oil, I'd recommend using ghee or refined olive oil and make sure to "temper" it first (allow it to warm with the skillet).

ReptileMan 6y ago

Sous vide is wasted on ribeyes/filets. It is made for skirt - put the skirt steak for 4 hours at 45C then 24H at 56C - and you have perfectly beefy meat with nothing chewy. And juicy beyond comparison.

ogre_codes 6y ago
I wouldn’t say sous vide is wasted on good cuts, but it definitely shines most with tougher cuts.
gruez 6y ago
>Sous vide is wasted on ribeyes/filets I do it just because I don't have to worry about doneness later - the inside is already cooked, just sear it and it's done.

ogre_codes 6y ago

I think sous vide shines best when you are cooking tougher cuts which don’t do well with short cook times. With better cuts you have a lot more options for how you can make them shine.

ivankirigin 6y ago
I did a 24 hour sous vide ribs. It was ridiculously good. So I know it works for slow cooking "bbq" when you don't have a smoker.
- azemetre 6y ago
  What recipe did you follow? Also did you cut up the ribs to fit in your sous vide? Like in 2s or 3s?
  - ogre_codes 6y ago
    We put in a whole rack of 10 or so ribs at a time with a dry rub on them. Then just pull them out and broil for a couple minutes each side.
  - ivankirigin 6y ago
    No, it was just a really big plastic bag, in a big tray. We used those catering trays with the hot water, which are generally useful if you’re ever throwing a party. The run included mustard as a base with lots of the predictable spices.

Negitivefrags 6y ago

If you want the perfect edge to edge doneness of sous vide, but you also want an amazing crust then I have an another approach for you. You sear both sides for 30-45 seconds and then let the steak rest for about 2 minutes, and then repeat until you reach the internal temp you want. Usually about 3 or 4 times for a reasonably thick steak. I can highly recommend this method and it's also good for cooking large numbers of steaks because you can do 2 or even 3 batches at the same time with the same cast iron pan.

julesallen 6y ago
That's very interesting. Do you tent it as it rests?
- Negitivefrags 6y ago
  No, but I would recommend resting on a rack rather than a plate if you want the get the best possible crust. It doesn't make a super huge difference, but the side sitting on the plate will get wet as juices come out which impedes browning slightly in the next sear until they evaporate off. Just make sure to save those juices that drip down for your pan sauce if you are making one!
  - julesallen 6y ago
    Awesome! Thanks v. much.

gruez 6y ago

Have you considered doing reverse sear instead? It results in less "grey" band than the conventional way (what you've described). https://www.seriouseats.com/2017/03/how-to-reverse-sear-best-way-to-cook-steak.html https://www.seriouseats.com/2017/03/how-to-reverse-sear-best...