Note: I was sent jars of Le Sauce & Co Finishing Sauces in order to write this post. All opinions are mine alone.
For the last few months, I’ve been messing around with a new toy: a precision cooker that allows me to cook sous vide (which means “under vacuum”).
To cook sous vide, you add ingredients to a sealed plastic bag (or glass jar) and cook it in water that has been brought to a specific temperature. Cooking using this method takes considerably longer than sautéing, roasting, or grilling, but the result is a perfectly even and tender meal! I’ve made a few things sous vide so far, but wanted to first share the most common recipe: Sous Vide Steak. This cooking method seals in moisture and results in a super flavorful steak, so you only need a simple sauce to complete your meal.
I drizzled my Sous Vide Steak with a sauce from Le Sauce & Co.: Classic Green Peppercorn Sauce. Le Sauce is a boutique, craft food company that believes every meal should be an experience. They have four different finishing sauces that elevate a meal with little effort! The Classic Green Peppercorn Sauce is the perfect complement to a perfectly cooked steak, and is made with cream, butter, shallots. cognac, and green peppercorns. Other finishing sauces include Coconut Thai Red Curry, Roasted Poblano & Garlic, and White Wine Lemon & Garlic, and all can be found on Amazon.
Ingredients:
- 2 (8 to 12 oz) boneless beef tenderloin steaks
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or other oil with a high smoking temperature
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Le Sauce & Co‘s Classic Green Peppercorn Sauce
- Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish
Tools:
- Large pasta pot or other large container
- Precision cooker (I used an Anova)
- Medium freezer zip top bag, vacuum seal bag, or silicone bag
- cast iron skillet
To make, fill a large pot or container with water. Latch the precision cooker to the pot/container and plug in. Set the precision cooker to 130ºF (54.4ºC). (Note: You do not need to have this on your stovetop, but I’d suggest putting a trivet or towel underneath. The precision cooker will warm the water to the correct temperature and keeps the water moving.)
While the water comes to temperature, generously season your steaks with salt and pepper on both sides.
Peel and smash your garlic cloves. Add the seasoned steak and garlic cloves to your zip top bag, vacuum seal bag, or silicone bag. Seal your bag using the water immersion technique (below) or a vacuum sealer on the dry setting.
Water Immersion Technique: Fill a large bowl with water. Slowly lower the bagged food into the bowl, pressing the air through the top of the bag. Once most of the air is out, carefully seal the bag just above the water line. Make sure the bag is fully sealed.
When your cooking water has reached the correct temperature, place your sealed bag in the water bath and set your timer to 2 hours.
After 2 hours, remove the bag from the water and remove the steaks from the bag. Discard the garlic cloves. Thoroughly pat dry the steaks with paper towels.
Set aside and heat a cash iron skillet over high heat. (I strongly suggest opening your windows, turning on a fan… you’re going to get this pan screaming hot.) Add the oil, and heat until it begins to smoke.
Add the steak and sear for 30 seconds.
Flip the steak and sear for another 30 seconds.
Flip the steak again and cook for 30 seconds.
Flip the steak one more time, and add the tablespoon of butter, coating the steak in the butter as it melts.
Remove the steak from heat and set aside.
Add a few tablespoons of Le sauce & Co’s Classic Green Peppercorn sauce to a small pot over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes or until heated through.
Serve the steak topped with a drizzle of the heated Le Sauce & Co. Classic Green Peppercorn Sauce.
I sliced mine up so you can see how beautiful the result is! The steak is a perfect pink from end to end, with a wonderful crust on the outside.
My husband and I absolutely devoured this! And I won’t lie, we may have added a bit more than a drizzle of the Classic Green Peppercorn Sauce after the photos, it was SO good!
Ingredients
- 2 (8 to 12 oz) boneless beef tenderloin steaks
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or other oil with a high smoking temperature
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Le Sauce & Co‘s Classic Green Peppercorn Sauce
- Large pasta pot or other large container
- Precision cooker (I used an Anova)
- Medium freezer zip top bag, vacuum seal bag, or silicone bag
- cast iron skillet
Instructions
- To make, fill a large pot or container with water. Latch the precision cooker to the pot/container and plug in. Set the precision cooker to 130ºF (54.4ºC). (Note: You do not need to have this on your stovetop, but I’d suggest putting a trivet or towel underneath. The precision cooker will warm the water to the correct temperature and keeps the water moving.)
- While the water comes to temperature, generously season your steaks with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Peel and smash your garlic cloves. Add the seasoned steak and garlic cloves to your zip top bag, vacuum seal bag, or silicone bag. Seal your bag using the water immersion technique (below) or a vacuum sealer on the dry setting.
- Water Immersion Technique: Fill a large bowl with water. Slowly lower the bagged food into the bowl, pressing the air through the top of the bag. Once most of the air is out, carefully seal the bag just above the water line. Make sure the bag is fully sealed.
- When your cooking water has reached the correct temperature, place your sealed bag in the water bath and set your timer to 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, remove the bag from the water and remove the steaks from the bag. Thoroughly pat dry with paper towels.
- Set aside and heat a cash iron skillet over high heat. (I strongly suggest opening your windows, turning on a fan… you’re going to get this pan screaming hot.) Add the oil, and heat until it begins to smoke.
- Add the steak and sear for 30 seconds.
- Flip the steak and sear for another 30 seconds.
- Flip the steak again and cook for 30 seconds.
- Flip the steak one more time, and add the tablespoon of butter, coating the steak in the butter as it melts.
- Remove the steak from heat and set aside.
- Add a few tablespoons of Le sauce & Co’s Classic Green Peppercorn sauce to a small pot over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes or until heated through.
- Serve the steak topped with a drizzle of the heated Le Sauce & Co. Classic Green Peppercorn Sauce.
The steaks look perfect! My husband’s a steak eater and he’s been bugging me about getting a sous vide at home ever since he had one done that way at a restaurant. I’m just wondering if it’s worth getting it considering that we don’t always eat steak?
Hi Eve!
The precision cookers aren’t exactly cheap (although there are some as low as $50). However, you can definitely make more than just steak with it! So far, I’ve made different cuts of lamb and steak, but it’s awesome for poultry too! (A friend of mine made turkey breast for a Friendsgiving using sous vide and it was the juiciest turkey breast I’ve ever had!) I’m working on new recipes using different proteins to highlight all the different ways you can use the sous vide method. I’d say the biggest thing to consider is if you think you will use it often enough to justify the price, as cooking times are quite longer than stovetop or oven methods of cooking.
I hope this helps!
I think Sous Vide cooking is the best way to cook. The only down side is the lengthy cook time.