A Question For The Sous Vide cooks

[+ LIguy]

I bought a large package of skirt steaks at Costco and cooked a few using a cast iron skillet and they were tough which is unusual from Costco as I have bought them before and they were great.

So I'm thinking of using the sous vide and cooking to 130-135 and keeping them in there for several hours. They have been marinating for 2 days in an acidic marinate. Do you think they will tenderize?

[GBoi]

They will become more tender but tough cuts take a long time. For example, I do short ribs for 72 hours at 134F for an insanely tender (but not mushy) texture.

[bnm73]

They will become more tender but tough cuts take a long time. For example, I do short ribs for 72 hours at 134F for an insanely tender (but not mushy) texture.

 

Marinating doesn't really do anything for tenderizing, generally. For a marinade to actually tenderize, it would have to be so acidic that it would dissolve the connective tissues....and the meat.

 

Skirt steak can be a little tricky sometimes because of the grain of the meat and whether it's "inside" or "outside" skirt. One is tougher than the other, which might be why you had better luck with them in the past. There's a sneaky trick you can do when cutting the meat, though, depending on what you're doing with it....

 

...cut it thinly against the grain. You might have to cut it into a couple of pieces and then slice it. Doing so makes sure there aren't any long muscle fibers or big pieces of connective tissue in any bite.

 

To your original question regarding sous vide...I don't know that I would do that with something like skirt steak unless you're going to sear it afterward. I've not tried it myself, fur 134 (medium-rare) is an awful low temperature if you're trying to tenderize meat.

[+ LIguy]

Thanks for your input. Yes I will sear in butter. I do rib and strip steaks in the Sous Vide and sear after. They are incredible.

[MikeBiDude]

Thanks for your input. Yes I will sear in butter. I do rib and strip steaks in the Sous Vide and sear after. They are incredible.

I love the “reverse sear” technique of sous vide then I sear outside on (one of two ) grills I own.

 

I’d say yes your skirt steak will get tenderized in sous vide...but I’d only try 3-5 hours, at maybe 120°. You’ll need to experiment. But the process does tenderize as goes along....

[GBoi]

Marinating doesn't really do anything for tenderizing, generally. For a marinade to actually tenderize, it would have to be so acidic that it would dissolve the connective tissues....and the meat.

 

Skirt steak can be a little tricky sometimes because of the grain of the meat and whether it's "inside" or "outside" skirt. One is tougher than the other, which might be why you had better luck with them in the past. There's a sneaky trick you can do when cutting the meat, though, depending on what you're doing with it....

 

...cut it thinly against the grain. You might have to cut it into a couple of pieces and then slice it. Doing so makes sure there aren't any long muscle fibers or big pieces of connective tissue in any bite.

 

To your original question regarding sous vide...I don't know that I would do that with something like skirt steak unless you're going to sear it afterward. I've not tried it myself, fur 134 (medium-rare) is an awful low temperature if you're trying to tenderize meat.

 

There’s lots of material out there about the interplay of time and temperature. Check out seriouseats or chefsteps. Basically as long as you are above 130F, you are out of the bacteria danger zone IF you hold the INTERNAL temp of the meat long enough at that temperature. Then time is the main factor in the tenderness you are looking for as the connective tissue relaxes. At 134F for a long enough time, the transformation of any tough cut of meat is remarkable.

 

Yes you do want to sear it to get the appropriate Maillard flavors.

 

I don’t marinade before Sous vide so I’m unsure how that would affect timing.

 

120f for 3-5 hours is not out of the danger zone and would not be recommended.

[MikeBiDude]

There’s lots of material out there about the interplay of time and temperature. Check out seriouseats or chefsteps. Basically as long as you are above 130F, you are out of the bacteria danger zone IF you hold the INTERNAL temp of the meat long enough at that temperature. Then time is the main factor in the tenderness you are looking for as the connective tissue relaxes. At 134F for a long enough time, the transformation of any tough cut of meat is remarkable.

 

Yes you do want to sear it to get the appropriate Maillard flavors.

 

I don’t marinade before Sous vide so I’m unsure how that would affect timing.

 

120f for 3-5 hours is not out of the danger zone and would not be recommended.

Technically correct! Danger zone >40° and <140° And, my recommendation of extended time at 120° could put you there.

 

But, the risk to whole muscle meats such as beef (steak etc.) are infinitely safer, especially if you know where and how your beef is sourced. I routinely sous vide 2 1/2”-3” prime New York and bone-in ribeyes at 120° for 2 hours, then place on hot bbq grill 3-4 minutes with some flipping to get grill marks and Maillard effect. Served finished temperature at 130° So rare to medium rare. NEVER over 140°.

 

The whole muscle meat concept is why I also will eat steak tartare if I know the chef/restaurant and can identify the beef as freshly ground to each order preparation.

 

You’d be surprised how many large steakhouses do the same.

[GBoi]

Technically correct! Danger zone >40° and <140° And, my recommendation of extended time at 120° could put you there.

 

But, the risk to whole muscle meats such as beef (steak etc.) are infinitely safer, especially if you know where and how your beef is sourced. I routinely sous vide 2 1/2”-3” prime New York and bone-in ribeyes at 120° for 2 hours, then place on hot bbq grill 3-4 minutes with some flipping to get grill marks and Maillard effect. Served finished temperature at 130° So rare to medium rare. NEVER over 140°.

 

The whole muscle meat concept is why I also will eat steak tartare if I know the chef/restaurant and can identify the beef as freshly ground to each order preparation.

 

You’d be surprised how many large steakhouses do the same.

 

I think all the bacteriology charts show that generally anything over 129F is safe indefinitely (assuming minimal amount of time internally at temp). I usually do 131F just in case my reading is wrong or there are temperature gradients.

 

Anything under that is potentially dangerous, but a short cook (less than a couple hours) should be ok, especially if you are comfortable with your source material; 3-5 hours at 120F for a skirt steak is risky IMO.

 

Also if your beef is blade tenderized, that would be another reason against cooking under 129F

[MikeBiDude]

Also if your beef is blade tenderized, that would be another reason against cooking under 129F

Yes, blade tenderized (much of Costo meat) enters into a dangerous level of contamination possibilities. Again why I’m braver with a whole muscle steak (not tenderized) cut from the shirt loin.

[bnm73]

Yes, blade tenderized (much of Costo meat) enters into a dangerous level of contamination possibilities. Again why I’m braver with a whole muscle steak (not tenderized) cut from the shirt loin.

 

"Blade tenderized?" That sounds more like cube steak than skirt stake....(chuckle).

[+ LIguy]

I appreciate all the input here and I went to the recommended sites and others and settled on 134 degrees for 10 hours. The meat was extremely tender but I did not like the texture. Seemed sort of mushy. I will not do it again that way.

[+ LIguy]

I just bought some pork belly at Costco and I'm curious if anyone here has cooked it in a sous vide. There are alot of recipes online but just wanted to know if anyone has done it.

[GBoi]

I’ve done it as a component for Momofuku pork belly buns. A LOT of fat renders out when cooked under sous vide, but also makes them extremely tender and moist.