It’s been awhile since I posted–no excuse.
Beef steak has fat on it. Waygu beef steak has fat in it, described as “genetic marbling of fat inside the cow’s muscle tissue. The cows are a special breed and hand raised from birth to slaughter. Kobe Beef is a brand name and there are others. Thought I’d try it, so I got this steak from Balducci at $60 a pound!
Yes it was a remarkably more marbled thick strip steak weighing in at 10 ounces. I seasoned it aggressively with salt and pepper then vacuum-sealed it in a plastic pouch and cooked it sous vide at 131F water bath for 45 minutes. It came out of the pouch at 121F. Then the steak was flash seared in a hot cast iron skillet where it gained a few degrees of doneness.
If you know your numbers, sous vide is bomb proof—that’s why it’s popular in restaurant kitchens and increasingly at home. I had a little anxiety as I had not done this cut before. I do filet mignon at 135F and, as this strip steak was thinner, I dropped the temp to 131F. Done. Out of the searing pan and onto a heated plate, the steak knife reveled a beautiful rare steak.
That said, I was a bit underwhelmed. A very good steak, perfectly done, but not great. Maybe it was the cut, as I favor filet mignons. Try it again? Another cut maybe. But for the price???
