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Redneck Sous Vide Flank Steak

Cymbaline65
Cymbaline65 Posts: 800
in EggHead Forum

Thanks to all that responded to my questions regarding a reverse sear vs. Sous Vide on a Flank Steak. I decided to give the SV a try. Wet marinade (Dales, bourbon, Worcestershire) for 30 min. Then basic dry rub and Dijon mustard. Sealed and hot tubbin at 125 for 3hrs (added 2c of boiling water after the first pic.)  Served it up with a garlic herb butter. Wild rice and sautéed Fennel in white wine as sides.

What went right: the juiciest most tender Flank I've ever done. What went wrong: was a bit more done than I wanted (a perfect medium as opposed to med rare) and the sear wasn't as good as I wanted. Next time, I'll lower the CI grate be removing the fire ring.

Definitely want to play more with this technique and I think a SV unit will be in the works. If for no other reason, the ability to better time things.

 

 

 

 

 

 

imageimageimage

 

In the  Hinterlands between Cumming and Gainesville, GA
Med BGE, Weber Kettle, Weber Smokey Joe, Brinkman Dual Zone, Weber Genesis Gas Grill and portable gasser for boating
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Comments

  • jtippers
    jtippers Posts: 512
    I love the plated pic... I just tried to lick my laptop screen. Glad it all worked out!
    SBGE December 2012 •  XLBGE December 2013 •  Yoder YS640 July
    Location: Jasper, Georgia

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  • Raymont
    Raymont Posts: 710
    Awesome. At 125 degrees the SV should not have overcooked, but it is quite possible the sear raised the internal temp (135 is medium). 

    Small & Large BGE

    Nashville, TN

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  • Cymbaline65
    Cymbaline65 Posts: 800
    @Raymont: I'm sure that's the case. Regardless, the family likes their beef more done than me. This approach and the results were enough for even my wife to comment that she really liked it. Not usually her style.
    In the  Hinterlands between Cumming and Gainesville, GA
    Med BGE, Weber Kettle, Weber Smokey Joe, Brinkman Dual Zone, Weber Genesis Gas Grill and portable gasser for boating
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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,731
    Nice! Looks like a great meal.  I dont cook flank steak much,  but so many great cooks on here make me want to rethink that. 

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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  • Cymbaline65
    Cymbaline65 Posts: 800
    caliking said:
    Nice! Looks like a great meal.  I dont cook flank steak much,  but so many great cooks on here make me want to rethink that. 
    We love Flank. Problem is, like many "cheap cuts" a decade ago, Flank is quite expensive here in GA. If not on sale, it can approach $9.99/lb. It's quite lean and takes to marinades very well. I'd suggest if for sure!
    In the  Hinterlands between Cumming and Gainesville, GA
    Med BGE, Weber Kettle, Weber Smokey Joe, Brinkman Dual Zone, Weber Genesis Gas Grill and portable gasser for boating
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  • Alphonse
    Alphonse Posts: 80
    Where did you get the SV bag and what is it made of?  Is it just standard vacuum pack material?
    Alan in LA (Lower Alabama that is)
    "If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you've never tried before!" 
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  • Cymbaline65
    Cymbaline65 Posts: 800
    Alphonse said:
    Where did you get the SV bag and what is it made of?  Is it just standard vacuum pack material?

    I have the standard-issue Foodsaver vacuum food sealer. The bag was a custom cut from a roll of the pack material. I did, hover, purchase a 3rd party box of pre-cut bags for about 1/2 the price of the FS-branded materials. I sealed some chicken breasts yesterday and they performed perfectly.

    Both brands are safe to use in a SV, freezer, microwave..(or so they say.)

    In the  Hinterlands between Cumming and Gainesville, GA
    Med BGE, Weber Kettle, Weber Smokey Joe, Brinkman Dual Zone, Weber Genesis Gas Grill and portable gasser for boating
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    Be careful with anything under 132* as you are not pasteurizing the meat. Tri using an ultra hot CI pan for the sear. Just a few seconds is all you need. I do flank 24 hours in the sous vide.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • Alphonse
    Alphonse Posts: 80
    Little Steven said:
    Be careful with anything under 132* as you are not pasteurizing the meat. Tri using an ultra hot CI pan for the sear. Just a few seconds is all you need. I do flank 24 hours in the sous vide.
    Steven, why do you hold it for 24 hours?  This SV method is completely new to me and as a novice, I would assume that something much less than that would suffice.

    Secondly what SV unit do you recommend?
    Thx
    Alan in LA (Lower Alabama that is)
    "If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you've never tried before!" 
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  • Cymbaline65
    Cymbaline65 Posts: 800

    @LS: Yes, I have been reading about potential issues with low-level SV temps. I'll do better next time :-)

    @Alphonse: here is the unit I'm considering. Best bang for the buck from what I've read:
    http://www.sousvides.com/?gclid=CMDMjYPqkbsCFcFj7AodnB0Auw

    In the  Hinterlands between Cumming and Gainesville, GA
    Med BGE, Weber Kettle, Weber Smokey Joe, Brinkman Dual Zone, Weber Genesis Gas Grill and portable gasser for boating
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    edited December 2013
    Alphonse said:
    Little Steven said:
    Be careful with anything under 132* as you are not pasteurizing the meat. Tri using an ultra hot CI pan for the sear. Just a few seconds is all you need. I do flank 24 hours in the sous vide.
    Steven, why do you hold it for 24 hours?  This SV method is completely new to me and as a novice, I would assume that something much less than that would suffice.

    Secondly what SV unit do you recommend?
    Thx

    I was just following a method from sous vide supreme. That was the light side too. I bought the polyscience pro. There were no immersion style units available at the time for less money. I would definitely look at one of the cheaper ones now. I think the polyscience is overkill for the purpose but I can't complain. I wanted something I could put in a cupboard easily.


    http://www.sousvidesupreme.com/en-us/sousvide_cookingtemperatures.htm.

     

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • Cymbaline65
    Cymbaline65 Posts: 800
    Not sure what happened to the plated pic..
    In the  Hinterlands between Cumming and Gainesville, GA
    Med BGE, Weber Kettle, Weber Smokey Joe, Brinkman Dual Zone, Weber Genesis Gas Grill and portable gasser for boating
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  • jtippers
    jtippers Posts: 512
    +1 on the Anova... I love mine!
    SBGE December 2012 •  XLBGE December 2013 •  Yoder YS640 July
    Location: Jasper, Georgia

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  • Hoov
    Hoov Posts: 264
    Oh man, SWMBO won't be happy when I tell her I need a sous vide set up now...
    - Proud owner of a Large BGE
    - Norman, OK
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  • GATraveller
    GATraveller Posts: 8,207
    @Hoov - for the redneck version all you need is a food saver, cooler and some hot water.

    "Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community [...] but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots."
                                                                                  -Umberto Eco

    2 Large
    Peachtree Corners, GA
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  • Cymbaline65
    Cymbaline65 Posts: 800
    Yep, GATraveller, that's all you need. That and a very accurate thermometer.
    In the  Hinterlands between Cumming and Gainesville, GA
    Med BGE, Weber Kettle, Weber Smokey Joe, Brinkman Dual Zone, Weber Genesis Gas Grill and portable gasser for boating
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  • Hoov
    Hoov Posts: 264
    Shh...don't let my better half know that there is a cheaper alternative!
    - Proud owner of a Large BGE
    - Norman, OK
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  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,832
    @Hoov Tell her you need a Poly Science immersion circulator, then when she sees the price she won't complain about a lesser model. :)
    They/Them
    Morgantown, PA

    XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer -  PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE  - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker
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  • Hoov
    Hoov Posts: 264
    Yeah, then I can swoop in and save the day when I say I found a great price on something called an Anova!
    - Proud owner of a Large BGE
    - Norman, OK
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  • Alphonse
    Alphonse Posts: 80
    Hoov said:
    Oh man, SWMBO won't be happy when I tell her I need a sous vide set up now...
    I just ordered the Cyber Monday special for my wife's birthday!  Problem solved.
    Alan in LA (Lower Alabama that is)
    "If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you've never tried before!" 
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  • 500
    500 Posts: 3,177
    Color me stupid, but can't you just place the sealed bag in a pot of water over the cooktop, keeping an eye on the temp with your Thermapen, thus eliminating the need for Sous Vide unit?  Is it cause you can't get the temp low enough? 
    I like my butt rubbed and my pork pulled.
    Member since 2009
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  • Alphonse
    Alphonse Posts: 80
    500 said:
    Color me stupid, but can't you just place the sealed bag in a pot of water over the cooktop, keeping an eye on the temp with your Thermapen, thus eliminating the need for Sous Vide unit?  Is it cause you can't get the temp low enough? 
    Tight and accurate temperature control allowing the appropriate heat transfer into the food is the key. I dont believe any of us have the patience to stand over the stove trying to control the temperature of the pot to get the bath at 135F for several hours.  The amount of heat input required changes over time due to temperature of the food changing as you heat it up and also ambient conditions.  It is this tight control that allows you to cook the meat or other foods to an exacting temperature for the desired period of time (often long periods of time depending on recipe).
    Alan in LA (Lower Alabama that is)
    "If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you've never tried before!" 
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    500 said:
    Color me stupid, but can't you just place the sealed bag in a pot of water over the cooktop, keeping an eye on the temp with your Thermapen, thus eliminating the need for Sous Vide unit?  Is it cause you can't get the temp low enough? 
    I have a two burner induction cooktop that I can control to 100*
    . What you don't understand is I needed the sous vide controller.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • 500
    500 Posts: 3,177
    Correct. You did need it. What was I thinking?
    I like my butt rubbed and my pork pulled.
    Member since 2009
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  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 11,507
    500 said:
    Color me stupid, but can't you just place the sealed bag in a pot of water over the cooktop, keeping an eye on the temp with your Thermapen, thus eliminating the need for Sous Vide unit?  Is it cause you can't get the temp low enough? 
    have fun with this recipe :))
    http://modernistcuisine.com/recipes/72-hour-braised-short-ribs/

    canuckland
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  • 500
    500 Posts: 3,177
    OK. I can see the need for one. I need a swing rack or AR first though.
    I like my butt rubbed and my pork pulled.
    Member since 2009
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