My very first time using sous vide for steak. Got a NY strip steak (1 1/4 inch) and put it in at 131F for 1.5 hours. Pan seared on cast iron for 30 seconds each side. Came out sooooo chewy and really red. What did I do wrong? Nervous to sous vide anything else besides chicken breast now
by idkwhateven
28 Comments
Next time try 133 for 2.5 hours. That always works out like magic for me with that cut.
Sear the fat too
I would say your unit might be not heating at the same temp it states. Looks rare. That price should be a little more cooked.
Ever chew on raw meat? It’s super chewy, doesn’t matter what the cut is. Cook it longer. Same temp. Trust the process.
well why did you do 131? try 137 for 2hrs. also check the temp of you water with a calibrated thermometer.
Looks way under 131 to me. Could be a broken/incorrect machine?
You didn’t actually sear it.
Pan needs to be PIPPING hot. The sear needs to be crusty, and you need to sear all sides of the steak. If the fat wasn’t rendered during the sear, then it wasn’t cooked long enough during the sear
Did you pat dry it before the sear?
OP, in a comment you said you were using the Breville Turbo model.
Were you using their turbo mode that attempt to start the temperature high (to get the internal temp close to target more quickly) and then dials it back?
This is a “hack” that started in professional kitchens, but was done with a thin probe thermometer inserted into the food in the bag, sealed with a piece of waterproofing tape etc.
The breville is using a database that attempts to guess what the internal temp should be based on the type of food being cooked and how thick it is. But, if you mis enter something (say, started from frozen but entered started from thawed) that goes out the window. Photos are never the best way to tell, but it looks “raw” – which in theory shouldn’t happen with sous vide—unless the turbo mode didn’t have accurate info.
Try another cook at 130F in “normal” mode. Dry well and then sear quickly.
Looks like it was cut with the grain and not against it?
[https://steakrevolution.com/how-to-cut-steak/](https://steakrevolution.com/how-to-cut-steak/)
I do 130 for NYS and it comes out great. Is it possible the meat wasn’t great quality?
Looks like it was cut the wrong way, with the grain instead of against.
For the temp, I wonder if your setup didn’t allow for things to properly circulate resulting in a cold spot that made your steak raw. I’ve found it can happen with an overcrowded bath, too small of a bath, as well as too large of a bath. Gotta hit the right size and “crowdedness”. Not an issue 99% of the time, though.
I tend to sous vide my steaks on the longer side, lower temp. You gotta play with it around, make some test pieces at different temps and time. Document this, and you’ll always have a great steak. It just takes a couple of tries… and you may go through some tough pieces lol.
I stopped doing sousvide steaks years ago. I sous vide all kinds of foods, but man.. I think I like the traditional ways of cooking steak
One tip: it’s hard to overcook with sous-vide. You could do NY strip for 4 hours without any negative effect.
Then you add a degree or two to dial-in the color.
For the first time I reverse seared with my cast iron pan after heating it to 550F in the oven. Seared each side for 45 seconds. Yes, use a timer. The crust was fantastic and I think you’d benefit from trying it. Look up Alton Browns recipe.
This is cut along the grain. You need to cut against the grain! This is not a cooking issue, it’s a slicing issue!
Higher temp, longer time, hotter and/or longer sear depending on how you did it this time
I personally trim the fat heavily for sirloin (called NY Strip in America).
People will downvote and say “fat = flavour” but this external fat doesn’t add flavour to the meat and not everyone likes to chew fat.
With a thin fat cap, I just sear the fat cap at a lower temperature and longer time than the meat.
I sometimes hold the fat onto the pan as it’s heating up.
Your problem was the sear I think, especially if you only did 30 seconds a side. You should be using a high smoke point oil (avocado/canola) and the pan should be smoking before you put it on to sear
Next time sear the fat and cut the meat against the grain.
My sous vide reads 12* hotter than it actually is. I have to measure the water temp with a meat probe each time i use it to make sure the water is the correct temp
If the particular piece of meat is chewy it will still be chewy, so there is variance.
The interior color looks okay from the picture. If you want it more cooked, use a higher temp next time.
Go 137, and don’t bother pre-cutting. It looks nice but being able to work around the variation in grain direction can make a big difference.
Sorry, but this is raw meat, it will be chewy. Some of the suggestions on here may help. I suggest cooking in a frying pan, medium to medium high heat, turn a couple of times until nicely browned on both sides until center measures about 125 to 130 degrees. Then rest 5 minutes and enjoy. 10 to 15 minutes total, less fuss, better results. Good luck.
Cut against the grain