Whether it was in a foodie-focused magazine, on a restaurant menu, or on your favorite cooking show, you’ve probably heard about the sous vide cooking method. But how does sous vide work, and can it be used with a premium cut of meat? Continue reading to learn answers to those questions and more about this French cooking style.

What Is Sous Vide Cooking?

While the name may be difficult to pronounce (think sue-veed), the method itself is pretty straightforward. The simplest way to describe the sous vide technique for beef, chicken, or pork is “cooking meat in water.” It doesn’t sound all that appealing, does it? Well, there’s more to it than that. In its native French, sous vide means under vacuum. The under-vacuum element prevents your meat from becoming an unappetizing, soggy mess.

How Does Sous Vide Work?

The traditional method of sous viding meat is to place the protein in a bag and use a vacuum sealer to create an airtight seal. Before sealing, you can add marinades, seasonings, herbs, sauces, and many other flavor-enhancing elements to the bag. Once the container is locked, you place it into a sous vide machine.

The machine uses a metal heating coil to gradually warm the water bath to a precise temperature from which it doesn’t fluctuate. An immersion circulator keeps the water in constant motion, eliminating hot and cold spots. The temperature-controlled water slowly cooks the content of the vacuum-sealed bag to your desired temperature. When we say slowly, we mean slowly. A steak that weighs between 10oz to 15oz could take two hours or more.

But, your patience is paid off with an evenly cooked piece of meat with a uniform temperature throughout so you can savor each bite as much as the previous one.

How Do You Finish Beef, Poultry, and Pork with a Sous Vide Machine?

Once you’ve completed cooking meat in water (and the bag, of course), you can remove it and serve it. However, if crust is a must for your steaks, chops, or other cuts, you must sear it on the grill or in a hot cast iron skillet. Just don’t forget you’re already working with a perfectly cooked piece of meat, and if you don’t want your medium rare steak to reach medium, a scorching grill or pan for about one minute per side is all you need.

What Are the Benefits of Sous Viding?

Because sous vide cookers maintain exact water temperature and circulate it at all times, you never have to worry about overcooking your meat past the desired doneness. Compare that to putting a chop, breast, or steak on the grill and getting distracted. When you finally bring your attention back to the grill, your dinner might look more like an ashtray than an entree.

Another significant advantage of using sous vide equipment as a home cook is that it requires minimal participation. In fact, until you decide to take the vacuum-sealed bag out of the water, there’s nothing else for you to do with it. You can prepare sides, read a book, go for a jog—the possibilities are endless.

When it comes to flavor and texture, sous vide works phenomenally. Because you can add marinades and such while cooking, those flavors are evenly distributed. It also keeps the juices in your meat and ensures a wonderfully tender texture for each slice and bite.

What Are the Best Meats to Sous Vide?

There are virtually no limitations when using a sous vide machine as a meat cooker. Fish, chicken, turkey, pork, beef, and goat are among the many proteins vacuum sealing and cooking in water enhance.

If you’re hosting a holiday party, a large gathering of friends and family, or trying to impress coworkers, sous vide sounds fancy and delivers exceptional steaks. Abundantly marbled cuts like bone-in and boneless ribeyes, prime rib, and tomahawks are great choices to ensure their juicy and tender qualities are preserved. But leaner cuts like flanks, hangers, and sirloins that could use a little tenderizing and added flavor from a marinade take just as well to how sous vide works.

Now That You Know How Sous Vide Works, It’s Time To Order From Good Silver

If you’re ready to cook the highest quality American Wagyu steaks, roasts, or briskets, Good Silver Steak Co. is the place for you. We welcome you to try our mouthwateringly irresistible beef and offer free shipping on orders over $200.