I love, love, love a good steak, and have made them many ways. My Kentucky Bourbon Steaks are a favorite, for example. But this recipe may take the cake for best. There are 4 things going on here:
- The Dry Brine adds a ton of flavor and is highly recommended. I got results in 3 hours, but you can go overnight for maximum benefit.
- Sous Vide ensures the steaks are done to perfect temperature, and the 3 hour cooking time probably tenderizes them a bit too.
- The Pizza Oven gives a fantastic crust. It’s on par with places like Morton’s.
- The garlic herb butter drizzled over the steaks at the end is the final frosting on this flavor cake.
Seriously, Sous Vide is easy to do and can make a huge difference in your cooking. The one thing I will warn about is it is boring. It literally takes care of itself once the bath is up to temperature. Depending on what else is going on in your kitchen, that could be good or bad. But try it, either way.
Ingredients
2 thick cut steaks
Kosher salt, to taste
1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
1/4 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
4 roasted garlic cloves
3.5 oz soft or melted butter
Preparation
Dry Brine
Season steaks liberally with Kosher salt. Place in a container on a wire rack (so air circulates all around) for at least 2 hours prior to cooking. Add no other seasoning, the salt will work its magic. An ideal minimum is 4 hours of dry brining.
Sous Vide
While the steaks are brining, set up your Sous Vide water bath and get the temperature up to 130F (55C) for medium rare steaks.
After the dry brine has finished, places steaks in individual vacuum seal bags, seal, and drop into the water bath. Set timer for 3 hours.
Pizza Oven
When there are 20-30 minutes left on the Sous Vide timer, fire up your Ooni (or other) pizza oven.
Take your ribbed cast iron plate and insert into the pizza oven to preheat. Leave it in there as soon as the oven is lit.
Now is the time to make your garlic herb butter. Slice up the butter, add herbs and garlic, and put that all in a small sauce pan to warm up until the butter is melted.
Once the steaks are done with Sous Vide, pull them out of their bags and pat dry. Place them on a clean plate or cutting board. They are totally done, so no need to worry about cross-contamination.
When you’re sure the cast iron plate is sizzling hot, put steaks on and insert in the oven for 2 minutes. When it’s seared to your liking, flip and cook a further 2 minutes.
When the steaks are cooked to your taste, remove and let rest on a cutting board. Now is the time to add melted butter and your chopped herbs. A little roasted garlic in the butter is also quite good.
Let them rest at least 5 minutes soaking in the drizzled herb butter, but remember, they are already perfectly cooked, so you don’t need a longer hangover time.
My little pizza oven only takes 3 steaks at a time, so when cooking for a big crew, the first steaks out are going to rest maybe 10-15 minutes. No harm done. Everything came out perfect because it started perfect and the steaks weren’t in the pizza oven long enough to absorb much extra heat.