Hmm. Cook a steak sous vide and finish it off with a a torch?

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bacteria and vacuums...

Um, bacteria can thrive in a vacuum. Just ask the bacteria that causes Botulism in canned goods. They are one of many anaerobic bacteria.

 

The only thing keeping the meat from becoming a lethal cauldron of deadly toxins is the temperature. Evidently 120F for hours is hot enough to prevent noxious bacteria from growing. But probably not hot enough to kill them.

 
 
I had been doing steaks exclusively outdoors on the gas grill, or in the olden days over coals, for as long as I can remember.  Then a couple of years ago for some reason, perhaps weather conditions, I decided to give pan searing a try.  After looking through various cook books, I found the method that sounded best in The Way to Cook by J. Child, a coffee table sized book I found cheap at a thrift store.

 

As has been mentioned above, it's all about a hot skillet filmed with butter and oil and just a couple of minutes per side.  Our Electrolux Icon's two front burners put out some kick-ass BTUs so it's quite capable.  The thing that really makes the dish is the sauce, which is basically butter, minced shallots and red wine in the same skillet with about a tablespoon of the drippings, reduced down to thicken while the steaks are covered on a platter and resting.  Add chopped parsley at the end of cooking, then drizzle over the steaks.

 

The first time I did this, it smelled like a fancy steakhouse in the kitchen, but without an exhaust fan the smoke alarm in the adjacent family room goes crazy, so for me, even this indoor method requires warm weather when doors and windows can be open.
 
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-language: HE;">This short article gives some helpful insight into salmonella.  You can see from the chart why low-temperature cooking is fine.  I don</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-language: HE;">’t care for</span> sous-vide food, but I’m not afraid of it:</span>

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-language: HE;">www.cookingsousvide.com/info/sous...</span>

 

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-language: HE;">I’ve posted this article before, with some of my signature griping:
http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?53933</span>

 

 

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-language: HE;">Here is the most important information:</span>

<span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; color: #333333; mso-ligatures: none; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE;">Bacteria begin to die in direct relation to the temperature they are exposed to.</span>

 

<span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; color: #333333; mso-ligatures: none; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE;">The best way to visualize this is to think about how we humans react to heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>We do fine in climates where the temperature is below 100ºF degrees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>However, once it begins to climb around 110ºF or 120ºF, you begin to hear about deaths in the news due to heat stroke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>If the temperature were to raise to 200ºF stepping outside for more than a few seconds would kill you. </span>

 

<span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; color: #333333; mso-ligatures: none; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE;">Bacteria behave in the exact same way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>They begin to die at around 135ºF, and 165ºF just about instantly kills them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>You can see this in the chart below for 1% fat chicken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The bottom axis is the temperature the chicken is held at and the left axis is how many minutes at that temperature are required to bring the bacteria to safe levels. </span>

 

<span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; color: #333333; mso-ligatures: none; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE;">This concept is why the USDA recommends that chicken is cooked to 165ºF, because at that temperature it takes only a few seconds for enough bacteria to die to achieve acceptable safety levels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>In comparison, at 136ºF it takes 63.3 minutes at that temperature to achieve the same safety level, something that is virtually impossible using traditional cooking methods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Using sous vide makes it possible to heat chicken to an internal temperature of as low as 136ºF and hold it there long enough to kill the bacteria.</span>

mikael3-2016031815541504922_1.jpg
 
Going back to that bit about resting the steak in foil, under a towel...

 

Thomas Keller ‘rests’ his steaks in a big ol’ bucket o’ butter, which sounds simultaneously delicious and revolting.  Apparently, this method ensures that 1) no juices can escape the steak (since oil and water don’t mix), 2) the meat is held at a perfect temperature, and 3) there’s an added unctuous quality to the finished steak.  The used butter makes its way into sauces and such.  (Actually, Chef Keller uses beurre monté, but ‘bucket o’ butter’ sounds so much more exciting.)

 

This would take a lot of butter in a home kitchen, but it would not be wasted.  I can think of a lot of things to do with steaky butter.

 

I have yet to try this, but it’s on my list.
 
Hi Malcolm.
Thanks for the info. I am Serv Safe Certified but it's just my personal preference. Like people still eating Raw Shellfish. I used to but I am too afraid of the water no matter how many times they are tested for whatever the latest Bacteria trend at the moment.

Hi John.
Yes, I was looking at propane single burners today and that is the route I am going from now on. As I get older, the last time I used propane and ate off the grill, I could taste the Fuel.
So it's the Skillet and Out doors for me. :)
However, all the graphs and safety tests, Board of Health rules and Regs., etc. is fine and I am glad that there is proof that there will be no danger. But it makes me Schkeeve. And at 60 years old I just received my Certificate for the "Junior Level" from the Right to be a Curmudgeon Board of the U.S.

And Yes. I would have a 40" Double Oven Frigidaire with RadiantTubes and the Heat Minder Burner outside under cover for that Warm Weather Cooking. It's hard to put the Terrace Top aside right now as it's so damn cute and I love the Range. But the Custom Imperial is one of my Favorites. One of these days, I have to play with the 30" Flair too.

Rich (Suds) We're on the same Page. Just ain't gonna do it. Ain't gonna try it. Especially with a "Compromised Immune System". :(

Ralph, I'll be over next weekend. Maybe I'll bring Dan too. :)
 
Eddy,  that is beautiful sear on your steak.   I always think of the "Smith & Woolensky" steak in the "Devil wear's Prada".   Many times I have wanted to rip through the TV screen to get that beautiful steak.  Talk about product placement.  I really like your Terrace Top.   A
 
I have to wonder if you just haven't used appropriate equipment for sous vide? I've done steaks that way, though I won't go below 131 for Medium Rare. 125 is too close for comfort. But it's not about heating the steak slowly to temp, you need to be able to get it over the danger zone temp pretty quickly from what I've read.

The steaks come out amazing - if you do them for 4-6 hours they are tender beyond belief (assuming you start with a decent cut of meat), but they're not Pot Roast well done. You brown them with a nice butane torch, and you have perfect medium rare all the way through to the millimeter or less on the outside you browned. That example pic up there has almost a third of the steak more done than I assume is the target based on the rarest part of the meat.

Chicken is the other thing I love to sous vide - actually more than steak just because I like steak well done, so sous vide doesn't help there. Chicken though, especially marinated chicken - I've done it for several groups of people and had people tell me it's the best chicken they've ever had. Maybe they just have super crappy chicken the rest of the time? The only thing that has come close is chicken marinated for 2-3 days and grilled over charcoal. Of course I speed that up by Sous Vide a split chicken for 5 hours and then finishing on the grill over charcoal for 40 min or so. Saves days of marinating and 20-50 minutes of grill time. Much easier to do consistently too.

Now, I'm not a chef - Cooking is a hobby of mine. And I use special sous vide bags in a chamber sealing vaccuum sealer, and a specific sous vide tool that goes in a bucket or pot or I use a cooler for best results. It has a thermocuple and can keep the temp +- 1/2 degree farenheit.

All this said - I don't sous vide regularily - it takes too long to do. I actually find my favorite cooking methods are more about being faster, not slower. Pressure Cooking for my Pot Roast or Corned Beef or 15 bean soup - yum, and 2hrs or so ... and the latest gadget I love is my NuWave oven. I love cooking from frozen with it - works quite well, and sooo easy and fast. It's the easiest home "rotessiere" I've ever seen. All sorts of meats come out great for me.

As to a restaruant using Sous Vide, I always figured for cheaper places without particularly skilled cooks (Like some Outback steakhouses) sous vide would at least let them actually serve something approaching the "doneness" requested. Sometimes it seems they spin the "random doneness" machine - Medium Rare comes out Medium Well, Rare comes out raw . . . If you have good chefs / cooks - there's no real reason I could see for Sous Vide, but if you're the McDonalds of steaks - standardizing on something that doesn't need much skill might not be a bad thing.
 
Hi James.

Always wanted to try the NuWave Oven. Looks like fun.

I prefer not to wait 4-5 hours for a steak. I like the Crust from the sear in the Skillet not a torch.

Just seems like a waste of time when that steak took 10 minutes and it was delicious.

Sorry Man. I'm set in my ways but love to see what others are up to and new methods. Then at your choice you van try it or shake your head and continue on your own familiar path.

Thanks Arthur. The Terrace Top is "so damn Cute". And I love cooking on it. It bakes well too. I have found the older ranges bake well because they are insulated better and heavier too. Or it's just my imagination and I love Vintage Stuff.

And no Special Equipment or Bags. LOLOLOL.
 
I have cooked my steaks in my Advantium ovens for years-turns out perfect for me.and it saves time.the gas "hotplate" the demenstrator used kinda neat.I don't have time to wait for the meat to "aftercook" esp wrapping it in foil and a towel.I just eat the thing!While its hot is when its BEST!The grill marks don't mean anything to me since I am going to EAT IT and not LOOK at it!I can put the eteak right out of the freezer and into the Advantium-works GREAT!When I am eating to get ready for work-don't have the time to spend on thawing adn resting after cooking.
 
That's what I like about the NuWave - it's far cheaper than buying a new range / oven, but lets you grab a frozen steak and cook it to medium rare in about 28 minutes (If it's ~ 3" thick, 15 min if 1" thick).

That said, quickest is *a* virtue, I wouldn't say it's *the* virtue in cooking. Some things, like marinade, jerky, baking etc are slower processes but still can come out really good.
 
Well I tried the steak rest before / rest after method, with mixed results.

 

First I followed the process to the letter: let steak warm to room temp, smeared it with high quality olive oil, then dosed it with fresh ground pepper and ground rock salt, then seared it both sides on a very hot grill. Even rotated it for the cross hatch grill marks. I used a Lodge cast iron grill pan which gives very nice results and keeps the gas grill cleaner.

 

When it was still relatively rare, took it off the grill, wrapped in foil, then wrapped in towels to rest for 10 minutes. This did the trick of continuing slow cooking and resting the meat at the same time.

 

I was not overly impressed with the final result, though. I think adding salt before grilling is a big mistake: the salt tends to draw out moisture and dry out the meat. This is consistent with the end result - the cooked steak weeped copious amounts of juices into the foil. I tried the method again without the initial salt, but with the oil and pepper. Better, but still not quite right.

 

Today I decided to pick and choose the methods I though make the most sense. I thawed a steak in the fridge for two days. Then brought it to room temp with the help of about 2-3 minutes of the "Keep Warm" setting on the microwave. I didn't bother with oil, pepper, or salt. The meat was relatively dry so I also didn't bother with patting it down. Just got the grill piping hot (covered temp almost 500F), put a little oil on a paper towel on the cast iron ribs, grilled the 1st side, turned off two of the three grill burners, then grilled the other side, as well as turning the steak for a cross hatch pattern. I kept two dinner plates warming by the grill, and into those, like a clamshell, I put the grilled steak after about 7 minutes of grilling. Then let it rest for 10 minutes, then added some fresh ground pepper.

 

End result? A tender and juicy steak with minimal run out of the juices. What there were went into the accompanying rice side, which was great.

 

So for me from now on, the warming to room temp and the after grilling rest methods seem to work well. I'm skipping oiling up the steak and adding salt or pepper before grilling. The salt only dries out the meat, and the pepper gets burnt up and loses its flavor during grilling.

 

Your mileage may vary.

 

[this post was last edited: 4/4/2016-07:24]
 
Again,

The wrapping foil, towel thing is not my preference. The "Rest" period is very important.

Hmmmm. Yes, I can see where salt is a natural for drawing out the blood and/or juices. But I have not had that issue. as long as you do not use a fork and pierce the meat, it shouldn't bleed. Also if it sticks to the pan at all, it may cause it to bleed as well if the Crust of the sear is broken.

Generally freezing meat crystallizes the natural water content in meat. So when defrosting, even in the fridge tends to make it weep out the moisture leaving the steak a tad bit dryer than if it were fresh.

Just a few thoughts.
 
These steaks are a result of a bulk buy I made a Safeway in Feb/Mar when they had bone-in rib eye steaks, choice grade, on sale for the relatively low price of $7.99 ea.

 

However I have noticed a bit of a difference between the steaks purchased on different dates. The first set were relatively dry, and don't seem to emit as much juice when cooked. The second set were a lot more moist in the store packages, and may also bleed more juice when resting after grilling. I'm also not sure if Safeway has been "micro tenderizing" with fine needles. Maybe that has (deservedly) gone out of fashion.

 

I get the grill very hot and add some oil to the hot iron before adding the meat, so there's little to no sticking and the meat gets very well seared both sides. I do make a small cut with the grain to check on doneness... but it's not the major source of juice leakage.
 
I tried the "cover and let stand" method last night and was impressed.  I either use a George Foreman or Cuisinart grill to do steaks inside and last night I put the steak in a covered warm frying pan that I pan roasted some cherry tomatoes in, and let it stand for a bit.  Steak was much more juicy and a bit more tender.  will try it again tonight when I cook the other half of the T bone.
 

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