Sous vide may sound like a very unusual French sentence, which isn’t far from it. It is French, but there’s not much strange about it. It’s a famous cooking method that many culinary professionals swear by. In fact, it’s so good that even you can sous vide wagyu. Learn more about how to do that right here.
You can sous vide wagyu by using the Anova Precision Cooker. Fill a water container, vacuum or place a seasoned piece of wagyu in a plastic bag, and place it in the container. Let it simmer at 135 degrees Fahrenheit for 120 minutes. When finished, sear it on a pan – 45 to 60 seconds on each side. Enjoy!
If the sous vide method sounds unfamiliar, keep reading to learn more about it, how it benefits the flavor of meat, and whether preparing wagyu this way is worth the trouble. The site Sous Vide Bee has all the information you need about Sous Vide.
What Is the Sous Vide Cooking Method and What Does It Do to Food?
Sous vide, French for “under vacuum,” is a world-renowned cooking method introduced in restaurants by the French chef Georges Pralus. While it was initially described by a British scientist in the 18th century, in 1974, Pralus was bold enough to prepare his foie gras like this.
He noticed differences in texture, fat content, and flavor compared to the traditional way of preparing this delicacy. Overall, the sous vide process is simple but may seem strange. You take the desired piece, let’s say wagyu, season it, then place it in a plastic bag and vacuum seal it.
While sealed, the steak is placed into a tub of water with a cooker and cooked for at least an hour at low temperatures. Meat isn’t the only ingredient prepared this way. You can also sous vide vegetables and even eggs.
Chefs typically swear by preparing meat this way because tenderizing it longer at lower temperatures makes it easier to cut, chew, and eat. It also preserves fat and juices within the bag. Sometimes, beef and pork can dry out and become a lifeless piece of food, but with this method, that’s nearly impossible.
Additionally, this method is reliable because it cooks foods evenly throughout. It’s not that just one part of the steak will be rare, while another well done. The entire piece will be evenly rare, or however you enjoy it. Searing afterward gives it more flavor and makes it possible to get the steak to perfection.
The Best Way to Cook a Steak Sous Vide Is By Using the Anova Precision Cooker
Nowadays, the most popular sous vide cookers are made by a company called Anova. Their precision cookers are designed to sustain high temperatures and even allow you to prepare multiple steaks (or other ingredients) simultaneously.
Anova sells multiple versions of sous vide precision cookers, and they mainly depend on how many people you can feed with each. There’s the version for two, for a dinner party and a family. Of course, they vary in prices, too, but are currently the number one cookers globally.
If you already have one at home, all you have to do is get yourself a delicious piece of Japanese beef and prepare to eat one of the finest steaks you’ve ever had.
What Is Wagyu and How Is It Different from an American Ribeye Steak?
You may have heard of the name wagyu before but aren’t sure what it is. It’s the name of a Japanese cow sort, which simply means – a Japanese cow.
These cows are grass-fed and typically black in color. Their metabolism is why their steaks are incredibly delicious, and only they have this gene. Their steaks look like a marbled surface, and they’re pale reddish-pink in color with pearly white fat strains all over.
The beef looks unlike anything you’ve ever seen, but it’s not just its looks – it also tastes unlike anything you’ve ever eaten. The tenderness comes from the marbled fat, mainly because it nourishes the surrounding meat and gives it a chewy, buttery texture when seared on a pan.
Few Recipes Entail Wagyu Because It’s the Most Expensive Steak
The main reason for not being able to eat Japanese beef for breakfast, lunch, and dinner is because it’s expensive. A pound of the highest grade, A5 wagyu beef, goes for as much as $250 in some restaurants and markets, making it, officially, the most expensive meat in the world.
You can find authentic, A5-grade Japanese beef in supermarkets such as Costco or online from official distributors. You may now start wondering if cooking such an expensive piece of beef in a vacuum-sealed bag and some water may be a waste of it, but it isn’t.
By using the sous vide method, your steak will preserve its juices and fat and stay evenly cooked throughout. This means each bite will be the same delicious piece of beef. Below, you can find the right way to prepare steaks this way and what to add to it for a nice family meal.
Use These Recipes to Cook Your Sous Vide Wagyu and Get the Best Flavors Out Of It
Now that you have your Anova Precision Cooker and the piece of Japanese beef you want to prepare, there’s a set of steps you need to follow in order to do this right. Here’s how to prepare your steak in the Anova cooker:
- Pour water into a pot or the precision cooker container and preheat it,
- Cut your steak into smaller pieces, if desired,
- Season it with salt, pepper, and any other spices you like,
- Put the steak in a plastic bag (or vacuum it if you have the sealing machine)
- Cook it in the water for 2 hours at 135 degrees Fahrenheit,
- Once it’s done cooking, let it sit for around 15 minutes,
- Warm-up some butter on a pan or skillet,
- Sear the steak for 45-60 seconds on each side, or until you see a nice crust,
- Let it sit for a few minutes and then serve.
Searing the beef after it cooks gives it some crunch and livelihood since food that’s only been cooked can often be bland. This way, you get an evenly cooked piece of beef that’s also crunchy at the first bite.
Serve Your Cooked Steak On Top Of Rice, Like Sushi
Serving an expensive steak can sometimes be enough of a meal, but there are multiple side dishes to add to the beef you prepared. For example, you can prepare some rice beforehand, season it and create small sushi pieces. This is all you have to do:
- Season and cook the rice; add whichever spices you wish, but make sure to add salt,
- Add some white vinegar to it after it cools for aroma and stickiness,
- Divide the rice into smaller portions,
- Cut the cooked beef into thin, short strips,
- Cover the rice portions with the steak,
- Enjoy some meaty sushi and the many flavors it brings.
If you’re not really into eating beef like this, don’t cut it so thinly. Serve it right beside the rice, together with a sauce or some cooked vegetables.
You Can Also Eat the Sous Vide Steak With Oven-Baked Vegetables
Next to cooking rice, try adding some veggies into the mix. That way, the meal will be well-rounded, nutritious, and, most importantly, tastier. Here’s a simple recipe for oven-baked, crispy veggies in 20 minutes:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit,
- Chop carrots, broccoli, and sweet (or regular) potatoes into small pieces,
- Place baking paper on a pan and put the veggies on it,
- Season the vegetables with salt, pepper, and any seasoning you like, and then drizzle with some olive oil (or any other you use,)
- Mix it all together with your hands or a spoon to even out the amount of seasoning and oil,
- Place in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes or until you see the potatoes getting golden brown,
- Serve with the beef and some rice on the side, and enjoy a hearty meal.
This Cooking Method Won’t Damage or Decrease the Quality of Wagyu
Sous vide may sound like a scary way to cook wagyu, but it’s actually one of the best and healthiest methods for it. It’s basically cooked in its own juices and then just slightly buttered and seared for flavor. Besides, this method is how you get an optimally cooked steak.
If you’ve bought some Japanese beef and wish to use it in the best way possible, this method won’t ruin it. It’ll give you the most exquisite-tasting piece of beef and a delicious meal that’ll impress anyone you cook it for. Share the food with someone you love and make this one of the tastiest bonding experiences.
