So, this sous-vide thing…have you heard of it? Yes? No? Maybe? When asked to describe it, I tell people that I like to think of it as a really bad ass Crockpot. Basically, you season your cut of beef and then vaccum seal it – it’s then plopped in a water bath held at a precise temperature by the doohickey called the immersion circulator. So, the item comes to just the perfect temperature for whatever it is…then, is held there until you’re ready to serve it.
I first learned of this method of preparation years ago, back in my religious watching of Top Chef days. Back then, this method of “cooking” was reserved for fancy chefs in fancy kitchens…as the apparatus required was super expensive.
Well, times they are a changin’ – and you can get a pretty decent model for $100 on Amazon, if you keep your eyes peeled for a sale. They’re about the size of a large curling iron, so are convenient for storage sakes. And then for the water bath, all you need is a large stockpot. It clips right to the side – bada bing!
And time isn’t an issue. In fact, tough cuts like this eye of round benefit from a long cook cycle. I did this one for 24 hours. The connective tissue has time to break down, creating a roast that can be cut with a fork…but the roast still stays rare. It’s really quite mind-blowing.
After it’s soaked for the appropriate amount of time, a quick sear in a raging hot cast iron skillet is in order. I’ve also turned to my trusty kitchen torch, which is always handy in the kitchen. The grill is also an option – but again, just make sure it’s REALLY hot. Just a couple of minutes on each side, to give it a little color.
I like doing large roasts, like this entire eye of the round – or a pork loin. We’ll enjoy it for dinner one night…then reinvent the leftovers all week in different dishes. Perfect for this time of year when we’re scooting out the door to baseball practice or some other obligation that fills the schedule up every week!
So, if you’re on the fence about one – I say do it! I got mine a couple of Christmases ago, and have just really gotten into using it in the past couple of months. It really is so versatile. I don’t even want to tell you what it can do for a poached egg. Life changing.
Sous-Vide Eye Of Round Roast
1 (5-7 lb) eye of round roast
3 Tbsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp fresh ground black pepper
Vacuum sealer & bags
large stockpot filled with water
water immersion circulator
aluminum foil
Clip the immersion circulator to the stockpot filled with water and turn on. Turn on and set to 130 °F.
Season beef thoroughly with the salt and pepper, and seal in vacuum seal bag using the vacuum sealer. Carefully place in water bath, and cover the top with aluminum foil – bending around the circulator. Let sit for 24 hours.
Place large cast iron skillet or griddle over high heat. Or, heat your grill to high. Carefully remove the roast from the water bath. When skillet is smoking or grill is hot, cut open the bag and place the roast in the skillet or on grill.
Cook for 2 minutes before flipping over and cooking on the other side for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat. If you’re using the blow torch, just graze the roast with the flame until browned.
No need to rest, slice roast immediately and serve.
