Sous vide is a sort of space-age cooking technique that intimidates many home cooks. But if you’re willing to invest in the right circulator and a probe thermometer, you may find that the texture it impacts on meat like Tri Tip steak is so amazing it’s worth the effort. It’s also the best way to bring out the superior flavor of this particular cut of beef without having to put a bunch of work into grilling it with extra care. Learn what you need to know to get the best results from sous vide Tri Tip steak.
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How to Select the Best Tri Tip Cut for Sous Vide
Most Tri Tip selections will work well for this cooking method because it provides more even cooking than other methods. Look for a USDA Prime-rated steak for the best results since the extra marbling will result in the most flavorful meat. Larger Tri Tips will require circulators plenty of space to spare, not to mention a larger vacuum sealer to prepare the meat for cooking. Make sure the sous vide equipment you have on hand can handle the size of steak you purchase.
Sous Vide Tri-Tip: Advantages
Using circulating hot water gives the meat a perfectly even cook from the middle to the edges, which is hard due to the Tri Tip including both thick and thin sections. You’ll find that the meat is tender and free from either an undercooked center or overcooked surface. It’s also easy to use a probe thermometer with an alarm that tells you exactly when the meat hits the right internal temperature so it’s never overcooked. Yet for the best results, you’ll want to sear the meat at the end in a cast iron pan or on the grill to get that flavor and texture you expect from steak.
What You’ll Need to Make Sous Vide Tri-Tip Steak
You need more equipment on hand to make sous vide Tri Tip steak than you’d need for grilling it. Start with a high-quality immersion circulator that has the space to move water around the steak on all sides. You’ll need precise temperature controls for it as well. To get the steak to the right level of doneness without risking overcooking, you need a probe thermometer. You’ll also need vacuum sealing bags large enough for the steak, a vacuum sealer, and some sous vide tape to prevent any leaking around where the probe thermometer enters the bag. Finally, make sure you have a cast iron pan or grill to finish the process off with a reverse sear.
How to Prepare Tri-Tip for Sous Vide
Tri Tip steak should come up to room temperature before going into the sous vide circulator, which takes only about 20 to 30 minutes. Apply any seasonings or rubs before putting the steak in the vacuum sealer to keep it surrounded with plastic as it cooks. You can also vacuum seal the steak the night before in any desired marinade to give it a chance to soak before cooking. Make sure to insert the thermometer probe and tape over it before putting the meat in the circulator.
Time and Temperature for Sous Vide Tri-Tip Steak
Tri Tip turns out best at medium doneness when cooked sous vide. While you may think that you can simply set the temperature to 135 degrees F and leave the meat in for hours since it won’t rise above that point, this can risk both food safety issues and a pasty, overcooked texture. Instead, you’ll want to bring the steak up to 135 degrees F and then take it out immediately. There is no further rise in temperature after taking out of the sous vide bath, so you must verify it has reached that full 135-degree mark. This generally takes around 80 to 90 minutes, but it can vary depending on the thickness of the steak. Using a probe thermometer with an alarm will let you know the moment it hits the cooked temperature.
In order to maintain the perfectly even cook, you’ll want to keep the meat in the vacuum-sealed package and ice it down before the searing. This ensures the meat doesn’t gain unnecessary temperature or become overdone just from a brief heating on the grill or pan.
Sous Vide Tri Tip Recipe
Experiment with different seasonings to give your Tri Tip steak a different flair. Flavors tend to be concentrated by this cooking method, so we’ve kept it simple with salt and pepper so you can really taste the beef.
Ingredients
- 1 Tri Tip steak
- 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon of cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon of high-heat neutral-flavored oil (for pan searing)
Instructions
1. Let the Tri Tip steak come up to room temperature, then pat the surface dry with paper towels. Rub the salt and pepper on the surface of the meat.
2. Start the immersion circulator and bring it to 137 degrees F (for medium done), or two degrees above the desired internal temperature for the level of doneness you prefer. Seal the steak in a vacuum sealing package so that it is water-tight and will be protected from the immersion bath.
3. Once the immersion circulator is at temperature, insert the probe of the thermometer into the meat through the sealed package. Use sous vide tape to seal around the probe so water can’t penetrate. Lower the package of steak into the water, making sure there is clearance on both sides and no part of the package touches the heating element.
4. Cook the Tri Tip steak sous vide for about 75 to 90 minutes, depending on the thickness of the cut. Watch the thermometer or set an alarm so you know when it hits the 135 degrees F mark for medium done. Take the package out of the immersion circulator, then immediately put it in a bowl of ice water to chill it for at least 5 minutes, but no longer than 10 minutes.
5. Heat your cast iron pan on the stove with a tablespoon of high-heat oil with a neutral flavor, such as avocado or peanut oil. Alternately, heat your grill to a 350-degree F level. Open the package holding the steak and place the meat on the pan or grill. Sear it for about three to five minutes on each side, or just until color and texture appear on the surface. Remove from the heat and slice and serve immediately.
Notes
Don’t leave the steak chilling too long while waiting to begin reverse searing. You want to bring the temperature down enough to prevent any further cooking, but you don’t want it to actually get cold and therefore less pleasant to eat. There’s no need to let the steak rest with this method because it gets a rest between the sous vide cooking and the reverse searing that makes it ready to serve right away.
Conclusion
With the right equipment and a quick trick for controlling temperature gains during searing, you can transform the Tri Tip steak into a juicy and mouth-watering meal. Brush up on your sous vide skills to become confident with this new and fun way of getting beef perfectly done.
Sous Vide Tri Tip Steak
Ingredients
- 1 tri tip steak
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp high heat neutral flavored oil
Instructions
- Let the Tri Tip steak come up to room temperature, then pat the surface dry with paper towels. Rub the salt and pepper on the surface of the meat
- Start the immersion circulator and bring it to 137 degrees F (for medium done), or two degrees above the desired internal temperature for the level of doneness you prefer. Seal the steak in a vacuum sealing package so that it is water-tight and will be protected from the immersion bath
- Once the immersion circulator is at temperature, insert the probe of the thermometer into the meat through the sealed package. Use sous vide tape to seal around the probe so water can’t penetrate. Lower the package of steak into the water, making sure there is clearance on both sides and no part of the package touches the heating element
- Cook the Tri Tip steak sous vide for about 75 to 90 minutes, depending on the thickness of the cut. Watch the thermometer or set an alarm so you know when it hits the 135 degrees F mark for medium done. Take the package out of the immersion circulator, then immediately put it in a bowl of ice water to chill it for at least 5 minutes, but no longer than 10 minutes
- Heat your cast iron pan on the stove with a tablespoon of high-heat oil with a neutral flavor, such as avocado or peanut oil. Alternately, heat your grill to a 350-degree F level. Open the package holding the steak and place the meat on the pan or grill. Sear it for about three to five minutes on each side, or just until color and texture appear on the surface. Remove from the heat and slice and serve immediately