looking for advice after my first attempt. 130 degrees for 1 hour and 45 minutes.

by czfan1988

8 Comments

  1. czfan1988

    This was my first attempt at sous vide. I did this 1 pound strip for 1 hour and 45 minutes at 130 degrees. it came out way overcooked from what I was expecting from other steaks cooked under similar conditions. could my machine be faulty? just looking for advice. 

  2. SirGunther

    For that apparent level of doneness, I’d check the calibration of your machine against another thermometer.

  3. BrianKronberg

    131F for a minimum of 2 hours. You need the time to breakdown the fat and not just to cook the meat. Your sear looks good, nice color without grey area. The meat looks right. Also for steak that thin I just pan fry. Get thicker steaks for sous vide.

  4. No_Rec1979

    SV tends to work better with smoker cuts than it does with steaks.

    If you want to make something amazing with no learning curve, try beef ribs, 140 F for 36 hrs, then a light sear.

  5. mtbguy1981

    This looks about right, it’s a pretty thin steak. Anymore I usually sous vide at 128. Then I give it a nice butter basting in the cast iron pan to develop a crust. That process usually puts me at 132-33 for a finished product.

  6. Unhinged_Homecook

    Either throw the steak in the freezer for 10 mins after SV or make sure you dab the surface with a paper towel before searing.

    Key is drying out the surface before it hits the pan

  7. ledhed88

    Looks like your sear brought the temp up. Like some other people have said, I recommend patting the steaks dry from the bag and throwing them in the fridge for 10-15 minutes while you prep the sides and get your pan heated up. I’d also recommend trying a cast iron pan. I switched from stainless steel to cast iron and found I got a better crust in less time due to the higher thermal mass. You might need a few more SV attempts to perfect the steak the way you like it, but it is absolutely worth it. Great start!

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