Help! Question: Souse Vide

[Murf]

Hey guys, I have a couple of frozen boneless rib eye steaks. I smoked them to 120 IT, vacuum sealed and then froze them. I have an Anova Sous Vide Circulator that I would like to reheat the steaks with. This will be the first time I ever used Souse Vide for anything.

The steaks are 1 1/2” thick. The plan is to reheat to 120 and then sear to 130. Is 2 - 2 1/2 hours a good time for completion?

TIA

Murf

 

[traeger860]

I don't think it'll take that long. Maybe 90 minutes max assuming you wait until the water is 120 before you drop them in.

 

[RayClem]

The general rule of thumb is that it will take an extra 30 minutes in the water bath to thaw out your meat, but of coarse, that depends upon the thickness. Since you are not trying to cook your meat, you do not need 2 1/2 hours. If you were preparing a tough cut, then leaving it in Sous Vide for longer can help tenderize the meat. However, a rib eye should not need tenderizing, especially if you purchased a higher grade of steak.

When doing tough cuts like round steak, a few hours in Sous Vide can make for a better texture. For a steak that is already tender, leaving it in Sous Vide too long might make it mushy. With a rib eye, if you add the bag to the water when it is cold then 2 hours might be fine. If you want until the water comes up to temperature before adding the steak, then you won't need that long.

 

[Shedd]

I do similar what you’re describing all the time. 2 1/2 hours isn’t going to be an issue, especially at 120, you can go much longer without a problem. I wouldn’t go 5 or more.

You’re going to love your SV, I too have a Anova with the container. Some people on here probably won’t believe it but I’ve put a whole boston butt in mine several times, smoked afterwards, smoked before, and one time I smoked it a few hours before sv then after. Really really good, just takes a long time, 18 hr in the SV alone. I hope you got a food saver or other type of vacuum sealer, the two go hand in hand. I vacuum seal many things then freeze, then warm in SV like you’re implying. Awesome!

 

[Murf]

I do similar what you’re describing all the time. 2 1/2 hours isn’t going to be an issue, especially at 120, you can go much longer without a problem. I wouldn’t go 5 or more.

You’re going to love your SV, I too have a Anova with the container. Some people on here probably won’t believe it but I’ve put a whole boston butt in mine several times, smoked afterwards, smoked before, and one time I smoked it a few hours before sv then after. Really really good, just takes a long time, 18 hr in the SV alone. I hope you got a food saver or other type of vacuum sealer, the two go hand in hand. I vacuum seal many things then freeze, then warm in SV like you’re implying. Awesome!

I ended up doing 120 for 90 minutes. I kept the steaks in the pot until my wife’s sister and her husband showed up for dinner. Then a 5 minute reverse sear on the Blackstone. If the company didn’t see me taking the steaks out of the pot, they would have thought the steaks went from the IW885 straight to the BS. Very tasty. Best of all, the wife was impressed!

I think you’re right, Shedd, I’m liking the SV! Thanks everyone!

Murf

 

[RayClem]

I ended up doing 120 for 90 minutes. I kept the steaks in the pot until my wife’s sister and her husband showed up for dinner. Then a 5 minute reverse sear on the Blackstone. If the company didn’t see me taking the steaks out of the pot, they would have thought the steaks went from the IW885 straight to the BS. Very tasty. Best of all, the wife was impressed!

I think you’re right, Shedd, I’m liking the SV! Thanks everyone!

Murf

If you wife and her relatives were pleased, you get a gold star.

 

[Murf]

My wife’s sister and her husband get invited over for all the first attempt cooks. They always say Dinner was great. They leave happy and alive!

 

[RayClem]

My wife’s sister and her husband get invited over for all the first attempt cooks. They always say Dinner was great. They leave happy and alive!

They sound like the kind of relatives everyone should have.