Steak (sous vide) Tenderloin Filet

If you don't know what sous vide is, it's a cooking technique that uses a water bath to gently cook food in a vacuum sealed bag at a precise temperature which will cook food to the exact level of doneness desire, every time.  

Cooking sous vide requires a precision cooker, a plastic bag or vacuum sealer and a large pot or container.  I have the Anova Precision Cooker 3.0 which is a stand-alone immersion circulator.  It heats the water and circulates it around the pot or container to maintain a precise temperature evenly.  

I no longer have a vacuum sealer (long story but it broke) so I use zip lock bags to sous vide.  You have to get all the air out so that the bag sinks and is immersed.  All you do to get the air out of the zip lock bag is slowly submerge it in the water bath.  As the water level rises, the water pressure will push out any remaining air and then seal it.  Make sure you seal it good, you don't want ANY water in your bag!

**When choosing a plastic bag for sous vide, look for one made from food grade plastic that's free of BPA.  

This is the one I have - Anova Precision Cooker 3.0

I also have this Everie Sous Vide 12quart container with lid from Amazon

You don't really need a special container as the precision cooker will clamp onto any pot.

Now to talk about the best steak I have ever cooked.  

First thing you need to do is set up your sous vide.  I like to fill with hot tap water because if you fill it with cold water it takes a long time to get the water up to temperature.    Set temperature and preheat.

*I usually set up the sous vide on my stove top but if I set on counter I always put container on a pot holder or trivet just to be safe as it does stay hot for hours.  My counters are heat resistant but don't want to take any chances.

I seasoned the tenderloin filets generously with salt and pepper, then placed in a gallon zip lock bag along with a couple thyme sprigs (not necessary but I had some in the fridge).  Place the bag in the preheated water set to 132°F for medium rare.  Once the air was all out I sealed the bag.  I like to clamp the top of the zip lock bag to the side of the container so it stays put and also it assures me that no water will get into the bag.  Cook for at least 1 1/2 hour, and up to 3 hours.  The thing is, once the steak reaches 132°F it stays at 132°F  and doesn't get overcooked.  I kept my in for 2 hours.

When ready

When steaks have Sous vide, heat up a cast iron skillet (medium high) on the stove with a little high temp oil, like avocado oil. Remove steaks from bag, and dry on paper towels to insure steaks will sear and get a nice crust.  Add steaks to skillet or very hot grill and sear until well-browned on first side, about 1 minute. Flip steaks and sear on second side, about 1-minute longer.  Don’t sear any longer, you don’t need to cook anymore just getting a nice sear on it. I also seared the sides as the steaks were thick.  Transfer steaks to plate or cutting board and allow to rest at least 1 minute.  

Cooked to perfection!  Enjoy!

So easy!

1.  Sous Vide at least 1 1/2 hour or up to 3 hours at 132°F (medium rare)

2.  Then sear on cast iron or very hot grill.

3.  Let rest and ENJOY!

Pan-Seared Strip Steak or Ribeye

I have told so many people about this recipe because it's my new favorite way to make a strip or ribeye steak.  This genius recipe comes from America's Test Kitchen.  This method blew my mind!  No more guessing if I undercooked or overcooked the steak, with this method the steaks cook to a perfect medium rare.  This method is different because you start the steak in a cold nonstick skillet with no oil.  You do need a thick (1 1/2 inch) well marbled steak so that the fat helps to achieve a good sear on the outside without overcooking the interior.  Also you'll need a meat thermometer.  See instructions below but you simply flip every two minutes until temperature reads 125 degrees, then let rest 5 minutes and slice.  Tender, juicy and delicious!

1.  Sprinkle each steak (well marbled boneless strip or ribeye steak 1 1/2 inch thick) with kosher salt and put in fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours before cooking.

2. When ready to cook remove from fridge and pat them dry with paper towels.  Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. You don't need any extra salt.

3.  Place steaks 1 inch apart in cold nonstick skillet.  Place skillet over high heat and cook steaks for 2 minutes.  Flip steaks and cook on second side for 2 minutes.  (at this point neither side of steaks will be browned)

4.  Flip steaks, reduce heat to medium, and continue to cook, flipping steaks every 2 minutes, until meat register 125 degrees for medium rare. (Tip - steaks should be sizzling gently, if not, increase heat slightly and reduce heat if skillet starts to smoke.)

5.  Transfer steaks to carving board and rest for 5 minutes (VERY IMPORTANT!*see note).  Slice steaks, season steaks with salt to taste if needed. Enjoy!!

*The reason it needs to rest is because the juices need time to redistribute.  Otherwise it will just flow away, leaving you with a dry piece of meat.

                                                                                      

French Onion Soup Burgers

I love french onion soup so I knew I had to try this burger.  It did not disappoint,  with onion soup mix in the burger, caramelized onions on top, covered with melted swiss and served on an onion bun, this burger tastes like french onion soup.  So good!  This recipe comes from the blog Frugal Hausfrau.

• 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
• 1 packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix
• 2 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
• a pinch of thyme
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon brandy
• 4 to 8 slices of Swiss cheese
• 4 onion hamburger buns 

instructions:

1.  Mix ground beef with onion soup mix; set aside.

2.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add butter.  When melted and hot, add the onions, pinch of thyme, and 1/4 cup of water.  Cover with a lid and allow to simmer/steam for three or four minutes until onions are tender and the water is nearly evaporated. Remove lid and continue to cook, stirring often until onions are soft and beautifully browned, add a tablespoon of the brandy, after a minute remove the pan from heat; set aside.

Shape burgers. Cook on the stovetop in a medium-hot skillet or on the grill over medium-high heat, until burgers are done to your liking.  Add a spoonful of caramelized onions and a slice or two of cheese to the top of each burger.  Cover with a lid for a minute or two to get the cheese to melt.

In the meantime,  under broiler or grill toast buns.  Assemble burgers and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from the blog Frugal Hausfrau

                                                                    

Beef and Broccoli

I love Pinterest and pin a LOT of recipes to my board I call, recipes I want to make.   I thought I should start trying some of these recipes.  So, tonight I tried this beef and broccoli recipe and it's a keeper.  It made for an easy, tasty week night dinner.  The recipe comes from Jenny at Rainy Day Gal.  Check out Rainy Day Gal as she has a lot of great looking recipes.

Beef and Broccoli

Prep Time: 10 minutes + 1 hour for marinade Cook Time: 8 minutes
First, marinate the meat:

• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 lbs flank steak, sliced into thin strips (slice across the grain) (I used only 1 lb)

1. Whisk together the baking soda, sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, water, and vegetable oil in a large bowl. Toss the steak with the marinade to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, then proceed below.

• 1/2 c low-sodium soy sauce (Do NOT use regular. The final product will be way too salty)
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp sherry
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 heads broccoli, crowns only (I used about 5 cups broccoli)

1. In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, flour and sherry until smooth. Set aside.
2. In a large wok or saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over high heat until shimmering. Add broccoli and saute 3 minutes, stirring often. Transfer broccoli to a plate.
3. Carefully add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the hot pan. Add the marinated meat and half of the sauce mixture and saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink. Stir in the broccoli and remaining sauce. Saute 1 minute more. Serve over rice.

Serves 4

Chuck Roast Chili

I found this recipe in the "Morton's The Cookbook".   I like that this recipe has tender chunks of beef instead of ground beef.  The texture and beefy flavor make this a keeper!

This recipe calls for 2 cups of chopped onions so I love to use my onion chopper.  The onions are chopped in a snap!

 My other shortcut is chopping the 9 cloves of garlic, I use my mini food processor.

Cutting the chuck roast takes time but it's worth it.

Serves 8

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups chopped yellow onions

3 Tablespoon minced garlic (about 9 cloves)

3 pounds boneless chuck roast, trimmed some of the fat and silver skin, cut into bite-size pieces (this takes time but so worth it!  Don't worry about some fat just cut off large pieces of fat) (get a large enough roast so that when it's trimmed of it's fat you'll still have around 3 lbs)

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1 Tablespoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 

2 -14 1/2 ounce cans diced tomatoes with juice (I used petite diced)

2 - 16-ounce cans spicy chili beans if you don't want it too spicy use mild or medium chili beans)

1 cups water
2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce

1 Tablespoons beef base (bases are available in supermarkets in the soup aisle)

1 bay leaves 

Salt (1/2 tsp)
Garnish:
shredded cheese
chopped onion
sour Cream

1.  In a extra large stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to soften.  Add garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes.
2.  Add the beef, raise the heat to medium-high, and stir for about 5 minutes as it begins to lose its pink color.  Add the chili powder, cumin, and pepper and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to let the flavors develop.
3.  Add the tomatoes and their juice, beans and their juice, water, tomato sauce, and beef base.  Stir to mix well and then add the bay leaves.  Stir gently.
4.  Reduce the heat to low and let the chili simmer gently for about 3 hours (do not cover), or until the meat is tender.  Stir frequently so the chili does not stick to the bottom of the pot.  Adjust the heat up or down to maintain a slow simmer.
5.  Thin the chili with water, if necessary, and add salt to taste.   Remove the bay leaves and serve.  Serve with shredded cheese, chopped onion,  and sour cream.
6.  The chili can be cooled and refrigerated for up to 3 days and frozen for up to 1 month.  Reheat it gently, stirring frequently.

 With the leftovers, we added some extra cheese on top and had chili nachos (sour cream and guacamole on the side).  Let's just say, not one spoonful went to waste, it's that good.