Reverse Seared Steak vs Sous Vide Steak / Which is Best? 

Fyi, adding fat to steaks during the sous vide cooks actually dilutes the flavor of the steak. You can add butter during the searing process for a better product. Also1 hour is not long enough. 2 hours minimum. And the reason the sous vide looks less juicy, is because the juices did not render as your cook time and temp was too low, and any juices stayed in the meat, and did not spill out onto the board.

Good video! It all comes down to choosing the right tool for the job. I'd never do a reverse sear nor use sous vide for a single small thin steak like that. Just go rippin' hot over wood, gas or charcoal and you're good to go. For a thick steak or for pork or chicken sous vide can be great. As a professional chef I'll say that sous vide really shines in commercial applications like doing 75 perfectly medium rare steaks for a banquet function. Likewise it's great for doing stuff that can be done any other way. For instance, you do a brisket flat at 130 degrees for 72 hours and you'll get it tender enough to cut with a fork but still medium rare!

Great vid Tom! My wife got me the Anova 3.0 sous vide for Xmas (I didn’t ask for it.) I actually didn’t want to like it because I enjoy reverse searing so much! I’ve only done a few cooks so far, but my initial impression is I still prefer reverse sear for steaks. Chicken however….yep, sous vide all day, every day. So dang moist, and just hit the grill for a sear at the end. I think sous vide is pretty cool, but in my opinion, it’s not the best technique for every meat.

I agree with your choice Tom. Reverse sear just looks better and you can’t beat that smoked flavor. I guess I’m just to old school to cook steak in a bag with hot water then sear it…lol cheers buddy.

Thanks Tom… as always. I do Sous Vide all the time (usually only filets). I found that I prefer them seared on flat top or cast iron and not over flame.. However both are great!. I think the Cut also has a lot to do with it. Great video.

I would've picked the reverse seared steak too, but where sous vide can score points is if one wants to turn a cheap steak cuts, such as a chuck roast, into tender deliciousness :)

Just bought a Sous Vide machine for these purposes. Haven’t used it yet. I’ll be honest, a little disappointed to hear your choice. I’ll be doing a flat iron and then probably a tri-tip to test. I’d probably then do a whole chuck roast or maybe my nemesis, chicken breast and hope it’s juicy.

Love to see you try the same experiment withpork ribs … very curious… love your videos

Reverse sear for me too Tom

Both look good 🥩🥩

Yeah, S.V. (w/out smoke involved in searing) is optimum for a cook where time is not important & searing done with torch or even hot cast iron performed indoors Indirect cook & seared over charcoal outside will likely win by the benefit of the crusting & smoking. Both are exceptional. It comes down to the weather and how much one wants to battle the elements to have a perfectly cooked steak.

The way my wife cooks the sous vide steak it's much better then if I just go ahead and grill it. Chaps my ass but it is what it is

Sous vide is a fad.