High-Fat-Protein (Rib-Eye) Sous-Vide Cooking

Today is Jan 1, 2018- Not sure what to call this post? A rant? An opinion? Informational? Perhaps this is my way to start the new year with something meaningful and helpful. You be the judge.

One of the best cuts of Beef has to be the Ribeye!! The beefiness is undeniable. What's also undeniable is the different methods of cooking this hunk of meat. Some are good, and some are bad. The bad ones really stand out to me.  

I've read countless posts that discuss Time/Temperature with religiosity. An orthodox or dogmatic approach to Sous-Vide is counter-intuitive if you ask me. Sous-Vide cooking is ultimately intuitive, meaning everyone has to zero in on what works for them. This comes with trial and error as to what they think they like. Nothing is black and white because there are too many factors to consider. If you are anything like me (most are not), you will cook a ton of meat and figure out what works and does not. Will there be failures along the way...YES.  

You have to approach every protein differently. Yes, that's right. You cannot cook a Ribeye like you would cook a Fillet, and I hope that's not a surprise. In addition to treating every protein as unique, you must consider cut thickness and quality. Yes, quality is a category also. Are you dealing with select, choice, or prime? Adding quality to the equation will give you something else to ponder. Confused or overwhelmed yet? 

John Fisher, "One of the most important things to me is to be consistent while finding your preference. Grades of Beef cook differently, as do grass-fed or grain-finished. Wagyu, American Wagyu, is very different. Not all steaks are created equally."

You will learn along the way that when you ask for a Time/Temperature, you are requesting an opinion. I've seen posts on Brisket that would make your head spin, and you know what? They are all correct, for the most part. If you like your results, that's all that matters. 

Here is an example: People will ask about Brisket. People say they want to make a brisket and want T/T. My next question is always the same. When do you want to eat? How are you finishing it, meaning will you grill, smoke, sear in a frying pan, BBQ for a bit more than sear, etc.? The T/T might change depending on answering the question above. I might say 131f/72 or 135f/42, 145f/48 155f/24. All of these T/T are acceptable....in my opinion (pun intended). And then there's a big variable..... are you shocking first or going right to the finish after it comes out of the bath? 

Although well-intended, some apps with Immersion Circulators are useless to the novice. The apps give general guidelines, but that's about all. Don't get me wrong, I think S.V. apps' concept is innovative and genius, and I appreciate all they offer. 

 I have a relative that received an I.C. for Mother's day. We had a very long conversation about using the device. The first two times they used the I.C., it was a fail, and she almost gave up on Sous-Vide cooking. Why? They used the App. 

The App she used did not have Ribeye as an option, although it had many other cuts. She used the basic steak option and chose 129f because she liked the color of the steak. The App suggested 129f for 2 hours for a 2-inch steak. IT WAS A MISERABLE FAILURE. She sent me pics too. It was a total failure, IMO. 

Eventually (many months later), she made some incredible dishes through a series of texts (with me). Some of these apps are good and give you guidelines, but in the end, you need to decide on what you prefer. 

We tend to focus on the wrong thing when it comes to steaks. We put too much emphasis on the color of the steak instead of what it actually tastes like. Yes, we eat with our eyes first, but the point of convergence is our mouth. Here are some of the preferences I have dialed in over the years (Note: mine, not yours). I prefer a Strip steak (NY-Steak) at 128f, whereas I like my Fillet at 125f. My Flat-Irons, Flank, and Tri-Tip at 133f. Chuck or Shoulder Roast 133f-135f. We will talk about Ribeye in a bit.....
I'll let the cat out of the bag (Ribeye 133f-135f)

The only caveat to the above numbers might be to S.V. a Wagyu, which I have minimal experience with. Back to my earlier comment about the "Quality" category. 
  

How do I determine Time and Temperature when Cooking Steaks? Finding that perfect mouthfeel is personal and takes experimentation. 

Before I touch on the HOW, let's first look at what happens when you cook meat at low temps (Temp = Doneness). Cooking meat at lower Temps will result in minor moisture loss (sounds excellent to me good...).
Note: During the cooking cycle, moisture loss occurs because fibers squeeze out moisture. Higher temp means= More squeezing; lower temps mean = Less squeezing. Although it's different if you tear through the fibrils using a Jaccard tool, some moisture loss will be mitigated. If you are curious, please read this "Mechanical Tenderizing."

Low moisture loss sounds excellent, but the protein will have a slippery, wet texture and a strange mouthfeel. When you tear through the fibrils, the feeling will be off-putting. I am not saying that cooking steaks to a rare state are terrible, but it is typically reserved for lean cuts. Hence my temps have been outlined above. Generally, we cook leaner cuts at lower temperatures and higher fat ones at higher temperatures. Leaner cuts will cook faster, and since they don't have much marbling, there's not much fat to render down. What would be terrible is to have a lean steak with lots of connective tissue. The only way to break down the connective tissue is to cook it longer, but it will become very dry since the steak lacks fat. That's why you can process Short-Ribs for a long time, and they will not dry up. The fat that renders them down makes them succulent. 

I'll touch on Time= Determines Tenderness briefly. Time will determine tenderness, but be careful because you will dry out your protein if you cook it too long. Finding the two numbers is not easy. Here's an example of using the T/T combo to save Time. I.e., You usually like your 2-inch strip steak at 128f for 3 hours. But you don't have that much Time to spare. You could increase the temp to maybe 131f and cook only for 2 hours (Delta-t). You can manipulate the T/T to fit schedules and change the texture. Using Sous Vide Foam Tape, Closed Cell, and Food Grade in Conjunction with Probes will help! I have three sets that come in very handy. 

Food for thought: Do you remember my Brisket numbers above? A Brisket cooked at 131f at 72-hrs and one at 155f for 24-hrs works because the T/T combos will achieve roughly the same results. Is one better than the other? You tell me. But I will add this one caveat.... the rendering of the fat and mouth feel will be different. See these Videos for more info....Brisket Sous-Vide/Smoked. 

Did you notice earlier I did not define low temps? What's low for me might be too low for you, or vice versa. So Temp = Determines Doneness and Time= Determines Tenderness. Trying to find these two numbers can be daunting, and these two are symbiotic and can only be ascertained through trial and error.  

The Ribeye……..

The benefits of cooking high-fat protein at higher temps cannot be understated. 

Finally, let's talk about the magnificent Ribeye. Ribeyes have their own story to tell. If I'm lucky enough to find a Ribeye of high quality with no gristle, very little connective tissue, and excellent marbling, I will Sous-Vide at 133f. Here's the big, but...if the Ribeye is riddled with connective tissue and gristle, I will possibly process it a little higher, like 134f-136f. If it's somewhere between, I might stick with 133f but go a little longer (back to trial and error). The excellent marbling I am referring to is called intramuscular fat.

 Higher-quality Ribeyes will receive less Time in the bath too. The combination of Temperature (appearance of doneness) and Time (determine tenderness) will denature (break down) the protein strands and create something beautiful when we bite down (pure succulence). You might surprise yourself and prefer a protein with a high-fat content cooked at a higher temp because of how the fibrils feel between your teeth. So close your eyes and take a bite. Unfortunately, I cannot give you a time. 

But did I not just say above cooking at higher temps increases moisture loss? If you are lucky enough to come across a tremendous marbled Ribeye lavished with intramuscular fat, moisture loss is not a concern. That high fat helps in several ways. 1. Great flavor 2. The extra fat acts as an insulator, which will take longer to cook. 3. That excess fat helps keep the meat moist, aka succulence. 

Selecting Times and Temperatures comes with experience. I.e., A higher-end Ribeye that's 2.5 inches thick might need 4-5 hours (Less quality 5 plus hours), but the same quality at 1.5 inches may only need 3-4 hours.

My first education on Ribeye Steaks occurred at a high-end steakhouse (more than 25 yrs ago) when I ordered a 50 oz Long Bone Cow Boy Steak. The waiter obviously schooled on steak, suggested I choose something closer to Medium, and I explained to him I love a lot of pink in my steaks (my actual words). He talked briefly and told me why I would want to eat this steak closer to Medium. And then he did the unthinkable.... he offered to buy me the steak if I did not like it ($150). 

Think about how the steak will feel in your mouth. You want a clean bite; you don't want the fibers mushing between your teeth. The last thing you want to do is eat a steak with gobs of fat and connective tissue mushing between your pearly whites, do you? This will ruin what should be an enjoyable experience when eating meat.

If you can find a Ribeye of higher than the average quality, you should be able to eat the whole thing except the bone. Here's the link to this Ribeye. 

Over the years, you will eventually dial in perfect T/T's. Will there be a learning curve? Yup........ everything worth doing has a learning curve. 

NOTE: Something to consider that is important. The Time needed to heat the core can take a very long time, depending on the protein's thickness. To achieve equilibrium, meaning Water Temp and Protein Temp are the same, you might consider raising the temp water to .5f because the last .5f degree could take up as much as 20% of the cook. I cook with S.V. probes, so here are some examples. A 42mm thick Ribeye cooked at 134f took 2:33 hrs (to hit 133f, it took 01:55:00)

See this link.....Time to Temp Can you tell which one is which? 

 A hamburger set in a stainless steel mold @ 25mm thick took 1 hour and 5 minutes to reach 131f.... note I.C. set to 131.5f. 

Note 2/2020- It was with this Ribeye that allowed me to confirm a few things. This is the 8th Ribeye I have cooked using Probes, and it's allowed me to conclude a few absolutes that apply only to my personal preferences. Most people say to cook a Ribeye for XYZ, but they don't consider thickness and Time to temp. I've prepared ribeyes with multiple thicknesses from 40-72.9mm. Of course, Time to Temp are all different, but what has remained consistent is the additional Time needed to tenderize. I've found that 1-3 extra hours are perfect for tenderization (might change if the quality is different). Looking at the steak above.....it took 04:38:54 to reach an internal temp of 134f (peaking at about 134.2f). The total cook time was 07:15:00. Of course, not everyone can cook with SV-Probes, the gee-whiz stuff. Nevertheless, I am collecting data. The Ribeye was rethermed at 130f and placed on weber with a few coals to continue warming before a huge sear!!!