Many chefs and cooking enthusiasts consider sous vide as the most convenient technique for preparing frozen steak, and it is for a good reason.
For starters, this cooking method is easy to master since you only need the right sous vide equipment and you will be good to go.
If you are new to this style of cooking, it would be fair if we start by giving a short description of what sous vide entails.
So, what is sous vide? In a nutshell, sous vide is an advanced cooking technique whereby the food is wrapped in a vacuum bag and then immersed in a water bath.
The most amazing thing about this process is that it gives you full control over the cooking temperature, meaning that the steak will come out exactly how you like it.
As a cooking technique, sous vide is mostly used when cooking meats, but it can as well prove useful when handling other foods.
One thing with sous vide is that it never disappoints provided that you apply the right temperature and give the food enough time to cook.
When it comes to sous viding frozen steak, many people may have a hard time preparing the steak not because they don’t know what to do but because they are not sure of the procedure.
It’s more of like having a nice idea, but you don’t really know the best way to put it down in writing.
Well, we are going to guide you through the process of how best you can sous vide your frozen steak to get a mouth-watering dish.
How to Sous Vide Frozen Steak
To get the best results from this process, ensure that the steak is well prepared before freezing it because this improves taste and texture.
The first step is to slice the steak into manageable slices that are not too thick or thin. Thick steak takes more time to cook, while thin ones are likely to overcook and may get mushy.
As such, the steak should be 1-2 inches thick, but you can go for the thickness that best suits you.
After this, you can consider seasoning, marinating, or spicing the steak according to your taste and preference before putting it in a freezer bag.
Ensure that the bag is tightly sealed to prevent the water bath from soaking up the steak during the cooking process.
Once that is done, slowly submerge the bag into the water bath and allow the steak to cook.
What is the ideal temperature for the sous vide process when preparing frozen steak?
The temperature may vary depending on how you like your steak. That being said, the temperature required to sous vide medium rare steak is not the same as that needed when cooking steak that is well done.
Highlighted below is a quick temperature guide that you can use depending on the doneness that you want;
- Rare: If you like your steak rare, you can set the temperature at 120°F.
- Medium Rare: For medium rare, the water bath should be at 129°F, but you can increase it by a few degrees provided that it does not exceed 134°F.
- Medium: The temperature setting for medium steak is only a few degrees higher than that of medium rare, so you can adjust the temperature up to 140°F.
- Medium Well: For medium-well steak, 145°F will do.
- Well Done: If you prefer cooking the steak to this level of doneness, you can use 156°F to 160°F.
The above temperatures will provide you with exceptional results as long as the steak is given enough time to cook.
Talking of time, this is also another factor that you need to focus on, especially when sous viding frozen steak.
The regular cooking time for steak ranges between 1-3 hours depending on the thickness and toughness of the steak.
However, when cooking steak through the sous vide process, it should be left in the water bath a bit longer to make up for the time taken during the thawing process.
According to professional chefs and meat experts, frozen steak should take up to thirty minutes longer in the water bath.
This means that if the regular cooking time is two hours, the steak should be left to sit inside the bath for two hours thirty minutes.
Once the meat is done cooking, you can safely take it out of the bag and serve it directly. If you like, you can sear the steak to get the desired crustiness.
How effective is the sous vide process?
This cooking technique is not only convenient but also reliable. To make it even better, it does not lower the quality of your steak in any way, so the meat will come out flavorful and equally juicy.
To add to this, steak that is prepared through the sous vide process has excellent texture and is also more nutritious compared to one that is boiled directly in a pot.
Furthermore, you won’t have to thaw the steak prior to the sous vide process, meaning that you can cook your steak right from the freezer.
Additionally, the process does not require the use of specialized bags since you package the steak in regular Ziploc freezer bags or vacuum pouches.
Nevertheless, you have to ensure that the bag is vacuum-sealed. This will remove air, thus preventing the pouch from floating in the water bath.
Final Thoughts
The sous vide technique is one of the best ways that you can prepare your steak.
And the good thing is that it does matter whether the steak is frozen or fresh, this cooking technique will get the job done.
All you need is the right sous vide equipment and a set of easy-to-follow instructions like the ones that we have highlighted above.
Also, you should give the steak enough time to cook since this will determine how the meat will taste after you are done cooking.
You are free to adjust the cooking time according to your preference, but the recommended temperature levels should be maintained at all times.
