First time cooking a large (27 OZ) ribeye in the sous vide. Time/temp = 2.5 hours/137 degrees. Put it in an ice bath for probably 30 seconds then patted completely dry before searing it on my stainless steel pan. I think it turned out well but my wife was disappointed it wasn’t as juicy as a grilled ribeye. I also noticed there was no juice around the steak while it rested. Anything I did wrong? Or is this a typical outcome of sous vide method?
by Comfortable-Moose472
23 Comments
**This is a generic reminder message under every image post**
Thank you for your picture post to r/sousvide. We want to remind everyone of Rule #5. Posts should be accompanied by something to foster discussion. A comment, a question, etc is encouraged.
If you’ve posted a picture of something you’ve prepared, please explain why in a comment so people can have some sort of conversation. Simply dropping a picture of food in the sub isn’t really fostering any discussion which is what we’re all aiming for.
Posts that are a picture with no discussion can and will be removed by the mods.
Thank you!!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/sousvide) if you have any questions or concerns.*
[Woop woop! That’s the sound of the police! 🚨](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZrAYxWPN6c)
Seriously though, 58c is far higher than I would go, and you shouldn’t expect resting juice in the same way as a non SV steak. They’re already heated evenly, no heat gradient so less juices released.
Trying going a bit lower.
Butter in the bag? Boo this man!
SV steak doesn’t need to rest. You rest a grilled steak to let the meat loosen up and re absorb the juices before cutting. Maybe you just had a lean steak.
As someone that has been experimenting with sous vide for red meat (I’m not an expert) I’ve come to the conclusion that I prefer my steak and rack of lamb grilled. If really thick I’ll sear the steak and then bake it like most steakhouses do. I’ve had disappointing results with NY strips, sirloins, and ribeyes of varying thickness using a sous vide. Rack of lamb was okay.
I think sous vide is worth it for other cuts like rounds and possibly Sir Charles. I say “possibly” bc I haven’t done Sir Charles myself, but they have a strong following / support on this sub. I made some really killer roast beef the other day with an eye round.
I think sous vide excels on really thick pork chops and poultry. I haven’t tried seafood yet.
More time in the bag for something that big. Plus if the seasoning in the bag has salt in it, it can pull moisture out of the meat.
Oh look another victim of the 137 cult
Skill issue
The sear looks nice but maybe put it a touch over.
Try dropping down to 133 and doing it the same way
Not sure if you did but I also put a bit of olive oil in the bag with the steak
Try lower temp, less time. Ribeyes are generally very moist, especially when prepared sous vide.
newbie here – why 137?
Make sure your circulator is heating accurately. Use a separate trusted thermometer to confirm you’re getting the temp you set. If the temps don’t match, that’s going to throw things off.
If the temps match, you don’t like 137 ribeyes and that’s okay. But then you’ll know for sure.
For a ribeye, I do 132°F and reverse sear. Mine are always very juicy. A friend of mine likes his more medium and is still very juicy. Your steak looks pretty dry. Maybe it was just that particular steak? I do bison the same way. Even though its very lean it turns out very moist.
I usually do lower temp sous-vide (like 130F) for a ribeye, and a bit longer to render the inevitable fat. I’ve gone 2-3+ hours if I’ve got several fat ribeyes in my water bath, or something like a ribeye roast (which would take much, much longer).
And then I sear it well on my cast-iron, where I can take it to final temps for those who prefer medium or well-done. I like a mid-rare ribeye with good fat rendering and a good crust.
But the lower, 130 temp in the SV puts my ribeyes right where I like them personally, and most of the rest of my house-hold and guests (medium to medium-rare).
One family member prefers their thick ribeyes well-done, so I silently judge them as I press the expensive steak firmly into the cast-iron skillet while making eye-contact with them.
So, just try a lower temp – lower than 137, at least. Try 130F and do an extra-hot-extra-fast sear, and see how you like it.
But the picture, it looks like your fat never rendered as it’s opaque white. Maybe a hotter sear at the end will help render fat, which gives flavor and moisturizes the meat.
This issue on fat rendering is why you don’t really want to have a ribeye cooked only to rare, because the fat doesn’t have a chance to render and baste/flavor the meat. Cuts that are prized for fat marbling should be cooked to at least medium temp.
Did you dry brine the steak beforehand? That might be the missing piece here.
Dry brining (salting the steak and letting it rest uncovered in the fridge for several hours or overnight) makes a huge difference with sous vide. It helps the steak retain more moisture during the long cook and enhances the beefy flavor. For a thick ribeye like yours, I’d recommend salting it generously and letting it sit in the fridge uncovered for at least 4-6 hours, ideally overnight.
The lack of juice on the plate is actually pretty normal with sous vide since the meat retains its moisture internally rather than releasing it. However, if your wife found it less juicy than grilled, the dry brine should help with that perception of juiciness and overall texture.
Your time/temp looks good for medium-rare. The ice bath and sear technique are solid too. Give the dry brine a try next time – it really elevates sous vide steaks!
137 IS WAY TOO HIGH.
Where did this nonsense start? Jesus Christ. More time, lower temp.
I don’t like SV for individual ribeyes. I like the fat to be well rendered and the cook to be a bit uneven.
This result is totally typical. Try [reverse-sear](https://www.seriouseats.com/reverse-seared-steak-recipe) on your ribeye next time, it’s much better.
I will get a lot of down votes… Both nothing compares to a grilled or pan-fried steak if you are a GOOD chef. But this reddit is filled with people who can’t cook a good steak either because of equipment or talent or quality of meat. So a great sv steak is way better than a poorly grilled steak…but not a preferred merhod by most… there is a reason, no top steakhouse uses sous vide.
No salt in bag. Only for the sear
Too hot, 129
I do mine at 128-130. Real fast sear on the pit. Like oak or pecan wood flames licking up to “caress “ the edges .. never been dry yet