Sous Vide Bourbon Rib Eye Steak

This is actually the second sous vide recipe I have done. I am so lazy the first isn’t finished yet.

It turned out really well. The picture above is what it looked like right before devouring it. My dog Ragnar loved it and raved for days.

It is a little nerve wracking cooking expensive food, sous vide makes it very difficult to mess it up.

I am not an expert on it, but here is some info on it and a bit more.

This was done in my Ninja Foodi. I use this bag for Sous Vide and a vacuum comes with it.

The marinade is used to make the sauce, make sure it boils for about 5 minutes to kill any bacteria.

If you don’t have the equipment for sous vide, toss the steak on the stovetop or a grill.

It is a simple, but fairly expensive recipe. Use USDA prime rib eye if you can, but choice is okay. Avoid select. I am unsure how beef is graded outside the US. Prime is the top grading and applies to about 2% of beef produced. Choice is the second best. There is a noticeable difference between the two but I think they are both good for this recipe. Select beef is not to be selected. Ha!

Rib eye steak is cut from prime rib and trimmed, which is why it is so expensive and is also a confusing name. It has nothing to do with the USDA Prime label. Prime rib roast is also called a standing rib roast.

Sous Vide Bourbon Rib Eye

1 lb or so Prime or choice rib eye steak
1 1/4 C Bourbon
3/4 C Worcestershire Sauce
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp corn starch

• Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl, except for the steak, water, and cornstarch
• Place the steak in a square container with a lid, pour the mixture over it, and make sure all sides are well-coated
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, up to 48 hours
• Every so often give the steak a shake, or turn it over and re-cover and refrigerate.
• Two hours before you start cooking it, remove it from the refrigerator and set it on the counter
• Take the steak out of the marinade and set the liquid aside
• Place the steak in the sous vide bag and remove the air from it
• Set the sous vide thermostat to 135 F to 140 F - this will get you a range from medium rare to medium
• Place the bag in the water. In the Ninja Foodi, put the pressure lid on set to release the pressure
• Cook it for 2-4 hours
• About 20 minutes before the timer rings, place the marinate in a small pot and heat it to boiling for 5 minutes, stirring often
• Reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until it reduces in volume
• If you want to thicken it, mix the water and cornstarch in a small bowl
• Very slowly pour in a little of the mixture and stir, until it is the thickness you like. To keep it smooth, keep it on low heat until serving time
• When the cooking time for the steak is over, heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat with a thin coat of a high heat oil like avacado oil
• Remove the steak from the bag, and place it in the skillet. Cook it just enough to brown both sides
• Let it rest off the heat for 8-10 minutes before serving

I don’t know anything about bourbon. A search produced many lists of good bourbon to cook with. I settled with Elijah Craig Small Batch, because it sounded interesting, and it came in a small bottle - since I don’t drink - and wasn’t massively expensive.

Several recipes that I saw had twice as much salt and pepper, but it seemed that would overpower everything else. If you like more salt and pepper it is probably okay to increase it a bit.

I take the steak out of the refrigerator two hours before to let the meat come to room temperature to make it the cooking time quicker.

Meat cooked with the sous vide technique, produces meat that doesn’t look very good. That is why it is tossed on the stove top for a bit.

If you don’t want to use the marinade for the sauce compound butter is popular for rib eye, but I am not a fan of adding more fat to something that is well-marbled.

Here is a guide to beef cooking temps. If you like it well done, I would avoid setting the thermometer over 145 F.

A good companion is stuffed potatoes, also called twice-baked potatoes.

This was enough for me and Ragnar to get two meals out of.