Cooking Steak Sous Vide: The Complete Guide

12.01.2020

Maybe you’re hosting a low-key party, serving a family dinner, or treating yourself to a special meal after a long work week (you deserve it!). You want to serve a chef-level steak—evenly cooked, perfectly seared, and with mouthwatering, beefy flavors. And you also want to keep it simple. Enter sous vide: a cooking method that delivers a consistent, succulent steak no matter the occasion.

So, what is it?

Steak Sous Vide: The Basics

Once a cooking method reserved for chefs at high-end restaurants, sous vide cooking has now made its way into home kitchens due to the greater availability of affordable kitchen appliances, in this case, immersion circulators—or, as they’re commonly called, sous vide machines.

Sous vide cooking involves placing food in a vacuum-sealed bag and cooking it in water at a consistent, low temperature. In fact, “sous vide” loosely translates to “under vacuum” in French. The method is so popular (particularly for meats) because of its ease and convenience, but also because it delivers a delicious, evenly cooked result every time. It’s pretty much impossible to overcook a steak using sous vide, as the temperature is controlled and consistent.

So, if you’re hosting, multitasking, or looking for an easy, hands-off way to cook steak, sous vide might just be your new favorite cooking technique.

What You’ll Need to Cook Beef Sous Vide

Beyond the immersion circulator, you will likely find the things you need right in your own kitchen:

• A pot, filled with water
• Vacuum-sealable bags or heavy-duty, BPA-free resealable bags (reusable bags work, too)
• Vacuum sealer (if using vacuum-sealable bags)
• Salt and pepper (you can also add butter, a sprig of rosemary, or a touch of garlic, although not required for excellent flavor)
• A frying pan for searing (we recommend using a cast iron skillet, but any pan will do)

And, of course, you’ll need your favorite cut of beef and the sides you’d like to serve with it.

Choosing Steak Cuts for Sous Vide

You can cook almost anything sous vide, and you can’t go wrong with 1855 Black Angus Beef steak, but the rule of thumb for cooking steak sous vide is to choose thicker cuts (at least 1.5 inches thick) of USDA Prime or Choice beef. New York Strip, ribeye, tenderloin, and top sirloin steaks are classic cuts to use, and flap steak and strip loin also work well. The steak you choose really depends on your personal preferences on marbling, leanness, and portion size. Read our breakdown of Angus beef cuts if you need help deciding.

A classic choice for sous vide, Black Angus New York Strip is a tender, lean cut with bold, beefy flavors.

Steps for Cooking Steak Sous Vide

Once you’ve chosen your steak, follow these steps for preparing:

• Choose a 12-26 qt container and fill about 3/4 full. Place the immersion circulator in the water and clip it to the side of the container. Set the immersion circulator to the desired doneness of your steak (see below for temperature ranges).
• While the water bath is heating, prepare your steak. Pat it dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Place the steak inside a vacuum bag along with any additional herbs or spices you’d like to use.
• Vacuum seal the bag and cook the steak according to the times listed below.
• About 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time, preheat a frying pan over medium to medium-high heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil for searing the steak.
• Remove the bag from the water bath and remove the steak. Pat dry before searing.
• Sear for about 1 minute per side, or until the desired sear is achieved.
• Top with butter if you’d like and serve!

Beef Sous Vide Cooking Times and Temperatures

Note: According to foodsafety.gov, the minimum safe temperature is 145°F for fresh beef and 160°F for ground beef.

Get Started with 1855 Black Angus Beef

Choose 1855 Black Angus Beef for cooking sous vide. The result will always be exceptionally tender and flavorful. Get more recipes and tips on our blog.