SOUS VIDE EXPLAINED  

Sous vide is a French term for “under vacuum”. A cut of beef (or other food) is cooked in a bag, in warm water, without air. Food is ideally vacuum sealed in an air-tight bag, then it’s placed in a water bath. (A zipper-locking, plastic bag may be used, but be sure to squeeze out as much air as possible.) An immersion circulator, available at kitchen stores and online, is positioned at the edge of a container full of water. The circulator heats the water and maintains a constant, stable heat that cooks food to precise temperatures.

SOUS VIDE METHOD FOR COOKING BEEF 

First, choose your favorite Certified Angus Beef ® brand cuts. Consider a strip steak, short rib or even filet. Drizzle beef with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Place the seasoned steak in a vacuum bag, adding fresh herbs if you wish. Ideally, seal the bag with a vacuum sealer. You may use a zipper-locking, plastic bag, but be sure to press out as much air as possible, so the bag will sink, not float, in the water. Set the temperature-controlled immersion circulator to 131°F - for a medium-rare degree of doneness.

Submerge the vacuum-sealed steaks in the water bath. One to two hours later, it’s time to remove the steaks from the bath. Preheat a cast iron skillet on the stove. While the skillet heats, remove steaks from the bag, then sear 1 minute per side. Your steak is perfectly cooked thanks to the sous vide method, and the quick sear creates a sensational, tasty crust.

This method of cooking places meat or food into a regular sealed plastic bag in a hot water bath. A cylinder-shaped device sits inside the pot of water with a magnet at the bottom to hold it upright, or without a magnet having a clamp to hold to the pan’s side.

The water is heated with the device for the food to reach your sought-after temperature without overcooking the meat or food. Lovers of this small kitchen appliance support this way of cooking for a cut of meat that is consistently juicy and tender inside.

Fans of the best sous-vide machine convince their cooking friends to try the uncertain task of cooking a rib eye steak to perfection. This is easily accomplished by heating the water to 129-degrees F., submerging the bag with steak into the water, coming out medium-rare cooked all the way and not just the middle. Sear it to have a brown crust in a cast-iron skillet for the type steak you get at a restaurant.

It takes more time to cook this way, but the results are much better than traditional cooking on the stove or in the oven.

You do not need the vacuum sealer machine  baggies; just use Ziplock^® plastic bags. This appliance is great for freezing garden veggies, meat, poultry, and fish if you have the extra bucks to buy one. I love mine for freezing my homegrown berries and garden vegetables.

Sous Vide Cooking Times - Chart

Good Cooking and Good Luck