Two Men Having Fun with Meat

[Steve Kroll]

I watched this video last night and thought you all might enjoy it. Adam Savage, formerly of "MythBusters," and J. Kenji Lopez-Alt of "Serious Eats" experiment to find the best method for searing steaks. I do wish they had also included pan searing, but the emphasis seems to be on outdoor methods (although the steaks were all first cooked sous vide indoors).

Obviously, they seem to enjoy playing with fire.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB1x0O-bhrw

 

[Kayelle]

Thanks so much for passing that on here Steve! I'm another one who is a fan club member of Kenji.

It was just fascinating for those of us who love to grill. That chimney method looks like the way to go.
My big grill is gas powered, but the chimney method could be easily done on a little portable grill.

I've yet to purchase a sous vide, but this may have convinced me to take the plunge. Do you use one Steve?

 

[GotGarlic]

Thanks so much for passing that on here Steve! I'm another one who is a fan club member of Kenji.

It was just fascinating for those of us who love to grill. That chiminy method looks like the way to go.

I think you mean chimney.

 

[Kayelle]

Dang spell check.

Too late to edit.

 

[GotGarlic]

Spell check? You need to remove that from your dictionary

 

[roadfix]

Nice video!

I've used the chimney method for searing ahi at screaming hot temps. When done I dump the charcoal in an ash can or Smokey Joe grill to snuff out and save for later use.

 

[Steve Kroll]

I've yet to purchase a sous vide, but this may have convinced me to take the plunge. Do you use one Steve?

I don't as of yet, but I'd like to get one, too. Powerplantop has a video on YouTube somewhere where he discusses a unit that he really likes, and I was looking at the same one. I'll have to see if I can dig it up.

 

[Kayelle]

Nice video!

I've used the chimney method for searing ahi at screaming hot temps. When done I dump the charcoal in an ash can or Smokey Joe grill to snuff out and save for later use.

What a great idea RF!

Steve, I know that Frank Z and Kathleen have a portable one they really like. I've been thinking about that one for years.

 

[Kayelle]

Here's interesting findings from Kenji on the portable machines.

We Test the Anova, Sansaire, and Nomiku Sous Vide Circulators | Serious Eats

 

[outRIAAge]

Anova + high-temp ideas

Nice thread.

I have the Anova sous vide unit, and love it. It can keep a 4 gallon Cambro within 0.2F, and can do the same with a 30-gallon foam cooler with the lid half-on. Mine has Bluetooth capability, but I've never used it. It is thankfully quiet, and my major bitch is that the minimum water level is not marked clearly. It has enough safeguards that it will survive running dry, though dinner may not.

Thanks for the brilliant charcoal chimney idea. Great for small jobs. For bigger jobs, I use my "Scottish" (i.e.: cheap) wood-fired pizza oven: a 22" Weber grill, and KettlePizza kit.

With a Craigslist Weber (recommended: they are not designed for these temperatures), I was up and running for $400. It doesn't quite "go to eleven," but it goes to 900F no bother, you can keep it up there all day, and you can carry it yourself. Whatever you do, don't leave aluminium utensils inside: they will melt.

Any thoughts on whether to sear first or last? My instinct is to sear last, but some people insist on sear first and then cook, which I do not understand.

 

[powerplantop]

I don't as of yet, but I'd like to get one, too. Powerplantop has a video on YouTube somewhere where he discusses a unit that he really likes, and I was looking at the same one. I'll have to see if I can dig it up.

I have a first generation Anova that I like and I have a Sous Vide Supreme. Both are good choices but I do like that the Anova is smaller and easier to store.

 

[Kayelle]

Here's yet another way with the chimney method, and no sous vide.

https://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/8418-ultimate-charcoal-grilled-steaks

 

[Fine]

Noob question but the sous vide thing, is it like boiling stuff or am I missing something?

 

[GotGarlic]

To boil, you heat liquid to 212 degrees. With sous vide, you only heat the liquid to the final temperature you want and then sear the outside to get a crispy crust. For steak, that might be 135 or so.

 

[RPCookin]

To boil, you heat liquid to 212 degrees. With sous vide, you only heat the liquid to the final temperature you want and then sear the outside to get a crispy crust. For steak, that might be 135 or so.

One thing to add - Don't you heat it in a vacuum sealed pouch to avoid incubating any bacteria that might be present?

 

[GotGarlic]

One thing to add - Don't you heat it in a vacuum sealed pouch to avoid incubating any bacteria that might be present?

I don't know. I don't have a sous vide machine; I just know in general how it works.

 

[outRIAAge]

Noob question but the sous vide thing, is it like boiling stuff or am I missing something?

The only stupid questions are the ones you fail to ask. Sous Vide (literally "under vacuum," which isn't helpful because it refers only to the vacuum-packaging part) is a technique where you keep food at a very specific temperature for sometimes days. It allows you to do otherwise-impossible things like make a steak that is cooked medium-rare throughout, then seared (with a blowtorch) just before serving.

It started as a high-end thing, with circulators costing ~$1000, but now they're under $200 and just beg to be played with. I cooked a halibut curry for three days straight at 132F, and the halibut was perfect.

Thomas Keller (of French Laundry fame) has written an enormous coffee-table book on the topic, that he stupidly named "Under Pressure" to further confuse things. Don't get that one. Instead, I recommend this unassuming little volume:

​

(Full disclosure: he sent me a copy in return for an honest review.) Once you get the hang of things, you can use Logsdon's extensive tables to design your own recipes. Do you like runny eggs but worry about salmonella? Pasteurize them yourself. Mayonnaise? Hollandaise? Measure the ingredients into a bag and go watch a movie. Some complain that it's too ... scientific and takes the art out of cooking, but they said that about gas stoves, too.

 

[Andy M.]

I finally got around to watching this video. Thank, Steve. It was very informative.

I have a thick ribeye I am planning for this weekend. I did the last one in a slow oven then seared on the gas grill. I think this weekend I'll use the chimney method to finish it.

Overall, the sears-all seams to be a waste of time. Both for the fact that the results were the least desirable and that it takes so long. Especially of you're doing more than one steak. The hot gas grill appears to be the best second option.

I still would like to try sous vide but can't justify the cost. Plus, I suck at planning ahead. I would not do well starting today's dinner yesterday. or even this morning.

 

[Steve Kroll]

I still would like to try sous vide but can't justify the cost.

Andy, this is kind of where I'm at, too.

I'm very much an "old school" cook. I don't own many gadgets. It was 25 years after food processors came along that I finally broke down and bought one. I've also never owned a bread maker, deep fryer, panini press, toaster oven, electric corkscrew, or rice cooker. I don't have anything against them. I just have a feeling they would end up sitting unused.

That said, the sous vide thing does sound interesting. And I am thinking about getting one at some point but, like you, will probably wait until they come down further in price. I like to entertain, and it seems like this would be a great way to hold food at a specific temperature, so you wouldn't have to be fussing with it rather than spending time with guests.

 

[CraigC]

It would be interesting to know what kind of thermostat controller these things use. I can see using a "homemade" version with a hot plate with a pot or deep fryer, immersion blender and thermostat controller. If they use a non-proportional stat controller, it would be very inexpensive to do, provided you already have the other components on hand. Heck you might be able to get away with just a deep fryer, candy thermometer and immersion blender!