8man, talk to me about your sous vides prep for steaks.
I've been sticking with basic salt and pepper but wouldn't mind increasing my game if I can.
I'm a simple man when it comes to steak seasoning myself. I actually don't generally do anything in-bag for the sous vide steaks, though much of the reason for that is that I got a 1/4 cow of beef from Slagel Farms and vacuum sealed all of it at once. It would be a pain to cut open, add stuff, then reseal, so I don't generally.
My sous vide steak cook is basically:
1. 1-2 hours at 130-137°F depending on cut / thickness. I go hotter on a ribeye than the less fatty cuts.
2. Remove from bag, dry steaks, and salt fairly heavily on all sides.
3. Rest 10-15 minutes, then dry again. The salt draws out quite a bit of moisture.
4. Sear on super hot skillet w/ very thin layer of avocado oil(or other high smoke point oil) or on very hot grill. About a minute on each side, until you have a good crust.
5. Remove, add pat of butter to the top and black pepper. Possibly re-salt. Serve immediately.
Some people think adding salt to the bag pre-cook can do weird things to the texture, but I don't think it is much of an issue for a short cook. I wouldn't do it for a longer one. Adding fat to the bag seems to do nothing either way.