Sous Vide Chuck Roast Steaks

from ButterYum

makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• • 3-pound chuck steak (about 1 1/2-inches thick)

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • optional butter and flaked salt for serving

Directions

• 1. Sprinkle chuck roast steak on all sides with salt and place in a gallon-size freezer bag; remove as much air as possible before sealing (alternatively, vacuum seal in appropriate vacuum bag (like a foodsaver bag).

  2. Clip bag to side of water-filled vessel, being sure steak is submerged under the water.

  3. Place the immersion circulator in vessel and be sure it is well anchored (an official sous vide vessel or a large stockpot); set the temperature for 135F and set the cook time for 24 hours. If your sous vide vessel includes a lid, you probably won’t have to worry about evaporation, but if your vessel is uncovered, monitor the water level during the entire cooking process and add water as needed (mine does not have a cover and I had to add 1-2 cups of water every 8 hours).

  4. Remove steak(s) from bag and pat dry. Sear in a very hot cast iron skillet that contains a tablespoon of oil; sear both sides for a minute or two, then sear the edges. Alternatively, you can sear the steak(s) on a grill or use a sous vide torch.

  5. If desired, finish with a pat of butter and a sprinkling of flaked sea salt.

Notes

• • When using zip-top bags, choose freezer bags over storage bags. Storage bags aren’t as sturdy and may leak during the sous vide process.

  • Be sure to remove as much air from the bag as possible so the contents stay under the water level. If needed, you can add a dull, stainless steel butter knife or spoon to the bag. The stainless steel will not affect the steak, but will keep the bag from floating to the top of the water.

  • The steak(s) should stay submerged the entire cooking process. If you have a sous vide vessel that includes a lid, use it. Otherwise, monitor the water level for evaporation during cooking and add more water as needed.

  • The sous vide vessel you use should be large enough to allow the steaks to be submerged without exceeding the “MAX” water level indicated on the immersion circulator.

  • Vacuum seal bags are a great option, but not necessary. I usually use gallon-size zip-top freezer bags.

  • Cambro containers are a clear polycarbonate that withstand temperatures up to 160F, making them a great vessel to cook using the sous vide method.

  • Some immersions circulators are magnetic, making a clamp unnecessary as long as you use a magnetic vessel such as a stainless steel stockpot.

  • Non-magnetic immersion circulators usually include a clamp to anchor to a vessel.

  • Some immersion circulators are waterproof, but not all are. Don’t be tempted to use an immersion circulator that isn’t anchored to a vessel - it can be severely damaged if the electronic components fall into the water.