First hot tub steak

fiercetimbo17

Hot tubbed my first steak, well kinda did it in the sink. I let it stay in for a hour at 110 or so used some swamp venom then seared at 650 for about 5 mins total. Was on of the best steaks ive cooked or eaten.


I going to hot tub some steaks for V=day as well, got some good looking dry aged ribeyes. They were very pricey but ive been wanting to try some dry aged beef.

Zyme

Ah that's a perfect steak right there. I agree, this is my favorite method for cuts over 1 1/2" thick.

MemphisQue

Nice job. Looks like you will be eating good for v day

fiercetimbo17

If using rub when do you apply, before of after hot tubbing?

AZRP

I go 90 seconds a side in a 600° Egg after an hour in the water at 100°. Then give it a good 10-15 minute rest under loose foil. This give me a perfect med rare every time. Its a great technique. -RP

fiercetimbo17

now that i think of it i think it was only 2 mins a side. Does dry age beef cook differently due to the less moisture?

BobS

The hot tub method gives a beautifully cooked steak, but if you like that, I suggest you try the reverse sear.

Start the steak on the grill at 250 and pull it at the same target, internal temp as hot tubbing. I like to add mesquite during the warm up period. After that you can easily kick up the temp and finish the steak or even do it in a skillet inside (or on the grill).

It is the same process but extra flavor.

FrankC

I've found that dry aged steaks cook a bit faster. Stay with them so they don't run away on you...nothing's more disappointing than realizing that you've overcooked a really good steak.

AZRP

If anything just a little quicker, but when talking 90 seconds a side, why worry? Your steak looks great, I'm putting one on in a few minutes to enjoy with a sweet and sour shrimp stir fry. -RP

Hoss

All the pics look GREAT. How long was that beef dry aged(how many days)?

RRP

Funny, but I've found there is no need to let the steaks rest when I hot tub. In fact that is another one of the attributes I list as being great about hot tubbing. That is, the centers are nearly done and perfect when they go on the egg and certainly are ready to rock and roll when they come off! Besides I like the sound of sizzle on the plate when served!

BTW I also hit my steaks with canning salt 3 hours before going in the "hot tub". I'm egging a couple 45 day dry aged rib eyes tonight myself.

fiercetimbo17

These were aged 28 days. I got a vacuum sealer for the hot tub this time.
Are you using the pickling salt to draw out even more moisture? I'm trying to decide to use the swamp venom or simple s+p, I really liked the venom on the steak but I really want to be able to taste the dry aged flavor. Either way should I apply before the tub or after?

stike

i haven't hot tubbed in a while, but when i did, i used to use a large bowl (steak in a ziploc of course). the water would cool after maybe 15 minutes, and then i'd refill it. i didn't get too hung up on temp, just wanted to warm the thing. we have a small kitchen, and warming it in the large bowl kept the sink open for dirty dishes

do you know how long those steaks were dry-aged?

stike

zackly. the rest is to allow the heat to even out. and that's not needed when the whole fillet is warmed completely by immersing it in the bath

stike

28 days? they look like they are virtually unaged... hmmm.

did they trim them? if they trimmed them, then it appears they are simply on the aging bandwagon and don't have a handle on WHY beef is aged.

you might not notice much of a difference. don't give up on dry aged beef if that's the case. you might need to do a little sidewalk pounding to find some seriously aged stuff, but it will be worth it.

a dry aged steak will have experienced some oxidation, browning... and should appear very dense.

they will be good, but i fear you might not have a butcher that understands the aging 'thing'

consider trying it yourself. it isn't hard, and the results are better and far cheaper

RRP

The salt first draws out moisture, but then the meat pulls it back in along with the salt. Saturday night I overdid it and my steak was too salty for my tastes but my salt-coholicwife loved hers. I will revert back to coarse kosher salt in the future as the canning salt is so fine it literally disappears on contact so I overdid it without realizing it. As for seasoning otherwise I have gone both ways and found I like seasoning after the tub - though I seldom use a rub on steaks anymore as I like the dry aged steak to shine by itself!

fiercetimbo17

I stand corrected, it was 21 days. They are from whole foods, they have a aging fridge in the back that you can see showing the different days of aging, they looked aged but they were whole rib roasts so i guess they did trim them when cutting?
Hopefully it still has some benefits as they dry aged was $10 more a pound than the regular prime

Hoss

AMEN!

fiercetimbo17

Second attempt was a success as well, these ended up being very good. Vacuum sealed them and tubbed for an hour and then seared 2 mins a side and pulled at 129 or so. Girlfriend said the steak was the best she has ever eaten.
As far as the dry aging I'm not sure it was worth the extra money, I need to try a untrimmed one I suppose.

Mr Holloway

Awsome!!
Very nice looking steak
I just tried hot tubbing, it was amazing

Shane