The Everything Guide to Cooking Sous Vide (20 page)

1 (2-pound) flank steak

3 ripe medium avocados

2 medium tomatoes, diced

3 green onions, thinly sliced

¹
⁄
₄
cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 medium limes

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

12 (6") soft flour tortillas

How Much Rub?

Sous vide cooking requires less rub on the meat than other cooking methods, like grilling or searing, because the meat is sealed in with those spices over a much longer time.

1. Make the rub by mixing together the ground espresso, cocoa powder, brown sugar, salt, dry mustard, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
   
2. Fill the water bath with water. Set your sous vide machine temperature to 135°F.
   
3. Rub the flank steak all over with the spice rub. Place the steak in a food-safe bag and vacuum seal the bag.
   
4. Place the steak in the water bath and cook sous vide for 12–18 hours.
   
5. Make the guacamole while the steak is in the water bath. Cut the avocados in half, remove the pit, and scoop the avocado flesh into a medium bowl. Mash the avocado with a potato masher or fork until fairly creamy. Add the tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro to the bowl. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime into the bowl. Stir until well incorporated.
   
6. Remove the steak from the bag and pat dry with a paper towel.
   
7. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Sear the steak in the skillet for about 45–60 seconds per side.
   
8. Cut the flank steak against the grain into thin slices.
   
9. Assemble the tacos by placing a few slices of the steak on each tortilla. Spoon a dollop of guacamole and squeeze a little bit of lime juice on top.
   

Double-Seared Beef Tenderloin

By searing the beef tenderloin both before and after it is cooked in the sous vide water bath, the flavor is deepened and intensified.

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 trimmed center-cut beef tenderloin (about 1
¹
⁄
₂
–2 pounds), 2" in diameter, cut in half lengthwise

2 tablespoons oil with a high smoke point, divided (like peanut, sunflower, corn, vegetable, or safflower oil)

2 tablespoons butter

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon sea salt

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. If desired, use kitchen string to tie around each of the beef tenderloin pieces. Do this at 3 places and it will ensure an evenly round finished product.
   
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
   
3. Add the beef tenderloin pieces to the skillet and sear for about 30–60 seconds per side. Rotate the tenderloin and sear all sides.
   
4. Place the beef tenderloin pieces in separate food-safe bags and, before sealing, place them into an ice bath to chill the meat. Make sure that the opening of the bag does not go under the ice water or water will enter into the bag. Once chilled, vacuum seal the bag.
   
5. Fill the water bath with water. Set your sous vide machine temperature to 134°F for medium rare. If a different doneness for beef is desired, check
   Appendix A: Time and Temperature Charts
   .
   
6. Place the beef tenderloin in the water bath and cook sous vide for 3–4 hours.
   
7. Remove the beef tenderloin from the bag and pat dry with a paper towel.
   
8. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over high heat. Sear the tenderloin in the skillet for about 45–60 seconds per side.
   
9. While the tenderloin is searing, add the butter to the skillet and use a spoon to baste the melted butter on top of the beef tenderloin.
   
10. Remove the beef tenderloin from the skillet and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
    
11. Let rest for 3–4 minutes. Slice and serve.
    

Beef Tenderloin Medallions on Creamed Spinach and Potato Mash

This full dinner is something that could be ordered at a fine-dining restaurant. The beef is tender, the spinach is creamy, and everything is super simple to make.

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 trimmed center-cut beef tenderloin (about 1
¹
⁄
₂
–2 pounds)

¹
⁄
₄
cup butter, divided

2 medium shallots, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

4–6 cups fresh baby spinach

1 cup heavy cream

¹
⁄
₃
cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon sea salt, divided

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon oil with a high smoke point (like peanut, sunflower, corn, vegetable, or safflower oil)

4 cups
Mashed Potatoes
(for sous vide recipe, see Chapter 13)

1. Cut the beef tenderloin into 4 equal medallions (the medallions should be 1" thick).
   
2. Place the beef in a food-safe bag and vacuum seal the bags. Make sure the beef is lined up side by side and not stacked or piled. Use multiple bags if necessary.
   
3. Fill the water bath with water. Set your sous vide machine temperature to 134°F for medium rare. If a different doneness for beef is desired, check
   Appendix A: Time and Temperature Charts
   .
   
4. Place the beef in the water bath and cook sous vide for a minimum of 1 hour.
   
5. About 30 minutes before the beef is done, make the creamed spinach by heating 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots along with the garlic and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until wilted and tender. Stir in the heavy cream, Parmesan cheese,
   ¹
   ⁄
   ₂
   teaspoon salt,
   ¹
   ⁄
   ₄
   teaspoon black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Simmer and stir until the cream thickens, about 4–5 minutes. Remove from heat.
   
6. Remove the beef tenderloin from the bag and pat dry with a paper towel.
   
7. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Sear the beef medallions in the skillet for about 45–60 seconds per side. While the beef is searing, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and use a spoon to baste the beef tenderloin with the melted butter.
   
8. Remove the beef medallions from the skillet and sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper. Let rest for 3–4 minutes.
   
9. To serve, spoon some mashed potatoes on a plate, top with some creamed spinach, and place a beef medallion on top or next to the spinach.
   

Beef Tenderloin Medallions with Red Wine and Portobello Mushroom Sauce

This recipe is decadent, as the beef is so tender, it will melt in your mouth. The mushroom sauce has the deep flavor of the reduced wine.

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 trimmed center-cut beef tenderloin (about 1
¹
⁄
₂
–2 pounds)

¹
⁄
₄
cup butter, divided

2 medium shallots, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

5 cups sliced portobello mushrooms

1 cup dry red wine

1 cup beef broth

1 teaspoon sea salt, divided

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

1 tablespoon oil with a high smoke point, divided (like peanut, sunflower, corn, vegetable, or safflower oil)

1. Cut the beef tenderloin into 4 equal medallions (the medallions should be 1" thick).
   
2. Place the beef in a food-safe bag and vacuum seal the bag. Make sure the beef is lined up side by side and not stacked or piled. Use multiple bags if necessary.
   
3. Fill the water bath with water. Set your sous vide machine temperature to 134°F for medium rare. If a different doneness for steak is desired, check
   Appendix A: Time and Temperature Charts
   .
   
4. Place the beef in the water bath and cook sous vide for a minimum of 1 hour.
   
5. About 30 minutes before the beef is done cooking, make the red wine and portobello mushroom sauce by heating 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots along with the garlic and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until tender. Pour in the red wine and beef broth. Stirring often, let it simmer and reduce for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle in
   ¹
   ⁄
   ₂
   teaspoon of the salt and
   ¹
   ⁄
   ₄
   teaspoon black pepper. Remove from the heat.
   
6. Remove the beef tenderloin from the bag and pat dry with a paper towel.
   
7. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Sear the tenderloins in the skillet for about 45–60 seconds per side. While the beef is searing, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet, and use a spoon to baste the beef medallions with the melted butter.
   
8. Remove the beef medallions from the skillet and sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper. Let rest for 3–4 minutes.
   
9. To serve, place each beef medallion on a plate and top with some of the red wine and portobello mushroom sauce.
   

Beer-Braised Beef and Swiss Melt

The low and slow cooking of the sous vide water bath results in super-tender beef that is ideal on this hot beef sandwich.

Ingredients

Serves 6–8

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 pounds stewing beef, cut into 1" cubes

1 cup stout beer

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons butter

2 medium sweet onions, thinly sliced

1 medium green bell pepper, cored and sliced

1 medium red bell pepper, cored and sliced

6–8 fresh crusty rolls (panini or kaiser)

2 cups grated Swiss cheese

Make-Ahead Meal

This recipe is a great option to make ahead. Simply follow the first 5 steps and then take the bag of meat out of the sous vide water bath and chill it in an ice bath. Then the meat can be placed in the fridge or even freezer for later. To serve, simply reheat the meat and follow the remaining steps to make the beef melts.

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the stewing beef to the skillet and sear for about 30–60 seconds per side. Sear the beef in batches so that the skillet is not overloaded. Chill the seared beef.
   
2. In a medium saucepan, heat the beer, tomato paste, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Let the sauce simmer at a low rolling boil for about 5–7 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
   
3. Fill the water bath with water. Set your sous vide machine temperature to 145°F.
   
4. Place the beef and the beer mixture in a food-safe bag and vacuum seal the bag. Make sure the beef is lined up side by side and not stacked or piled. Use multiple bags if necessary.
   
5. Place the beef in the water bath and cook sous vide for 18–24 hours.
   
6. Just before the beef is ready to come out of the water bath, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and peppers and cook until tender, about 7–9 minutes. Remove from heat.
   
7. Take the beef out of the water bath, open the bag, and pour it into a large bowl.
   
8. Preheat the oven to broil.
   
9. Cut the crusty buns in half lengthwise. Do not slice them all the way through. Place them on their side on a large baking sheet and open them up. Place some beef cubes in the opening of the crusty buns and then top with some sautéed onions and peppers. If desired, spoon some of the beer broth that was in the bag with the beef over the beef and veggies. Sprinkle some grated cheese on top.
   
10. Place in the oven and broil for a few minutes, or until the cheese melts and is starting to bubble. Serve.
    

Beef Goulash

This classic Hungarian dish has tender stewed meat with a rich tomato sauce served on a bed of egg noodles.

Ingredients

Serves 4–6