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Mastering Sous Vide
Recipe
2 hr 50 min

Sous Vide Butter-Basted Thick-Cut Rib-Eye Steaks

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Sous Vide Butter-Basted Thick-Cut Rib-Eye Steaks
Author: America's Test Kitchen

Recipe By America's Test Kitchen

Published on September 3, 2024

A beautifully cooked rib-eye steak is a culinary showstopper. With the help of sous vide, preparing steakhouse-quality steaks at home is a sure bet.

Time

2 hr 50 min

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Why This Recipe Works

A nicely cooked rib-eye steak is a culinary showstopper but is also a challenge to pull off. The risk of over- or undercooking—and therefore ruining an expensive cut of meat—can make cooking a thick-cut rib-eye at home an intimidating endeavor. But with the help of sous vide, preparing steak at home is suddenly a sure bet. Cooking sous vide allows you to control the precise temperature (and therefore doneness) of a steak, cooking it to the exact same temperature throughout. This means your steak is perfectly cooked every time. Sous vide steaks are often seared in a hot pan after cooking in the water bath to give them the Maillard browning we love on their exteriors. For these rib-eyes, we up the ante with butter-basting. This technique involves continuously spooning hot fat over the steaks to quickly create a nice deep-brown crust. Bonus: It also gives them the nutty flavor of browned butter. That butter is reserved and used as a rich sauce to be drizzled over top for a decadent steak dinner.Note: Because these steaks cook at a slightly lower temperature to allow enough time to properly butter-baste without overcooking, we also quickly sear them before they go into the water bath to reduce the risk of bacteria growth.

Ingredients

2 (2-pound) bone-in rib-eye steaks, about 2 inches thick, trimmed
Kosher salt and pepper
½ cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large shallot, peeled and quartered lengthwise through root end
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
5 sprigs fresh thyme

Instructions

Cook along with these step-by-step instructions

step 1 imagestep 2 imagestep 3 imagestep 4 image
  1. Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 125°F/52°C in 7-quart container.
    Recipe Tip
    This recipe cooks the steaks to a precise medium-rare. For steaks cooked to medium, bring water to 130°F/54°C with sous vide circulator.
  2. Pat steaks dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon (14 grams) oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook steaks, 1 minute per side. Place steaks in 2 separate 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bags. Add 2 tablespoons (14 grams) oil to each bag. Seal bags, pressing out as much air as possible. Gently lower bags into prepared water bath until steaks are fully submerged, and then clip top corner of each bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of each zipper, release remaining air bubbles, and reseal bags. Cover and cook for at least 2 hours or up to 3 hours.
  3. Transfer steaks to paper towel–lined plate and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Pat steaks dry with paper towels. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons (42 grams) oil in clean 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place steaks in skillet and cook, without moving, for 30 seconds. Flip steaks and continue to cook for 30 seconds.
    Recipe Tip
    This recipe moves quickly once you start searing, so have everything prepared and within arm’s reach before you start.
  4. Slide steaks to back of skillet, opposite handle, and add butter to front of skillet near handle. When butter has melted, add shallot, garlic, and thyme sprigs. Holding skillet handle, tilt skillet so butter pools near base of handle. Using metal spoon, baste steaks with butter and aromatics, concentrating on areas where crust is less browned. Continuously baste steaks, flipping every 30 seconds, until well browned on both sides, about 3 minutes.
  5. Reduce heat to medium and transfer steaks to cutting board. Using tongs, stand each steak on its side in skillet and cook, rotating as needed, until well browned on edges, about 1 minute; return to cutting board. Strain seasoned butter into small bowl; discard solids. Carve steaks off bones, then slice into ¼-inch-thick slices. Serve with seasoned butter.

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Sous Vide Butter-Basted Thick-Cut Rib-Eye Steaks

Recipe By America's Test Kitchen

Published on September 3, 2024

Time

2 hr 50 min

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Sous Vide Butter-Basted Thick-Cut Rib-Eye Steaks

Ingredients

2 (2-pound) bone-in rib-eye steaks, about 2 inches thick, trimmedKosher salt and pepper½ cup vegetable oil3 tablespoons unsalted butter1 large shallot, peeled and quartered lengthwise through root end2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed5 sprigs fresh thyme

Instructions

  1. Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 125°F/52°C in 7-quart container.
    Recipe Tip
    This recipe cooks the steaks to a precise medium-rare. For steaks cooked to medium, bring water to 130°F/54°C with sous vide circulator.
  2. Pat steaks dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon (14 grams) oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook steaks, 1 minute per side. Place steaks in 2 separate 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bags. Add 2 tablespoons (14 grams) oil to each bag. Seal bags, pressing out as much air as possible. Gently lower bags into prepared water bath until steaks are fully submerged, and then clip top corner of each bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of each zipper, release remaining air bubbles, and reseal bags. Cover and cook for at least 2 hours or up to 3 hours.
  3. Transfer steaks to paper towel–lined plate and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Pat steaks dry with paper towels. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons (42 grams) oil in clean 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place steaks in skillet and cook, without moving, for 30 seconds. Flip steaks and continue to cook for 30 seconds.
    Recipe Tip
    This recipe moves quickly once you start searing, so have everything prepared and within arm’s reach before you start.
  4. Slide steaks to back of skillet, opposite handle, and add butter to front of skillet near handle. When butter has melted, add shallot, garlic, and thyme sprigs. Holding skillet handle, tilt skillet so butter pools near base of handle. Using metal spoon, baste steaks with butter and aromatics, concentrating on areas where crust is less browned. Continuously baste steaks, flipping every 30 seconds, until well browned on both sides, about 3 minutes.
  5. Reduce heat to medium and transfer steaks to cutting board. Using tongs, stand each steak on its side in skillet and cook, rotating as needed, until well browned on edges, about 1 minute; return to cutting board. Strain seasoned butter into small bowl; discard solids. Carve steaks off bones, then slice into ¼-inch-thick slices. Serve with seasoned butter.
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