The perfect well-done steak? (I know ... I know ...)
I'm a rare to medium-rare steak guy, but my wife can't stand pink. I'm VERY new at sous vide and my attempt at a well-done NY for her was a tough flop. The steak had been frozen, thawed and not cooked for a day, then refrozen/re-thawed. It was a little 'shrunken' looking (lost moisture along the way?). In any case, I tried 156 F for 3 hours and the result was tough. Obviously my time/temperature combo wasn't what was needed to break down connective tissue ... and I also wonder at what temperature are meat-tenderizing enzymes most active? Some more successful possibilities might be to use the 155-156 F range and let it cook for 8+ hours? Comments? Or maybe cook it at 131-132 F or so, for several hours, then turn the circulator up to 155 F just as a final 'brown up the inside'? Again, comments welcome. If it's possible to create a juicy tender well-done steak (1" to 1-1/2" thick) for my wife ... that would be welcome knowledge to have. In the mean time, I'll try to train her towards a nice medium and see how she fares... Thanks, All!
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I want to help you, IdahoSmoked but I have to say in advance that this conversation has a risk of your marriage ending in divorce.
If you can't convince her to enjoy steak the way it's supposed to be, I would recommend starting at more around the 140 F range and see if she can handle that. If not, you can always flop it on a pan and continue to (over cook) cook it.
Brian-
I was successfully able to get my wife convinced that medium rare is good, I don't know how I did it. -
I was able to convince my wife (whose father would not eat any meat that wasn't dried-out-like-jerky well done) by showing her articles that said the red juice is NOT blood but myoglobin (and water) and the proper cooking temperatures chart (like the one from Amazing Ribs). AND I use the same instant read thermometer they use on the British Baking Show but every time she still asks "Is this done?" I say "Yes" and she devours it. -
MarkN My dad is the same, must be be that certain era of living when 'all non-jerky meat is unsafe' is a hard thing to get past. I've fed my dad a few campfire-cooked ribeyes medium rare-ish and he loves them. They have made him a steak fan when he never was. (Gee, i wonder why, cheap steak cooked well done is awful for sure).
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The only answer to this problem that I know of is wagyu. Not kobe, A5 level craziness, but something like SRF black or Australian wagyu in the marbling score 6 or 7 range. This will give you enough marbling to go higher temp. Choice or even prime generally doesn't have enough intramuscular fat to stay juicy after all the water's been expelled.Comment
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I have been where you are not long ago. After we married my wife announced that her people are “well done people”. I have literally heard the story of her dad cooking a ribeye in the microwave. At first your best bet is going to be getting the best quality streaks you can reasonably afford. The poorer the quality the worse the outcome at well done. Some people have never had a high quality steak. I once had to cut a prime rib I had smoked to a perfect med rare into steaks and brown them in a skillet to get rid of the pink. Eventually I would learn to preheat her steaks in the oven to 135 F IT then take them to the grill. Next thanks to the help of several here, acorgihouse especially, I got the hang of SV. It’s been a long journey but over time but by leaving her steak shorter times on the grill she is at least eating her steaks on the pink side of medium. It’s a good thing I was about to start cooking cheap steaks for her because she wouldn’t have known the difference. Thank goodness we get to share the good stuff. Hang in there. A last thought, it seamed to help when I explained the pink liquid was not blood but myoglobin.Comment
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You are not going to deliver a good steak even a ruined good steak using SV alone.
What I’d recommend is SV for 90 minutes at 131, remove, pat dry, place rub on, place advacado oil or another high smoke point oil on it, and sear in cast iron pan or over charcoal until the temp is in the 140s. You can even slice the steak in two and sear the second piece until the 150s if you desire.
i expect both steaks will be ruined but at least you will have two data points on temps she can tolerate steak wise. And the presentation is at least potentially attractive versus a ugly SV steak.
I can’t promise juiciness at these temps but maybe a board sauce or mushroom sauce will be palatable.
I second the point on explaining the pink is not blood.Comment
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Joanne likes her steak well done and doesn’t care if it’s tender or juicy, that’s just how she likes it so that’s how I cook it. 🫣😢 I often have to slice hers and return it to the fire….
and no splainin’ gonna convince her the red juice ain't blood!Comment
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Buy a hamsteakComment
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It not going to be "juicy", but I've had this issue.
My inlaws like "well done" steaks.
They were visiting, when we were first married, and I just could bring myself to cook these really great ribeyes to well done.
I got them to medium well.... It's all I could do.
I just did my normal stuff - dry brine, rub, reverse sear.
My FIL said it was sthe best steak he's had in his life. He liked like it so much, that he bought a grill for me to use when I visit.
Over the years, I've weened them down to medium+. They've come a long way.
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It’s taken 35 years to bring Mrs Mosca from well done to medium. Small steps.
If you’re intent on using sous vide, then sous vide to 130°, skillet the rest of the way. Otherwise just skillet and keep flipping until they hit 145° or so.Comment
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I agree with STEbbq, about the time and temp. 131-F (never a lower temp at more than 4-hours) is medium rare and NY Strip needs to tenderize a bit, but not too much, so 2-3 hours is usually good. 140-F should be good since she doesn't like pink meat. Try cutting a steak into half or thirds and bag them separately. Pull one at two hours, raise temp 3-degrees, cook 30-minutes more, pull it, and if you have another to go, raise the temp, repeating the cycle. You'll find her sweet spot. The meat will exude juices as you raise the temperature and eventually, if you had enough pieces to try, you would get dry, leathery outcomes.
Take a look at this recipe for background information. In general, sous vide'ing beef is a function of thickness, temperature and time. I use these charts.
The freezing that you did is okay, I do it all of the time, but mostly to cut-down slabs or roasts into strip steaks, bag & seal as-is, cook by adding an hour for defrost (or use your microwave defrost cycle if it is reliable). I'll definitely sous vide and freeze, usually a weekend in advance, if I have a crowd coming for a family dinner. I'll do all of them at 131-F, and Bob will grill "to order," because some like pink and others like charcoal! LOL - where did our kids grow up?...!!
My goto method is:
1. Sous vide 2" strip at 131-F for 2-hours.
2. Cool in bag on the counter while grill heats to hot, hot, hot (or smoker).
3. Prepare sides, lay out the table, warm plates in the oven (low).
4. Remove from bags and lightly salt (and maybe pepper).
5. Hand my Seabee an instant read, point at the tray of steaks on the counter, and snap my fingers!
6. Brush the grilled steaks with melted butter and they'll be nice and pretty!
7. Graciously take all of the credit! 🥹
Much love & peace to you and your wife!
Cc: fzxdoc, because she goaded me to post in this category!Last edited by Evvy; June 28, 2024, 06:21 AM.Comment
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I also agree with doing it as if you're going to make it rare or medium rare, sear it, and gently take it up to well done. Don't hammer too much eat at it initially. Experiment. Try a fresh steak. Ribeyes are the most tender and likely will be the best bet for tender at well done too.
EDIT: Try chuck eye steaks. They're little ribeyes, from the narrower end of the rib loin into the chuck, and often way more affordable. Plus the smaller size might be more in line with a smaller appetite.Comment
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My wife is not a "pink" person at all, but I do her steaks to 145F these days, and she seems none the wiser. And she usually raves about her steak. At 145, with carry over cooking, there is little pink left. I prefer my steak at 135.
Rather than SV at two different temps, do both steaks at the same temp - say 135 or whatever YOU like, then throw hers on the grill first, and just flip often until it hits 155 IT. Throw yours on a few minutes after hers to get them done at the same time. And a bonus will be yours is cooling down and will be less likely to overcook. You can even shock yours in an ice water bath briefly to cool it down, then sear, without fear of getting it overdone.
Another trick will be to use thinner steaks, so that you CAN get hers to well done pretty quick. I.e. don't be cooking 1.5 to 2 inch thick slabs. For well done, I think you want hot and fast, flipping every 30 seconds, and thin. That way you get there fast. If you get the center of a THICK steak to 155, the outer bands will be 170, 180, who knows how overcooked. A thin steak is easier to get done without being over done, if you get my meaning.
One last thing... I kinda feel from experience that a steak seared and cooked in a CI skillet can be juicier than one seared on the grill over gas or charcoal heat. I have no science to back it up, but just feel that the skillet (or griddle) loses less moisture.Last edited by jfmorris; June 28, 2024, 07:31 AM.Comment
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Thanks, Everyone. When we first met, she was a fish & chicken person, no beef ... no pork ... all organic. She HAS come a long way and eats beef most every day now (still no pork tho'). I appreciate all the help and now have a path, and some experimenting, to see what I can do that satisfies her and still doesn't wreck the steak. We buy half-beefs (grass fed, barley finished), so have lots of steaks that cost the same per pound as the rest of the animal ...Comment
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