Sous Vide Steaks

Thanks to precise temperature control, this steak turns out more consistently than traditional steak, every time.

By
j·L吴克群ópez-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
j·L吴克群ópez-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated August 31, 2023
Medium rare steak halved on a cutting board

Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

Why This Recipe Works

  • Slow, precise cooking followed by high heat gives you perfectly even results with a nice dark crust.

Sure, with a little technique, it's not difficult to produce excellent steaks through pan-searing alone. But for flawlessly even edge-to-edge cooking and consistently foolproof results, sous vide is absolutely the better way.

To achieve a nice crust along with that perfectly cooked meat, finish these sous vide steaks in a pan or on the grill. For information on what temperature settings to use and how long to cook steak sous vide, see the note at the bottom of this recipe.

8:23

How to Cook a Steak Sous Vide

Portions of this recipe were developed as part of our partnership with Anova Culinary.


March 2010

Recipe Details

Sous Vide Steaks

Prep20 mins
Cook65 mins
Active20 mins
Total85 mins
服务4 steaks

Thanks to precise temperature control, this steak turns out more consistently than traditional steak, every time.

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  • 2 (1 1/2– to 2-inch-thick)ribeye, strip, porterhouse, or T-bonesteaks(about 1 pound/450g each), or 4 tenderloin steaks (6 to 8 ounces/170 to 225g each)

  • Kosher saltand freshly ground black pepper

  • 4sprigsthymeor rosemary (optional)

  • 2clovesgarlic(optional)

  • 2shallots, thinly sliced (optional)

  • 2tablespoons(30ml)vegetable, canola, or rice branoil(if pan-searing; optional)

  • 2tablespoons(30g)butter(if pan-searing; optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat a sous vide cooker to desired final temperature. (See note for temperature and timing charts, orfind the same charts here.) Season steaks generously with salt and pepper. Place in sous vide bags along with herbs, garlic, and shallots (if using) and distribute evenly. Seal bags and place in water bath for desired time according to charts.

    Hand placing vacuum sealed steak into sous vide cooke

  2. To Finish in a Pan:Turn on your vents and open your windows. Remove steak from water bath and bag and carefully pat dry with paper towels. Add vegetable, canola, or rice bran oil to a heavy cast iron or stainless steel skillet, then place over the hottest burner you have and preheat skillet until it starts to smoke.

  3. Gently lay steak in skillet, using your fingers or a set oftongs. If desired, add a tablespoon of butter; for a cleaner-tasting sear, omit the butter at this stage.

    Placing seasoned steak into cast iron skillet with tongs

  4. After 15 to 30 seconds, flip steak so that the second side comes into contact with the pan. Repeat, flipping steak every 15 to 30 seconds, until it has developed a nice brown sear, about 1 1/2 minutes total. If you did not add butter earlier, add butter to skillet about 30 seconds before steak is done for added richness. Serve steak immediately.

    Flipping over seared steak in cast iron skillet with tongs

  5. To Finish on the Grill:Light one chimney full of charcoal.When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange coals on one side of charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Alternatively, set half the burners on a gas grill to the highest heat setting, cover, and preheat for 10 minutes.Clean and oilgrilling grate.

  6. Remove steak from water bath and bag and carefully pat dry with paper towels. Place steak directly over hot side of grill and cook, turning every 15 to 30 seconds, until a deep, rich crust has formed, about 1 1/2 minutes total. If the fire threatens to flare up as the steak drips fat into it, suffocate the fire by closing the grill lid until the flames die out. Alternatively, transfer steak to cooler side of grill, using a set of long tongs, until flames subside. Do not allow steak to become engulfed in flames.

    Porterhouse steak cooking on a grill
    j·L吴克群opez-Alt

  7. Transfer cooked steak to a cutting board or serving platter and serve immediately.

    Cooked steak and knife on a wooden cutting board

Special Equipment

Sous vide precision cooker;重cast ironor stainless steel skillet, orgrill

温度and Timing Charts for Sous Vide Steak

Strip, Ribeye, Porterhouse/T-Bone, and Butcher's Cuts: Temps and Times

Doneness 温度Range Timing Range
Very rare to rare 120°F (49°C) to 128°F (53°C) 1 to 2 1/2 hours
Medium-rare 129°F(54°C)到134°F(57°C) 1到4个小时(2 1/2 hours max if under 130°F/54°C)
Medium 135°F (57°C) to 144°F (62°C) 1到4个小时
Medium-well 145°F (63°C) to 155°F (68°C) 1 to 3 1/2 hours
Well-done 156°F (69°C) and up 1 to 3 hours

Tenderloin: Temps and Times

Doneness 温度Range Timing Range
Very rare to rare 120°F (49°C) to 128°F (53°C) 45 minutes to 2 1/2 hours
Medium-rare 129°F(54°C)到134°F(57°C) 45 minutes to 4 hours (2 1/2 hours max if under 130°F/54°C)
Medium 135°F (57°C) to 144°F (62°C) 45 minutes to 4 hours
Medium-well 145°F (63°C) to 155°F (68°C) 45 minutes to 3 1/2 hours
Well done 156°F (69°C) and up 1 to 3 hours

Read More

Nutrition Facts(per serving)
369 Calories
26g Fat
0g Carbs
34g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 369
% Daily Value*
Total Fat26g 33%
Saturated Fat 11g 57%
Cholesterol106mg 35%
Sodium708mg 31%
Total Carbohydrate0g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein34g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 17mg 1%
Iron 3mg 18%
Potassium 380mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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