Joanne's Easy Bake: Easy Broiled Sous Vide Beef Steaks

Joanne's Easy Bake: Easy Broiled Sous Vide Beef Steaks: I was fascinated by the sous vide method of cooking steaks (the French way of immersing meat in a hot water bat...

Easy Broiled Sous Vide Beef Steaks

I was fascinated by the sous vide method of cooking steaks (the French way of immersing meat in a hot water bath) but never wanted to spend several hundred dollars to buy the precision sous vide cooker. Instead, I opted to improvise whatever gadgets that are in my kitchen to cook some good cuts of grilling sirloin steaks over the Christmas break to treat my esteemed guests, Cindy's family. Surprisingly, the steaks turned out amazingly tender and juicy no matter how I cooked them after their hot water bath! After two attempts, I can now say it is pretty easy for an amateur cook to serve up great steaks even if prepared in a most humble kitchen!

Utensils Needed:-

A heavy bottom stainless steel, 8 quart/7.6 litre stock pot

1-2 large heat proof, food safe plastic zip-lock bags

A meat or instant-read thermometer

A water jug

Large stainless steel bowl for marinating the steaks

A long handled soup ladle

A pair of serving tongs

Line Baking tray with parchment paper/Grill Pan

Ingredients:-

3 large pieces of grilling sirloin beef steaks

Freshly ground black pepper

Generous amount of fine iodized sea salt/kosher salt

Method:-

1) Fill the stock pot 2/3 full with clean cold water.

2) Fill a jug separately with cold water and set aside for later use.

3) Rinse and pat dry the steaks and place them in the large stainless steel bowl.

4) Cover steaks generously with fresh ground black pepper and salt.

5) Place each piece of steak and arrange them flat in the food safe plastic bag; close the zipper almost all the way until 1 inch is left and immerse the bottom of the bag into the pot of cold water. Squeeze out all the air from the bag and seal the bag by closing the zipper fully. (This is self-improvised vacuum sealing).

6) Remove bag of steaks from the pot and set aside.

7) Cover the same pot of cold water with lid and place on top of the stove, turn stove on high and bring the water to a rolling boil. Immediately reduce the stove to the lowest setting when water comes to a rolling boil.

8) Remove lid of the pot; place the bag of steaks into the pot of boiling water and immerse the bag fully using a long handled soup ladle. (Leave the ladle on the bag of steaks as weight to prevent the bag from floating in the pot).

9) Immerse the instant-read thermometer into the water and measure the water temperature. 

***To make medium rare steaks, the water temperature should be maintained at 140 degrees F and to make well-done steaks, the water temperature will have to reach 160 degrees F. Take note that the water temperature should never fall below 140 degrees F to prevent food borne illnesses.***

If the temperature of the water should rise too high above 140 degrees F (if you are making medium rare steaks) when the steaks had been placed in the pot, just add some cold water from the jug to bring the temperature down to 140 degrees F. If it should fall below 140 degrees F, just raise the heat to bring the water temperature up. You can check the temperature on and off to ensure that the temperature is constant.

10) Leave the steaks in the pot for at least 60 minutes or more if you have time or until about time to serve.

11) Before you serve, remove the steaks from the pot and the sealed bag. Discard the liquid in the bag and place steaks on the lined baking tray. 

12) Place tray on the top rack of the oven and turn oven to BROIL. Broil the steaks until they sizzle and are slightly brown on one side. Remove tray from the oven and turn the steaks over using serving tongs and broil the other side until sizzling and lightly brown. Turn off oven and remove tray. 

13) Transfer steaks to a serving plate. Leave steaks to rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing to allow meat juice to be absorbed. Slice and serve with your favourite home made gravy! Enjoy!!! Bon appetit!!!