Sous Vide, Reverse-Seared Ribeye Steak

This is by far the best steak I've ever cooked, and it was EASY! Cooking the meat through with the sous vide cooker (rice cooker and temperature controller) and then searing it over as hot a flame as possible is all there is to it.

My temperature controller cost about $85 for all of the parts, but you can buy one pre-assembled from Auber Instruments (where I got most of my parts). This is the one I recommend: http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=8&prod... The charcoal chimney is $15 at Home Depot, and you can use any grilling grate you'd like (they have many at Home Depot). As for charcoal, I recommend Kingsford Competition briquettes.

Here's a drawing that shows how the controller was built!
http://www.cs-eng.us/misc/SousVideController.pdf

(Recorded and produced entirely on the iPhone 4)

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• sous
• vide
• reverse
• sear
• ribeye
• grilling

[carlchamann]

Rodney - thanks for posting the video. How did you build the controller, and is there anyone who sells a controller similar to what you built (or do you sell them?) The commercial sous vide cookers seem to be unnecessarily expensive and I'd much prefer to use my crock pot or a rice cooker. thanks,

[rodneysparks77]

@carlchamann There are a few links in the video description that should get you well on your way. Thanks for watching!

[NoCombustion]

I dont like using that garlic powder stuff but I love garlic, I use alot of garlic and I keep a big jar of it in the fridge. You can buy chopped up garlic in a jar at the store and its very easy to use and it keeps for a long time. Restaurants keep big jars of garlic like this too.

[rodneysparks77]

@NoCombustion I've found that granulated garlic, fresh garlic, and roasted garlic all have very different flavors and depending on what you're cooking, one isn't necessarily better than the other. Granulated garlic definitely has its place, especially when you want it to hang onto whatever you're cooking. Minced garlic doesn't hang on as well, and for steak, I prefer the mellower flavor of granulated garlic. I have a bottle of the minced stuff too... I use it when marinating mushrooms. ;-)

[pattanac]

Ewww! You touched the meat and put meat bacteria on the spice containers!

[rodneysparks77]

@pattanac Yeah, yeah... LOL... I was caught up in making an unscripted video and I got sloppy. I usually handle the meat and rub the spices in with tongs. ;-)

[rodneysparks77]

@NahanTrebuh I was "prodding" it... not pressing it. Not enough to squeeze juices out or anything. Regarding resting, there's no reason to let a sous vide steak rest. Resting is for re-distribution of juices due to a doneness gradient that develops in a conventionally-grilled steak. My steak didn't have a doneness gradient... it was 135 throughout, with a very thin cooked zone.

If I didn't have self-control, would I be able to leave that steak in a sous vide cooker for 3 hours? ;-)

[Hooptniet]

@carlchamann I use the PID controller dealextreme(dot)com sells. Works really well :)

[Rotorzilla]

I built one a couple weeks ago, had the most amazing steaks this past week, 134f @ 8 ~ 9 hours. I set them in the water as I am walking out the door to goto work. when I get home it is so tender you dont need a knife to cut them. pull them out and hit the grill for about 1 minute per side and its ready.

[shavepate]

nice cross contamination...touch raw meat, then handle your granulated garlic tub. gross.

[rodneysparks77]

@zaitcev I recommend getting it to settle nicely (by slightly propping the lid open, etc.) at the desired temperature without a steak in it (i.e. no temp change in 10 minutes or more), toss a steak in it, and don't touch the knob. As the steak warms up, it'll eventually settle on the same temperature it was originally.

Google "Beer Cooler Sous Vide Hack". You'll have to add hot water from time to time, but it works.