OT: Vacuum sealing steaks

[F101Voodoo]

I’ll find the podcast but I could’ve sworn they said to cook them before preserving them

No, never cook steaks before freezing unless you enjoy leftover microwave thawed steaks. Steaks are not designed to be microwaved.
Matter of fact there should be a law against something like that.

 

[CL82]

if you marinate before vac and seal, wouldn't the vac just suck out the marinade before sealing? Or does all the air get removed before that can happen?

And more importantly, if you seal your steak in a vacuum, wouldn’t it get dusty?

 

[NJHusky]

I've tried this, but nothing beats dropping a seasoned 1/2 frozen ribeye on a 500° grill for five min, flip, cook for four min, rest for a few min, then dig in.

Edit: I salt both side, pat dry after 1/2 hour. Pepper both sides, then grill. No science behind this method, but I get the steak I want.

1/2 frozen?? Why? Want it black n. Blue? I read you should have steaks at room temp for an hour before grilling.

 

[Hamms30]

And more importantly, if you seal your steak in a vacuum, wouldn’t it get dusty?

hiyooooooooooo

 

[August_West]

1/2 frozen?? Why? Want it black n. Blue? I read you should have steaks at room temp for an hour before grilling.

That’s a myth. There is no benefit to putting steaks at room temp for an hour. Doesn’t hurt it, but no benefit at all.

 

[HuskyHawk]

No, never cook steaks before freezing unless you enjoy leftover microwave thawed steaks. Steaks are not designed to be microwaved.
Matter of fact there should be a law against something like that.

I freeze my leftovers. Then cobble those together and make chili. If the initial leftovers are rare enough I could just cook them up again in a pan without freezing, add some spices and make steak tacos.

 

[mussels]

That’s a myth. There is no benefit to putting steaks at room temp for an hour. Doesn’t hurt it, but no benefit at all.

I find that if I try and grill a steak right out of the fridge, the outer part gets too well done before the center comes to temperature. Am I doing something wrong ?

 

[RichCTBB]

That’s a myth. There is no benefit to putting steaks at room temp for an hour. Doesn’t hurt it, but no benefit at all.

I find that if I try and grill a steak right out of the fridge, the outer part gets too well done before the center comes to temperature. Am I doing something wrong ?

Maybe bring the heat down on your grill after the initial sear. The idea of letting your steak get to room temp is so that it cooks evenly. However, I never do this. I know the hot spots on my grill and bring the temp down after the first flip.

 

[August_West]

I find that if I try and grill a steak right out of the fridge, the outer part gets too well done before the center comes to temperature. Am I doing something wrong ?

Yeah you should cook off on lower temp part of grill and then quick sear at end over a super high temp part of grill I find reverse sear to be more effective than traditional sear and drop

Traditional sear on left reverse on right

 

[NJHusky]

You guys are making me hungry!!

 

[RichCTBB]

Yeah you should cook off on lower temp part of grill and then quick sear at end over a super high temp part of grill I find reverse sear to be more effective than traditional sear and drop

Traditional sear on left reverse on right

Last summer I bought a small, perforated stainless steel smoking box for my gas grill. I was able to keep the temp in the grill at about 220 with a nice smoke going. Got the steak up to temp and then seared it. Kind of a sous vide, but with smoke. Best steak I've ever cooked, even if it did take a couple of hours.

 

[August_West]

Last summer I bought a small, perforated stainless steel smoking box for my gas grill. I was able to keep the temp in the grill at about 220 with a nice smoke going. Got the steak up to temp and then seared it. Kind of a sous vide, but with smoke. Best steak I've ever cooked, even if it did take a couple of hours.

Yeah that would work. The point is to cook your steak to just about the internal temp you want and then sear.no matter how you get to the point ( sous vide, smoke, or just low and slow on same grill) Works wonders.

 

[temery]

Yes. But freeze on its own.
I do the same by the way buy 1/4 and half cows and vacuum seal and freeze. And have a dedicated freezer . I just pulled out two vacuum sealed filets that were from last summer tgat were perfect after defrost .

Vacuum sealing with a marinade works incredibly well on non frozen meats. but a lot of your cuts you don’t want to marinade at all, and the ones you do want to marinate you can marinate after you thaw them , then re vacuum seal with the marinade after thawed a few hours ( or overnight) on day of cooking.

When you vacuum seal with a marinade, does your machine remove all air?

I have several settings, but using just the marinade setting only seals the bags.

 

[August_West]

When you vacuum seal with a marinade, does your machine remove all air?

I have several settings, but using just the marinade setting only seals the bags.

Yeah dont get hung up on settings. If you want to use vacuum seal with marinade (which you should) just vacuum seal as normal with the marinade.

All those settings Dry/Wet/Marinade are not really that useful. Really they are just trying to be degrees of how much air is sucked. And not that accurate. I do everything as "dry" But marinating in a sealed bag with some air is fine. But so is marinating in a vacuum. The vacuum accelerates the process. That's all.

 

[temery]

Epilogue: Top round sucks. I think I have a cramp in my jaw.

 

[temery]

Yeah dont get hung up on settings. If you want to use vacuum seal with marinade (which you should) just vacuum seal as normal with the marinade.

All those settings Dry/Wet/Marinade are not really that useful. Really they are just trying to be degrees of how much air is sucked. And not that accurate. I do everything as "dry" But marinating in a sealed bag with some air is fine. But so is marinating in a vacuum. The vacuum accelerates the process. That's all.

I found a pulse setting that got the job done.

 

[August_West]

Epilogue: Top round sucks. I think I have a cramp in my jaw.

Top round yeah, if you tried to eat that as a steak, you are in trouble. Better for roasting, even like a pot roast. Or you can roast it rare and slice real thin for sandwiches. But chunks of top round cooked like a steak. Yeah, a chomper work out.

 

[uconnfan68]

I found a pulse setting that got the job done.

It’s too rare if it has a pulse.

 

[MTBingNinja]

I’m no chef or meat gastronomer, but with said how about freezing a 1/3 in each option and taste test the results.

 

[jibsey]

Thermapen Dot. Stick probe in center to desired temp, grill away.

 

[F101Voodoo]

I freeze my leftovers. Then cobble those together and make chili. If the initial leftovers are rare enough I could just cook them up again in a pan without freezing, add some spices and make steak tacos.

Yup have done that since I have been doing the cooking lately b/c my wife has been fighting Covid for too long now. I learned a lot lately.

 

[temery]

I freeze my leftovers. Then cobble those together and make chili. If the initial leftovers are rare enough I could just cook them up again in a pan without freezing, add some spices and make steak tacos.

What are leftovers?

 

[temery]