Medium-rare sous vide steak - achieving coloring without slicing?
I have a nice piece of prime beef (for the sake of example, let's say NY strip or filet; I observe this with both cuts). I cook it sous vide at 130 degrees for 45 minutes. I immediately pat it dry and sear in a very hot cast iron at 1m/side.
If I immediately plate it, and cut into it, it is grey throughout. The texture and juiciness is undoubtedly medium-rare, but the color is uniformly grey.
If I slice the steak post-sear and let it rest for a few mins, it turns red (I've read that to achieve the rosy medium rare color, the myoglobin in the steak needs to contact oxygen). Slicing pre-plate isn't a problem with ribeye or strip, but when I'm making a filet, I'd prefer to plate it unsliced.
My question is, is it possible to achieve the red color without slicing the steak? i.e., is there a technique so that when I make the first cut into the steak, it's already rosy red? If I rest it either following the water bath, or following the sear, will that do the trick?
Best Answer
My observation for cooking steak sous-vide and avoiding this issue is as follows:
- If I cook it in a complete vacuum, it really stays gray for a longer time. Cooking in a zip-loc bag helps me shorten the time the steak turns red.
- Normally you’re not supposed to rest the steak after sous-vide cooking. However, resting can also help (without cutting into it) the steak turning red from gray.
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Does meat brown with a sous vide?
Steak cooked completely sous vide will not have any browning on its surface, so this must be added afterward for improved flavor and texture. The stovetop is a great way to add a nice, well-browned crust to your meat.How long to sous vide a steak for medium-rare?
Sous Vide Steak TemperatureDonenessSteak/Sous Vide Temperature RangeCooking DurationVery Rare/rare120\xb0 F to 125\xb0 F1-2 1/2 hoursMedium rare125\xb0 F to 130\xb0 F1-4 hoursMedium135\xb0 F to 140\xb0 F1-4 hoursMedium well145\xb0 F to 150\xb0 F1-3 1/2 hours1 more row•Jan 12, 2020Why is sous vide meat GREY?
UPDATE: So it seems the reason was that the steak was too thin, and I seared it too much afterwards (without letting it cool off properly). Will try a thicker steak and update the result.What happens if you leave steak in sous vide too long?
After 3 to 4 hours, the texture of your steak will change. It will become more mushy. That is why it is recommended that you only cook until done (1 to 2 hours). So, overdoing it, as you describe it, would be cooking it too long so that the texture becomes undesirable.How to cook steak sous vide - Slow cooked steak - Medium rare - Medium - Medium Well - Well Done -
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Answer 2
There's a phenomenon called blooming that occurs with sous vide cooking. Basically the interior red/pink meat needs to be exposed to oxygen in order to take OB that rosy hue. So to answer your question, no you have top slice it. If you're eating a steak whole you can cut into it and watch it change color over time.
Answer 3
Try using a zip-locked bag and letting it rest for 30 minutes before searing.
The same thing happened to me. I was trying to impress some relatives from out of town with my steak. I cooked 2" thick prime Kansas City strips in the sous vide in vacuum-sealed Bags at 129-degrees for 2 hours. I then seared it on a 1,000-degree charcoal grill, one minute per side. When I cut into it, by the color it looked well done; it was totally gray--no red or pink.
The next day I sliced up some cold leftovers, and by then it was dark pink. One of my relatives saw it and said that Is how I like my steak cooked.
So, the rest before searing might be the key.
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