NOTES

Here are some additional thoughts to share:

• Why coarse sea salt? My reason is simple. I find that it is easier to spread evenly over the steak. Fine salt tends to clump up more and this results in uneven salty zones on the steak.
• Why freshly cracked pepper? Try it and I’m sure you can immediately notice the difference. It has way more flavor and fragrance than the ‘standard’ ground pepper.
• If medium rare isn’t your thing, you can try 133℉ / 56℃ for medium. What’s that you say? What’s the temperature for well done? The only well done steak we know is one that’s cooked medium rare! : )
• To really showcase the perfection of the medium rare steak, I recommend that your steak be at least 2 inch thick.
• Dry-aged beef gives a more intense ‘beefy’ flavor.
• I love ribeye as I feel it’s got the ideal amount of fat on it. It’s not the cheapest cut but it also isn’t the most expensive cut. For me, it offers the most bang for the buck.
• Marbled beef like wagyu is more expensive, but it definitely tastes better. But I also don’t like too much marbling as I feel that the beefy texture is lost. This is, of course, a very personal preference for everyone and I would invite you to experiment with a few different cuts and marbling grades to see which you like best.
• Grass-fed beef is healthier for you than grain-fed because the natural diet of the cow is grass and not grain. But it is more cost;y to maintain grass-fed cows and so it is usually a little more expensive.
• On the flip side, if you prefer more fat on your steak then grain-fed beef is probably for you as it usually has a higher fat ratio than grass-fed beef.
• There are two reasons why we advocate only seasoning the steak after it is cooked. We don’t want the salt to draw moisture out of the steak. So if you salt it after it is cooked, your steak won’t lose as much moisture. The other reason is that because we sear the steak on a scorching hot grill pan, the pepper may ‘burn’ and leave a bitter aftertaste on your steak if you season it before it is seared.
• The final sear is not actually needed because the steak is already cooked when you take it out of the water bath. It is more of a ‘cosmetic’ purpose as we are used to the look of a steak with the seared grill marks. That’s just the ‘normal’ look of a steak that we are used to. And so, if you serve the steak without sear, our eyes will tell us that there’s something ‘wrong’ with the steak.

SUMMARY

And now your steak nirvana experience awaits. You don’t need to be a MasterChef to cook the perfect medium rare steak! And because the temperature we cook the steak at is precise, we are guaranteed the perfect steak every single time!

So sous vide soon and bon appétit!