Xanthan Gum Free Sous Vide Steak
Sous vide steak is one of those techniques that genuinely changes how you think about cooking beef at home — the water bath holds a precise 130°F throughout, so every bite from edge to center comes out a perfect, blushing medium-rare. The ribeyes spend up to an hour and a half gently cooking with fresh thyme and crushed garlic tucked right into the bag, which means the flavor builds quietly and deeply before the real drama even starts. That drama is the sear: a screaming-hot cast iron skillet, a swirl of neutral oil, and less than two minutes of contact time to build a deep mahogany crust that looks and smells like a steakhouse. A quick butter baste at the end adds richness and that glossy, restaurant-worthy finish. The ingredient list here is refreshingly short — just steak, salt, pepper, aromatics, butter, and oil — so there's nothing hidden to worry about, no stabilizers or additives, just clean, straightforward cooking. A pinch of flaky sea salt at the end is optional but genuinely worth it. This is the kind of meal that makes a regular weeknight feel like a serious occasion.
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Learn more →Ingredients
2 servings
- 2 ribeye steaks (1 ¼ to 1 ½ inches thick, about 12 oz each)
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp neutral oil (such as canola oil or avocado oil)
For serving
- flaky sea salt, for finishing (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Attach the sous vide immersion circulator to a large pot or container and preheat the water to 130°F (54°C) for medium-rare.
- 2
Pat the steaks completely dry with paper towels, then season all over with the kosher salt and black pepper. Place each steak in a separate vacuum-seal bag or heavy-duty zip-lock bag with 2 thyme sprigs and 1 crushed garlic clove. Seal using a vacuum sealer, or use the water-displacement method for zip-lock bags: lower the bag slowly into the water bath, letting the water pressure push out the air, then seal the top just before it submerges.
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