Reverse Sear vs Sous Vide? | TESTED

[@rainzerdesu]

I love that you've done a triangle test which so few food channels or food blogs even seem to know, touch on, or understand.

[@JjrShabadoo]

Everyone should watch this video twice, but on the second round, imagine Chris gently shaking an invisible baby every time he moves hands up and down while explaining.

[@ChrisYoungCooks]

That’s exactly what I imagine while I’m talking.

[@seanparker571]

Do not do this unless both you and your invisible baby are wearing helmets.

[@stereothrilla8374]

Now watch the video a third round to envision said baby with Chris’ precision engineered wireless thermometer inserted so you know your offensive imaginary shaken baby is cooked throughout. Let’s not even get into searing.

[@jeffking887]

Oh damn you. Now I can focus on anything else

[@jonathanjdavison]

I read this during the advert, so now I've been robbed of my first watch

[@FiidWilliams]

The one benefit of sous-vide for everyday cooking is that I also use the sous vide for defrosting. I pull the steak out of the freezer and season it frozen, and then lob it in the sous-vide for an 1-1.5hrs, and after that, it's ready to go. It's really very little work since all that time is totally unattended. I don't think I could do that with a reverse sear, or temperature oven. Great video and thanks for the triangle test... I like that.

[@danielxu5324]

Actually. There are KZbin videos on reverse searing frozen steak and it comes out very good as well supposedly. I’ve never tried it myself but have seen multiple videos on it.

[@QuadraKev]

I season then freeze.. That way in the future I can throw it in the sous vide whenever with almost zero prep

[@pistol80]

I reverse sear from frozen all the time. I get 4-5 steaks at a time, season them, vacuum seal, then store into the deep freezer. I bake at 275F until internal temp is 115F. Around 45 -60 min, the steak is thawed enough for insert a thermometer. Then it's just normal reverse sear from there. Works great. After watching this though, I might just go to sous vide again.

[@Jeff-fc7nf]

Sir, I am going to buy your thermometer just so you keep making more videos. Your content is fucking badass, your presentation is amazing, your articulation and writing it top-notch professional without any cringe at all. Absolutely loving your videos. I have been cooking dinner 6 nights a week at home for 15 years, im no professional chef, but I consider myself an amazing home cook. I really love this level of high meta, science discussion based content. Bravo!

[@andrewdevita629]

How is the thermometer.

[@hossamsalem8878]

Meta 😂😂

[@OfficialMrMonacle]

@@andrewdevita629amazing

[@garthvanguilder9588]

I've done this blind test as well at home with 10 family members and friends. I didn't do the triangle test, but did get similar results. 2 steaks, 1 sous vide then seared over charcoal, and the other cooked over charcoal indirect and then seared. No one was able to tell the difference taste wise, 2 people thought the sous vide one was a very little bit more tender, and 4 people said the sous vide was a very little bit more juicy. The rest could detect zero difference and thought I had given them 2 of the same. All agreed both were about perfect, and the differences were so negligible, it didn't matter. For me, it comes down to which method of cooking I want to use. If I am busy with other things....sous vide. If I want to sit and enjoy my outdoor cooking area...it's the Weber kettle

[@MiltonGeorges]

Between reverse sear in oven and sous vide, I always choose the water bath. However, the reverse sear advantage comes when you use a charcoal grill. The smoke flavor imparted really makes the difference!

[@nathandanner4030]

I do reverse sear on a Pellet Grill. I did some flank steak this week wich isn't normal but, turned out great!

[@adauria75]

Exactly this. I reverse sear low and slow on the Kamado with wood chunks adding tons of smoke flavor while it cooks slowly at 225-250 F. Remove steaks at 115 F, then get the grill ripping hot for about 60-90 seconds per side. Perfection top to bottom PLUS smokey flavor. With sous vide you can definitely add other flavors during the slow cook too (herbs, butter, etc). I just prefer smoke to any other flavors you might want to add to the sous vide phase.

[@DadsGetDubs]

@@adauria75 I have been ADDICTED to doing this lately on my Kamado style grill. I've owned a sous vide and a Kamado grill for several years and a sous vide is fantastic however I've found myself only using the sous vide when I want to make a chuck steak taste like a ribeye. Other than that I'm team reverse sear on a smoker. *Chefs Kiss*

[@martinmaier5641]

@@adauria75 I use this exact method and LOVE IT, except instead of heating up the Kamado for the sear, I use a charcoal filled chimney (based on a video testing various searing methods done by Adam Savage & J. Kenji Lopez Alt). Do you have a preferred wood? (I've used hickory or oak chunks and haven't noticed a difference, but have never done a side-by-side test.)

[@adauria75]

@@martinmaier5641 Hickory and/or oak is what I use as well. Wood is wood, mostly :) That searing method sounds pretty good - I'll check it ou!

[@TheCleric42]

Your triangle test explanation was excellent. One issue you should have mentioned at the end: Sous vide can cook less expensive cuts, like a Chuck roast, into something that tastes like prime rib. That’s because it can incubate it at the finished temperature for a very long time (like 36 hrs). That allows the collagen in that cheap roast to break down. Reverse sear can’t do anything in that circumstance.

[@chester5276]

So great to see you on KZbin again and producing great products.

[@Lioness_UTV]

As a person who knows the basics of cooking but sometimes finds that my meat cooking can be hit and miss (dry chicken breasts for instance) on occasion. This tool is such a godsend as the results are so consistent.

[@thenexus8077]

Amazing video, I'm very impressed with this channel so far. == for commenters == I think everyone should at least try sous vide, and it's important to demystify the cost and complexity. The only specialty equipment you need is the temperature control stick thing (the sous vide device). You do not need a special tub, or vacuum sealer. A soup pot, and freezer plastic bag is perfect. The device does not need to be smart. No wifi, bluetooth, or phone app. $50 or less is great. Attach the sous vide to your pot, set the temp, put the food in the bag, close the bag almost all the way, and submerge the bag leaving the top in the air. The water will push out all the air, and you'll get a seal that is more than good enough. Seal the bag the rest of the way, clip it to the pot, use a mug to weigh down the food if needed. That's it! And you can make some really fun stuff with it. I make custard in my sous vide for creme brulee and it is literally perfect every time. Silky smooth, not a microgram of curdled egg.

[@TheRationalPi]

One advantage for sous vide when cooking a big feast for a crowd is freeing up the oven. If I'm trying to reverse sear a big roast, then I'm dedicating my oven to cook at a low temperature for hours. If I use a sous vide, though, my oven is free for roasting vegetables or making a casserole, and the roast is only going in for 5-10 minutes at a really high temp at the very end to get it browned off. It can also make timing easier to have all the dishes ready at the same time. Normally a big roast has a really long cook time with a pretty huge variance if you are aiming for a specific internal temp. Sous vide not only makes it more consistent, but also really broadens the window for when it's ready.

[@BillDerr]

The real benefit of sous vide cooking is being able to infuse flavors into the food you are cooking. The juices are essentially cooking the food, so if you put lots of seasonings in the bag with them, those seasonings will be better absorbed into the food. That, on top of the set it and forget it method, it's much easier to cook food without worrying about over-cooking them. I love sous vide cooking and it's really a game changer for the at-home "chef" who may not be that great at cooking.

[@Chronically_ChiII]

I'm also team sous-vide, but I have to say, marinating food doesn't make the flavor penetrate the meat, unless you are stabbing it inside the meat.

[@CS-px9rr]

I think a couple of people have tested it and found that adding any liquid to the bag leeches out the flavour instead of infusing it. Dry seasoning might be different, but I suspect one would be better off to age/marinate it before sous vide and perhaps while searing.

[@horrorhotel46290]

I think what is being suggested here is putting dry ingredients such as a twig of rosmary into the sous-vide bag. Once the meat starts to release juices during the sous-vide process, these juices dissolve the aromatics and they diffuse into the meat

[@dannyberry8725]

Best and fastest cooked steak I have ever had was following a recipe from Alton Brown and cooked completely in the oven. Steaks were between 1.5 - 2 inch thick ribeyes. Put cast iron pan in oven and pre-heat oven to 500 degrees with pan in the oven. While this is taking place, let steaks rest at room temp and season. When oven and pan hit 500 degrees, baste steak with an oil with a high flashpoint place in pan and cook for 2 min. Pull pan, flip and cook 2 min on other side. Steaks came out perfectly cooked med rare all the way through with a great crust. Didn't even need a knife to cut them. So much easier than all this other stuff.

[@AAWOLFE-zc6ly]

as an executive chef i have tried this and works very well...

[@denniscloutier957]

I think I'll switch to reverse sear. Less plastic, and I'm a home cook so I'm only doing a few steaks at a time. As far as weight loss goes, I'm not sure losing water to evaporation is a disadvantage. Dry aged steaks lose a lot of weight to evaporation and that seems to intensify the flavour. It seems to me that losing fat during cooking is more likely to lead to a steak that seems dry. I'm (somewhat) patiently waiting for my thermometer.😁

[@LukePierce-gy1un]

I agree. Really expensive dry aged steaks would beg to differ on water being important!

[@stradius]

Another fantastic video. I do wish you'd weighed the steaks post-sear as well; I have a hunch that a lot of the "extra juices" retained by the sous vibe steak would get seared off anyway, since the oven-cooked steak would have had a lot of the outer moisture cooked out beforehand.

[@rukiddingme7]

Also, if you ate the entire sous vide steak, I think you will able to tell that it is juicer than oven based. A small bite is not good enough. Or at least eat half the steak.

[@motoduc78]

Best comparison video I've seen on this topic. I prefer the reverse sear because I use my smoker instead of the oven. The added flavor is hard to beat.

[@adwnpinoy]

Same. This is the way. Salt, pepper, hickory, perfection.

[@kylecruel]

For me the biggest difference is that the vacuum seal for sous vide allows the seasoning to penetrate the internal fibers of the steak more than it does with reverse searing.

[@douglynch9012]

I have become a fan of a reverse seared steak over the last several years. That's due to using a Weber kettle with the Slow n Sear. This allows me to add a chunk of Pecan wood to the coals and bring the steak temperature up slowly at about 220°F untill an internal temperature of about 120°F is reached. I also should mention that I dry brine the steak with Kosher salt several hours before placing it on the indirect side of the heat. This gives me a wood fired flavor to my steak.

[@adamseidel9780]

In my experience, the only thing that a hole cook can do to take their steak up to the tippy top level is get charcoal involved. The added flavor and potential for a little extra crust can’t be replicated any other way outside a professional kitchen.

[@adamcoe]

REALLY like the concept of the triangle test. I must admit I had never heard of such a thing, but what a great idea instead of just try steak A and then steak B. I've just started watching your videos and I will definitely continue to. Also the slo-mo of the sear was very excellent

[@ChrisYoungCooks]

Thank you. Triangle test is standard practice on sensory testing works because it eliminates order of tasting bias and, when repeated, has a stronger statistical ability to accept or refute a difference.

[@TheRationalPi]

In audio they do a similar test for lossy compression schemes, usually calling it an "ABX Test."

[@rapzid3536]

That slow mo.. Whoever's idea it was to have the steaks bouncing on the rack haha. Maybe it was just a happy accident.

[@jazzwyld1]

I usually reverse sear (mild smoking wood) on my grill that imparts additional flavor. I do enjoy the sous vide for set and forget. Great video.

[@Warkive]

3.6% is of the total weight of the steak (which will vary depending on the size of steak), not the amount more/less juice that was retained/lost. Relative to each other, regardless of steak size (assuming equal results across bigger/smaller steaks) reverse sear loses 60% more juice than the sous vide. I think that's more notable than the total weight loss/retained indicates.

[@TheThirdMuskateer]

60% more of a small amount is still a small amount.

[@kimbye1]

I totally agree, Sous vide is all about the setting you use it in. Also for tough cuts sous vide will tender just about any cut if you give it time.

[@hottuna2006]

There's nothing magical about the heat induction from sous vide and any cut it can tenderize, an oven can tenderize as well. It's just a matter of temperature and time. Protein doesn't know or care how it's applied.

[@semihvolkert6837]

I actually started cooking steaks using the sous vide method. At this point I moved on to use the reverse sear. As I use a pan to achieve the crust, I find that with a pan you achieve a faster crust with a reverse seared steak. I also got sick and tired of vacuum sealing and preparing an water bath after a while.

[@sluggishnu]

This dude is going to have a million subs in no time. Incredible content. Every video a winner.

[@davidauerbach2626]

I struggled with over cooking my steak I prefer medium rare ,sous vide solves the problem each steak is perfectly done, but the real improvement is the tenderness that sous vide adds select becomes choice,choice becomes prime ,in tenderness from sous vide ,the texture is just as important as taste or juiciness,all three are influenced by sous vide ,if it’s not got a lot of bark sear it longer

[@dsweedler]

Sous Vide really makes sense in a resto setting. High throughput when firing and the Sous Vide can be done during off hours and held in the frige until fired. But for a weekend meal, I prefer the variability I get with the edge vs center cooking time. I like to see a nice bit of sear AND a nice level of rare to almost medium rare at most. The bigger the cut, the more a multiplle read sensor makes sense. And the possibility of accomodating meat preference of multiple diners with one roast.

[@williamkuhns2387]

The material for the sous-vide water bath should be lexan plastic cambro bin. The reason for this is you want the cooking water temperature to be precise on the dot. A conducting material like metal will affect the precise temp setting on the immersion circulator.

[@JJBTEXAS494]

I mostly use reverse sear for the reasons Chris gave in his summary. The 2 exceptions are if I'm cooking a piece of meat that could benefit from more time at temperature to break down some tougher bits, or to freeze after to sous vide for a quick search and serve another evening.

[@brentonhood]

Super high quality content. Thank you, Chris!!

[@ferdianlie]

I can watch every second with attention! The explanation is impeccable.

[@carolmelancon]

I like that with the Anova Precision Oven, the probe and program allow me to delta-T sous vide steaks without bags or the risk of overcooking since the oven will drop to a holding temp automatically once the desired internal temperature (set a little lower to allow for any carry-over and then searing) is reached. I've ordered your Double Barrel Bundle and am counting it arrives.

[@travisdt]

I done the reverse sear by crank up the heat to 450 a few minute and put in the steak, and decrease temp gradually every few minute until it around 200 and leave there for 5 minutes. Quick and easy

[@patrykpierzgalski565]

Another great chef, subscribed and liked. Thanks for videos this helps in improving my day to day cooking skills

[@jeffyontz2928]

One great advantage of sous vide (that has time on its side) is that you can cook straight from frozen really easily. I, personally, don’t really notice a difference in quality, but admittedly I’ve never tested it. Could be another cool triangle taste test experiment idea for a video! I’ve never heard of that strategy before, I really like it.

[@crazzyhorse5038]

Yes, it would be nice to see what he thinks. Here are two others that did it with conflicting results. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nH2ziZt5i7p4h9E kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYand4JjnsukeZo

[@adamseidel9780]

There’s no scientific reason why it would make a difference to cook directly from frozen in sous vide or not. When you thaw frozen food in air, you’re warming it by transferring heat from a fluid… the air. Then you transfer it to the water bath and you’re… transferring heat from a fluid. The only difference is the rate of heat transfer!

[@charlesabrooker]

Chris - you are awesome. Glad you’re making these videos and glad you’re creating new cooking devices!

[@scottpitner4298]

I have psoriasis so I know a thing or two about Crusts! I’d go with the reverse sear just because smelling the roasting/searing beef is nice and gets the appetite going. Plus I’ll likely have the oven on already for something to go with it as a side.

Video starts at 6:50 .

[@int666h]

Awesome video, thank you very much! I love the style of it, the clarity and how understandable it is. Top content, Sir.

[@krabbe3]

Dude I really appreciate your channel! Discovered it yesterday and now I am addicted watching your videos. I love how you put sciece into cooking and that way making it more based on numbers and physics instead of human perception. Especially the triangle test. Love it how you bring scientifical methods into cooking.

[@adamseidel9780]

Best thing about sous vide: you get this flawless, best possible home cooked steak every single time. You can buy the most expensive possible steak at the grocery store and have absolute confidence you won’t make a little mistake that’ll make it a waste. It’s perfect every time. My favorite little added technique: rest it for a while after it comes out of the sous vide, as long as like 15 minutes. Not only will that help dry out the surface a bit, it’ll cool the core down a decent bit. Means you can hammer the surface with a little extra impunity and get the best crust possible without risking any overcook more than a millimeter in. Works great!

[@wickstar345]

This channel will blow up at some point. Mark my words.

[@karlhakon]

Great video. Your are indeed very thorough. It would be very cool to see a similar video with triangle test on pre-seasoning, which I personally have experiences to do a great difference.

[@user-od1yi5iq1k]

This channel is gold. Wish your termometer was a bit more budget friendly, though (with shipping to my native Denmark it's 274 USD).

[@apajaro3677]

Another excellent cooking video! I've been doing sous vide for steaks for about 4 years now. Recently i saw your video on ripping hot pan vs flipping steaks. I gave flipping a try and my whole family of steak lovers preferred it over sous vide. So thank you. I hope you do a video on prime rib. Now, is th

[@Zraknul]

I've been using the reverse sear to solid results (with sear in a stovetop pan). I do have to fuss with it to take it in and out a few times to use an instant read thermometer. I should probably look into a leave in probe to save some hassle on that end.

[@xipalips]

Chef Young sells an amazing one ;)

[@CGagnon5]

Incredible video. I was fully expecting this video to all be a setup to say the Sous vide is better given the fact that he makes a sous vide cooker. Fantastic work all around

[@xipalips]

Made* He is no longer with ChefSteps. You can find his new product at Combustion Inc. Just finished devouring a pork loin cooked to perfection using the predictive thermometer and surface temperature cooking technique he has a video on

[@bostonbesteats364]

I may have missed it, but for the reverse seared steak did you use the Combustion thermometer and did you use it to control the surface temp (and what temp) in this example?

[@ChrisYoungCooks]

I did not do surface temperature control in this video, simply because it would have confused the comparison I was trying to make. I used 200F as the cooking temperature.

[@MrTacklebury]

Terrific and fair assessment I'd say. I'm still lazier than either though and just heat my grill to 450, sear both sides for 30 seconds and then let it sit on the top shelf and smoke in the delicious charcoal aroma. ;)

[@PeterParker-jm4dc]

I have decided for myselfcSteak tastes better when it has enough time to develop crust. SousVide cooks it to close to doneness to be able to develop crust. Grill / Charcoal does great job, and u can put it on top of some bush in between for extra layer of flavor

[@anem2434]

Keep them coming Chris. Absolute legend.

[@ChrisYoungCooks]

🙏

[@charlesnordlander1629]

Great videos, Chris! I recently discovered them and was an immediate subscriber after watching the first one. While I love the ease of preparing steaks sous vide and have the equipment to do it, I generally reverse sear because the fat seems to render into the meat much better than with sous vide--especially with a fattier cut like ribeye. Here's why I think that happens and would like to know your thoughts: Since beef fat renders at 130-140 degrees, if you have a sous vide set at a medium rare temp like 128, you never get to the rendering temp. Meanwhile, a reverse sear steak is reaching temp in a 225 degree oven, and since fat is superior conductor of heat, the fat parts of the steak are hitting rendering temp even though the steak, overall, isn't overcooking. Does this make sense?

[@joefetter8819]

Interesting Idea🤔

[@andriusbruzas9211]

Brilliant video. Very informative and will have better idea how to cook my steaks. Just couple of things missed though. Would have suggested measuring weights after searing as reverse sear would likely lose less whilst searing as it's surface is already dryer. Additionally, would expect that for the same reason sous vide stake to taste better grilled as it likely will have more juices dripping and creating additional flavors. Cooking them together over the coals likely helped reverse sear steak.

[@BigDDunc]

Great video covering too cooking methods I love. One thing to consider with flavour on the sous vide front is that you can add flavours to the bag, ie the chefsteps holiday oil

[@ChrisYoungCooks]

Agree. And, of course, you can add rubs or marinades with reverse sear too. But I was keen to know if I could really pick up a difference with just the meat.

[@scotth5503]

I've largely given up on SV. Reverse sear is quicker and I can't tell a difference in tenderness. Less hassle too since you don't have to deal with getting the vac sealer and water bath out. Plus if you do the initial cook in a smoker, you get an extra flavor profile. The only downside is it's easier to overcook if you get distracted - which I suppose is where a continuous temp monitor comes into play.

[@ralphtisdale3428]

Have you tried a steam oven with reverse sear? It offers two additional cooking options conventional ovens do not: 1) retain the moisture in the oven released by the meat or 2) add steam during cooking. Each option likely results in more moisture retention than either sous vide or reverse sear in a conventional oven. I like your thermometer...temperature control with reverse sear is key. Nice presentation.

[@banksta3]

Fantastic video and production.

[@stevenhershman2660]

Great Video ! Keep up the good work.

[@thepottmi]

3 minutes of information packed into 12 minutes.

[@IAmSidTheRealKid]

Thank you for a wonderfully informative video!

[@mark-kf3md]

I would really appreciate it if you could do an analysis and review of the Joule sous vide and the Joule Turbo sous vide. Your videos are excellent. The objective analysis and control of variables are top notch. Keep them coming.

[@OldGlory_EC]

Great video. I have used both methods cooking steaks. However, I use my charcoal grill to reverse sear rather than the oven, and I have to give the edge to that method over sous vide. The lump charcoal gives the steaks a bit of smokiness that tastes fantastic.

[@ChrisYoungCooks]

Certainly smoking the meat, or adding seasonings will change the outcome. And personally I do love a bit of smoke on the meat. My goal in this video was to see if I could pick up a difference with just the meat itself with these two techniques?

[@waphelps1]

Same. I use a pellet smoker at about 240 degrees to heat the steak for the reverse sear, then either turn the grill way up or use a cast iron pan to finish the steak. Consistency is great and flavor is great. In a home setting I have struggled to get the flavor from the crust in a sous vide steak.

[@unknownKnownunknowns]

Great video. One correction: @7:07 the difference between the two is nearly 60%. The RS lost 59% more juice than the SV , no?

[@MrMartinSchou]

Correction: Not everyone has an oven. Far too many small apartments have stovetops and no oven. That being said, one advantage that sous vide has is its time invariability. I'm terrible at getting things done on time (for a multitude of reasons, but my favourite "it's not my fault" excuse is having a tiny kitchen with almost no working space at all), which means that if I'm using something like reverse sear, I risk ending up with either a cold steak or an overcooked steak, because I can't be sure to get the rest of the meal done in time with the steak itself. With sous vide, being thirty minutes behind doesn't matter one iota, because the last thing I do is finish the steak.

[@ThePrimeMinisterOfTheBlock]

You got my like, you got my sub. Please continue producing this excellent technical cooknig content.

[@mobilemcsmarty1466]

"proto-sear" a nice term for what I go for. I really don't care so much about "juiciness." if I want some juice I'll serve some OJ with the meal. what I want is a "better" or "best" steak. so you can't tell the difference in taste? great, that's a good to know. I can definitely tell the difference in appearance. appearance is huge as to the pleasure of eating even though technically the taste is the same. the reverse sear is the easy winner here. no special equipment (just timing and temperature care) and better appearance makes that technique a no-brainer for me. great vid, I'm really tempted to try that thermometer 👨‍🍳😋

[@anastasios0513]

Your channel, besides being informative, is rather soothing :)

[@Elliot_97]

As a scientifically oriented carnivore diet adherent, this channel feels like it was made for me. Thank you!

[@studaniels52]

Dry brine with 0.6% kosher salt for 24 to 72 hrs. Freeze it. Sear it while frozen. Keep it frozen and vacuum bag it. Thaw it @ 35F. Place it in a 129F SV bath for 4 or more hrs. Serve

[@WeaponGrade]

Great vid. Thank you. Would love to see you do a comp of reverse sear Vs. cold sear. Advantages of latter being a lot less smoke and oil splatter which makes it more condo friendly.

[@chapaxx1]

Cold sear is better

[@mad_incognito]

We are a family of 6 so when we make meat it is a lot and so sous-vide is really convenient. The only downside is that searing is done at the end and so I cannot make a sauce from that searing process but a cafe de paris butter works fine.

[@rustyshaklferd1897]

Honestly from experience you can get the perfect sear with both methods. The reverse sear with a probe thermometer you can’t overcook it if it’s low heat and you pull it when it hits temperature. I’m struggling to pick the better method unless maybe if I did a side by side. Typically I prefer to sous vide steaks, but with the geometry of the tomahawk I usually just reverse sear it.

[@sheilam4964]

Back here watching this again to add to your latest vid. Thx for doing this and sharing. 👍👍👍👍👍

[@alfromtx245]

I like doing reverse sear, but doing the first part on the smoker. You don't want to go overboard with the smoke. Just enough to give it some extra flavor and character.

[@FloridaRaider]

solid info.. good luck with your channel

[@KeithGrant]

I’ve slowly found myself switching from sous vide to reverse sear. I think both do great for the meat itself, but I think sous vide is a little more limiting when it comes to what I put on the meat. Some things just don’t hold up in a moist cooking bag, whether it’s spices, garlic, or something more marinade like (citrus does poorly in sous vide, for example)

[@buffalojones341]

Well done vid! I am new to your channel and was surprised to see you only have 5k+ subscribers. I bet you’ll have 100k if you keep producing content like this on a fairly regular basis.

[@ChrisYoungCooks]

🙏

[@csuszi11]

Hi Chris, I really hope you'll see this comment, as I have an interesting question. Coming from an engineering/logical/mathematical point of view, I think it aligns well with your methods, and you could even make a video exploring the answers. After searing, the steak’s temperature typically rises by roughly 15°C (at least 10°C). Given that this is true, why do you and others typically set the target temperature to between 53°C and 57°C? When removed from the bath, even if the temperature drops a few degrees while prepping other things, the steak will be still around 50°C to 54°C (few °C drop). After searing for a few minutes, it could easily reach 58°C to 60°C. Wouldn't it then rest and potentially rise to an overcooked 70°C, given a typical increase of 12°C to 15°C? I've tried setting mine to 48°C. It reaches 48°C, drops a few degrees, then after searing, it reaches around 54°C. After resting, it still ends up around 60°C core temperature (even if I don't let it rest longer). I think my 48°C was still a bit high-conservatively, I could have set it as low as 45°C. With the extra 5°C-7°C from searing, then another 10°C - wouldn’t that suffice? Secondly, is there a difference in texture and juiciness if the core temperature is reached too quickly? For instance, if I set the sous vide to 55°C and remove the steak after 40-50 minutes at around 48°C (or 52°C-it doesn’t really matter for this question), versus setting it to 48°C, which is much slower, and removing it after 90-120 minutes at 48°C? (lower bath temp longer sous vide/cooking). 3rd and last question: is there a difference between shorter and longer resting time? (given the finish temp can be closer to 60°C eg sear to 50°C and wait until it reaches 60°C or sear it to 55°C-58°C and let it rest only a few minutes? I would really appreciate your thoughts on this, and it might be an area worth exploring in future videos. I haven’t seen anyone setting the goal temperature to around 40°C, and I can't see a logical reason for this unless the aim is to speed things up by removing the meat at around 45°C or 48°C and the bath temp would be still 55°C-57°C. However, if that were the case, it seems it would be mentioned in recipes, but no one seems to address this. Cheers!

[@quint4817]

Please continue your KZbin career, It will take off. Your scientific background brings a great perspective to the online community!

[@gpn962]

Brilliant video! Very informative. It would be good to add in brackets the temps in celcius :)

[@smoath]

Brilliant! 👍🏻 this clears up so much, thank you. Can I ask what temperature oven you used for the reverse sear?

[@andrewrivers4723]

generally the lower the better but somewhere between 200f and 250f should work fine

[@ChrisYoungCooks]

I used 200F.

[@sidlives2672]

One thing that you can try with a sous vide steak is to place it into the refrigerator for a while on a rack. It will dry out in that environment. Of course it just adds even more time to your cook.

[@WinstonFiore]

5:42 when your editor leaves you hangin'

[@yjaymunoz8556]

I love this " science behind foods " content/info.. I would love to learn the chemistry of chemicals on burger or fried chicken or etc..

[@hydroponikstuttgart4515]

I started reverse low temp sear my steaks wrapped in alu foil. Using a digital thermometer and setting the oven to 55°C / 130°F i can put in the steak(s) hours before i need them, the temp difference is so marginal that you re really flexibel with the timing. I once had to leave and came back home much later than planned, had the steak in the ofen for about 5h by then and it still came out great. Would definitly recommend this setting, especially if u plan to make multiple steaks, maybe with non uniform thickness for guests who might now arrive on time for dinner

[@dimmacommunication]

So the oven has a digital very precise thermometer by factory ?

[@hydroponikstuttgart4515]

@@dimmacommunication Hi, no, i just put it on like 70°C. It takes a few hours for the meat to get to the core temp, So it makes little difference if it is actually 65 of 75 degrees. Also this technique is great for meast with bones in it, even around the bone the meat is cooked through (especially important with poultry),

[@3xarch]

josh so clearly had no idea what to do with being on camera and i am here for it

[@eisenklad]

as a single guy who works long hours, i think the sous vide is the way to go... start the cooking before work, come back, sear it in on a pan... mid week treat. the oven will be a nice to have for other stuff. that said, since you covered a ninja CreamI vs pacojet. would a Ninja Foodi be an effective all-in-one vs a pressure cooker+airfryer or pressure cooker + convection oven? especially if i want to enjoy a steak at home once/twice a month i'm still torn over the air fryer vs convection oven because of versatility of the oven. a few refractory stones and the broiler is a small step closer to a pizza oven but a pizza is way cheaper than a steak.

[@ChrisYoungCooks]

I’m working on a review of smart ovens, including the Ninja Foodie oven. So far, I’m pretty impressed by it. Not perfect, but it does a lot of things better than more expensive competitors.

[@NaskyG]

What about additional flavors, such as herbs (like rosemary or thyme)? Wouldn't sous vide lend itself to better perfuse the steak if you throw some herbs into the bag before sealing it? Or is it better practice to infuse those flavors with some butter and garlic after the searing process?

[@AAWOLFE-zc6ly]

as an executive chef, both work well for adding flavor.

[@SuperMarijus]

Chuck roast cut into steaks bagged in portions sous vide over night and frozen for when I wanna enjoy them cannot be achieved with reverse searing method so I'll stick with sous vide, would be interesting also to find out which one is more energy efficient. Also would anovo precision oven be considered sous vide or reverse sear? 🤔

[@davidbroadway3012]

How does the probe measure surface temperature?

[@PlasticBagable]

For those who sous vide steak, do you normally let the steak cool down after taking it out of sous vide? If so, for how long? I fear that going from sous vide into a sear would overcook the internal. But sometimes, if I let it cool down to 80-90F internal, the center is colder than it could be when serving after a sear. What are your typical processes here?

[@ChrisYoungCooks]

I’ll be talking about this a bit in my next video. But I often let my sous vide or reverse-seared steaks cool down for 30min or more, usually I’ll throw them in the fridge. The searing will quickly bring the temp back up, and the core can’t cool any faster than it heated in the first place.

[@PlasticBagable]

Awesome, thank you so much for the reply and keep up the amazing work! Really looking forward to more content :)

[@cornellthornton7726]

I've used both methods and your right there is no real winner there both excellent. I think it's about time. Do you have time to do the sous vide method? Cause it takes so much longer so if you don't have the time, the oven method is much better for your particular needs that day.

[@dannyboyNS752]

Can't wait for my CI thermometers or to see what you do next!

[@marcdelabarreraibardalet4754]

I love the scientific approach of your videos, best in youtube! One question. When I see your steaks, they are very homogeneous on the inside, I usually look for an uniform gradient. Of course it's a matter of taste, but should I aim for an uniform inside, or a gradient from crust to the center? I guess to get the gradient, just reverse sear for less time?

[@nicholasco2926]

Chris, I have a question regarding fat render. Over the years I’ve started to favor reverse sear more and more because I usually cook more marbled cuts like ribeyes and I think that reverse sear tends to give me a nicer more rendered texture to the fat. Sous vide is great for consistency but I feel like there is always a bit of chewiness left to the fat. What are your thoughts?

[@ChrisYoungCooks]

So I think the primary difference is that when reverse searing, it's typical that the surface of the meat gets quite a bit hotter than sous vide. Since the fat tissue contains a lot of collagen, this higher temperature helps to soften the fatty tissue so that its more tender and less fatty. The fat cap, in particular, will be much hotter than the rest of the meat when reverse searing because there is less evaporative cooling going on with the fatty tissue. So, yes, I agree that a major benefit of the reverse sear for high-fat cuts is that it makes it easier to tenderize the fatty tissue. It's a good point and worth a video just for this.

[@Chunkosaurus]

In the sous vide community many recommend that for fattier cuts like ribeye that you cook it at a higher temperature. 137°F is the common temp. This is a little bit more than medium rare, but the benefit is the fat renders beautifully and adds way more flavor and mouth feel. You need to be at 131°F to have anything render

[@bartstrainingvideos1757]

I previously sous vided most proteins, with three sous vide devices. I have now almost entirely moved to reverse sear, and will post next comment as to why. In terms of timing for sous vide, like you I closely monitor internal temperatures and have done for some time. I will be interested to get your thermometer when available in UK. If the following two links work correctly they demonstrate your point that the internal temperature rise is very quick, but the final third very slow. For the sirloin roast which was 7cm thick, the temperature got to 45C in one hour but nearly another two hours to get to 56. The lamb took 1hr 42min to get to 45C and around another 2 to 3 hours to get to 56.THis is just Newton's law of cooling in action. Like you mentioned I have been looking at turning up the temperature for the first hour or so, and this greatly shortens the cooking time, with no discernible effect on outcome. I was concerned that the outer layers would reach water temperature, but they do not seem to do so and I was advised that beef is such an effective conductor that the heat is distributed internally quite quickly. Apparently Douglas Baldwin has developed or was developing an app to that allows a higher temperature without overcooking. Of course monitoring internal temperatures makes it much easier, and the temperature can actually be reduced as it approaches target. It is also probably useful if not essential for this type of use, as no two pieces of food are the same, and there were comments on Reddit from BostonEats that my internal temperatures rose faster than predicted by Baldwin's original data. I think going forward all sous vide and oven cooking will be temperature monitored with devices such as yours. I have quite high quality Miele ovens which go down to minimum 30C and are quite accurate (notwithstanding the evaporative effect) so I can also reverse sear at low temperatures almost like sous vide and have done so successfully. Obviously it takes much longer. drive.google.com/file/d/1UpcvN7WwHKk7McflnbZAb7KeylMrJ-69/view?usp=share_link drive.google.com/file/d/1WWJH-Oih5O8q2cukPV2GP8BuyXNhkI7Z/view?usp=share_link

[@ejw4300]

Hi. thanks for you interesting comment. I have a Miele Steam oven as well. Would you mind educating me on what temperature and moisture levels you reverse sear your steak at?

[@antonrupert1377]

Thanks for these videos, I love your technique and precision with all the testing. Seems I'm also a fan of everything you did before, love fat duck, modernist cuisine, although I must admit I'm still using an anova rather than a joule. Have ordered my predictive thermometer though! Hope you carry on making these videos even with the success of your products.

[@stopbath]

This is exceptional marketing. Great cinematography and convincing as a single man production. Maybe in 10 years ill have the disposable income for a $200 (really cool) thermometer.

[@ChrisYoungCooks]

A two person production plus my steak-loving buddy Josh.

[@kurtpenner2362]

Hey Chris! I find that the best sear by far is the "forward sear" i.e. the raw meat goes straight to the cast iron skillet, then finish in low heat in the oven. But then the interior doneness has all the familiar problems. I can precisely nail the doneness with sous vide, or the Anova Precision Oven BUT I have NEVER achieved a reverse sear or SV & sear as good as the forward sear. It feels like I can have one or the other perfect (interior or exterior) but not both. Usually I just assume the wet surface of the sous vide steak can never be completely dry and this greatly hinders making that awesome crust that I love so much. Maybe my skillet isn't thermonuclear enough, but it's hot enough to be smoking and forward sear well so I'm not sure what else to do to make the SV sear meet my goals. Thoughts? Oh, and when are the pre-ordered CI thermometers shipping?

[@Alex-zp9qm]

It means you are searing it wrong or at too low temp. For folks like you - I recommend: do sous vide beforehand (hours to 1d) and let it cool down in the fridge. Then you can get away with longer sear on a weaker source. And it come out great.

[@ChrisYoungCooks]

Two thoughts: (1) I agree with Alex, let it cool for a while. Both steaks ended up cooking for ~20 min before they were seated in this video (simply because we had to move cameras around). (2) Make sure to blot off excess water and brush on a generous amount of oil to help conduct heat.

[@kurtpenner2362]

@@ChrisYoungCooks thanks!

[@banksta3]

Have you tried the flamethrower method? There are unnecessarily expensive "searing guns" out there, but a $30 weed burner seems to do the trick for me.

[@kurtpenner2362]

@@banksta3 Yes, I have one of the commercial ones meant for searing sous vide meat. Very unimpressive result. I'll next try the suggestion to cool in the fridge or freezer before searing.

[@laurentweisgerber3846]

Did you cool down the steaks before searing them?

[@iancunicolae2626]

Best video about sous Vide, how did you get your sous vide to loose only 6%, it seems my steaks loose more? do you drop it with the water temp cold or preheated first?