Rib eye: medium rare or medium?

[NoPref]

Medium rare for me.

I use a sous vide cooker and sear it on a hot grill or in a hot frying pan just before serving.

You don't need a $500 machine either, just a quality $30 beer cooler and some Ziplock bags. Cook the bagged steaks to the internal temp you want in hot water, then finish up by searing them. You get a much thicker section of perfectly cooked meat in the center and a much thinner layer of well done meat under the crust.

Here's a basic overview of the process:

http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/04/c...vide-hack.html

Since you're bringing the meat up to a specific temp (130 F for medium rare) and holding it, you can keep the meat waiting in the cooler until everything else is cooked and you're ready to sear it.

The beer cooler can also be used for beer when not used for cooking.

[JBark]

Medium rare for me.

I use a sous vide cooker and sear it on a hot grill or in a hot frying pan just before serving.

You don't need a $500 machine either, just a quality $30 beer cooler and some Ziplock bags. Cook the bagged steaks to the internal temp you want in hot water, then finish up by searing them. You get a much thicker section of perfectly cooked meat in the center and a much thinner layer of well done meat under the crust.

Here's a basic overview of the process:

http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/04/c...vide-hack.html

Since you're bringing the meat up to a specific temp (130 F for medium rare) and holding it, you can keep the meat waiting in the cooler until everything else is cooked and you're ready to sear it.

The beer cooler can also be used for beer when not used for cooking.

Thanks.
Interesting, I think I might try this. How long do you keep it in the hot water and what is your time to sear it?

[NoPref]

Thanks.
Interesting, I think I might try this. How long do you keep it in the hot water and what is your time to sear it?

I don't have good numbers for you. I keep mine in hot water for 2+ hours, basically until guests (or my wife) say they're hungry. Probably needs an hour for a 1 inch thick steak, but you'd have to google to get a minimum number of minutes.

The beauty of this method is that it is infinitely forgiving. If you put the meat in too early, you just have to keep the water at temp longer. I have the cooler in the kitchen and check it when I get my guests more beer. If the temp has dropped, I scoop out a quart of water with a quart measuring cup, nuke it while I open bottles, then pour it back in.

I sear it for as little time as possible. I don't time it, but it's around a minute. Basically until it releases from the pan/grill. If I can lift it to check the sear, it's ready to flip or serve. The key is to have the pan/grill as hot as you can get it. Also helps a lot if you pat the steak dry with paper towels after the sous vide cooking and brush some oil (and salt and pepper and whatever you like) on it before it hits the hot pan/grill.

You can also modify the searing time to accomodate people who want their steak cooked a bit more. Put theirs in the hot pan first. It's already at 130F, so putting theirs on first and taking theirs out last can take them from medium rare to medium.

[JBark]

I don't have good numbers for you. I keep mine in hot water for 2+ hours, basically until guests (or my wife) say they're hungry. Probably needs an hour for a 1 inch thick steak, but you'd have to google to get a minimum number of minutes.

The beauty of this method is that it is infinitely forgiving. If you put the meat in too early, you just have to keep the water at temp longer. I have the cooler in the kitchen and check it when I get my guests more beer. If the temp has dropped, I scoop out a quart of water with a quart measuring cup, nuke it while I open bottles, then pour it back in.

I sear it for as little time as possible. I don't time it, but it's around a minute. Basically until it releases from the pan/grill. If I can lift it to check the sear, it's ready to flip or serve. The key is to have the pan/grill as hot as you can get it. Also helps a lot if you pat the steak dry with paper towels after the sous vide cooking and brush some oil (and salt and pepper and whatever you like) on it before it hits the hot pan/grill.

You can also modify the searing time to accomodate people who want their steak cooked a bit more. Put theirs in the hot pan first. It's already at 130F, so putting theirs on first and taking theirs out last can take them from medium rare to medium.

Thanks. I will have to give this a try.

[Nikki]

I prefer to cook a whole rib roast bone-in. About 5-6 ribs is perfect to feed 4 adults. Then cut steaks from the roast.