Looking to make something truly spectacular for Father's Day? Look no further than this perfectly cooked coffee crusted sous vide strip steak. Let sous vide cooking take care of reaching a perfect medium rare and focus on the fun stuff: season and searing!
No-Stress Steak
Dads deserve a little pampering on their big day! So go big to show how much he is loved appreciated! Much like a slow-cooker, a sous vide cooker allows you to “set it and forget it.” The steaks sit in a resealable bag with the air removed, submerged in a water bath at a constant temperature.
You can add seasoning, decide how you'd like it cooked, set the timer, and walk away! No more testing doneness by poking your hand.
In this post I’m going give you all of my tips and tricks for easy, delicious, and perfectly cooked sous vide steak every time!
A Cut Above the Rest
First things first. If you want a steakhouse-quality, melt-in-your-mouth tender result, then you have limited options: a filet, a ribeye, or a New York strip. Those 3 cuts of meat are on every steakhouse menu for a reason—they are the best.
If it's available, get a prime-cut steak. This isn't just a name! It has been certified prime because of the superior marbling, which leads to flavorful, juicy meat.
The raw steaks we used for this shoot are all extremely well marbled prime strip steaks and are all about 1 3/4″ thick.We paid about $24/pound for these babies at a wonderful store called Brennan’s Market in Oconomowoc, WI. A local treasure, they carry only prime beef in their store.
Try a unique, savory seasoning that is a favorite of my friend and food stylist, Jim Rude. You'll need enough of the following to cover however many steaks you're making.
- Freshly ground coffee
- Brown sugar
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Rosemary herb seasoning blend
Step-by-Step Instructions
Sous Vide Strip Steak
Combine the coffee, brown sugar, black pepper, and rosemary blend in a small dish and then rub it on all sides of the meat.
Let them rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Exposing a cold steak to high heat will make the meat tighten up, and we don't want that.
Place your steaks in a resealable bag and submerge it in water to just below the closure. Try to get as much air out of the bag as possible and then seal it up.
Submerge the sous vide machine in the water with the bag and set it to 129 degrees (many cookers come with a list of recommended temperatures for different meats). Then just let it sit for an hour! Make yourself a drink, get in an episode of your favorite show, or make some amazing smoky blue butter to top your sous vide strip steak.
Once done to the temperature you want, a quick sear on a hot grill or in a hot cast iron pan for one minute per side will give you a perfectly cooked strip every time.
Smoky Blue Butter
For that gourmet steakhouse touch, top your masterpiece with a decadent smokey blue butter made with a Wisconsin smoked blue cheese called Moody Blue by Emi Roth Cheese. Roth has taken home the blue ribbon in the world cheese championship for their Grand Cru, so they know how to make fabulous cheese. You'll need:
- Butter
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Garlic
- Bourbon
- Salt and pepper
- Smoked blue cheese
Saute butter,mushrooms, onions, and garlic in a large skillet for 15-20 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove the skillet from the heat and add bourbon (don't want any alcohol fires!). Return to heat and cook until the bourbon is almost evaporated.
Refrigerate this mixture for ten minutes. Then, add the salt & pepper and blue cheese and blend with a hand-mixer until smooth. Refrigerate until you're ready to use it.
Expert Tips & FAQs
- If you're not going to shell out for $24 steaks (I don't blame you), look for the steaks in your local market with a good amount of marbling. The fat will add tons of flavor and keep it juicy.
- What kind of coffee should I use? Use your favorite brand of whole bean coffee and grind it yourself. If you're feeling adventurous, use a flavored bean that will complement the meat.
- Before beginning the sous vie process, make sure your meat is at room temperature so the heat doesn't shock your steaks into toughening up.
- When searing the steaks, make sure your grill or pan is good and hot. They are already cooked to perfection, you just want to quickly brown them for more flavor.
- This butter recipe works well for any soft cheese that will melt completely. Try brie or Gorgonzola!
I am hungry just looking at these photos. Go with confidence and make a perfect sous vide strip steak!
Complete this incredible meal with Fire-Roasted Sweet Corn or a Ribboned Asparagus Caprese Salad. And you'll find some incredible sweets over on my desserts page!
Tell me all about your sous vide recipes in the comments below. What else have you used this technique for?
Don't wait for a special occasion, create one!
Jena
In collaboration with Jim Rude of Rude on Food.
Coffee Crusted Steak
Equipment
- Sous vide cooker
- Hand mixer
- Grill or cast iron pan
- Large container
Ingredients
- 3 Prime cut steaks
- 1 tbsp Freshly ground coffee
- 1 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup Brown sugar
- 1 tsp Rosemary blend
Smokey Blue Butter
- Butter
- Mushrooms
- Green onions
- Garlic
- Bourbon
- Salt & pepper
- Smoked blue cheese
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine coffee and next 3 ingredients. Rub on all sides of steaks and let steaks sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Place steaks in a one gallon re-sealable plastic bag. Fill a large container with about 2 gallons of water.
- Submerge bag of steaks in water just below the slide lock. Seal bag, removing as much air as possible.
- Transfer bag of steaks to a plate and set aside at room temperature while preparing sous vide cooker.
- Follow instructions for cooker and set temperature to 129 degrees.
- When water is set, place bag of steaks in the water. Cook for 1 hour.
- Remove steaks from bag and pat dry with paper towels. Transfer to a clean plate.
- Sear steaks on a very hot grill for 1 minute. Turn steaks over and grill and additional 1 minute. Transfer to plates and top with a dollop of Smoky Blue Butter. Serve.
Smoky Blue Butter
- Add butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onions and garlic. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until deep golden brown.
- Add bourbon off heat. Cook until bourbon is almost evaporated. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Transfer onion mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients and blend with a hand mixer until blended.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Notes
- If you're not going to shell out for $24 steaks (I don't blame you), look for the steaks in your local market with a good amount of marbling. That fat will add tons of flavor and keep it juicy.
- What kind of coffee should I use? Use your favorite brand of whole bean coffee and grind it yourself. If you're feeling adventurous, use a flavored bean that will complement the meat.
- Before beginning the sous vie process, make sure your steak is at room temperature so the heat doesn't shock your steaks into toughening up.
- When searing the steaks, make sure your grill or pan is good and hot. They are already cooked to perfection, you just want to quickly brown them for more flavor.
- This butter recipe works well for any soft cheese that will melt completely. Try brie or Gorgonzola!
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