If you have ever eaten a steak at a high-end restaurant and wondered how it was cooked so perfectly from edge to edge without any grey bands of overcooked meat, the secret is likely Sous Vide.
What Does Sous Vide Mean?
Sous vide (pronounced sue-veed) is a French term meaning “under vacuum.” It is a cooking technique where food is vacuum-sealed in a bag and placed into a water bath. A device called an immersion circulator heats the water to a highly precise temperature and circulates it around the food.
How It Works
When you cook a steak in a pan or on a grill, the heat source is much hotter than the desired final temperature of the meat. You have to remove it at the exact right second to avoid overcooking. With sous vide, if you want a medium-rare steak (130°F), you heat the water bath to exactly 130°F. The meat cooks gently until it reaches that temperature—and it can never overcook, because the environment never gets hotter than 130°F!
The Sous Vide Process
- Season and Seal: Season your meat and place it in a vacuum-sealed bag (or a high-quality Ziploc bag using the water displacement method).
- Cook: Place the bag in the pre-heated water bath for 1 to 4 hours, depending on the thickness of the cut.
- Sear: The meat will come out perfectly cooked inside, but it won’t have a crust. You must quickly sear it in a ripping hot cast-iron skillet for 60 seconds per side to get that delicious caramelized crust.
Is It Just for Meat?
Not at all! While it is famous for steak and chicken breast, sous vide is incredible for making glazed carrots, perfectly soft-boiled eggs, and even infused oils and liquors.