Sous Vide Steak with Black Chinese Vinegar Chimichurri

Sous vide is a French term that means "under vacuum." What it actually means, practically, is that you will never overcook this steak.

Here's how it works. You season the meat, seal it in a bag, and submerge it in a water bath held at a precise temperature by a recirculating immersion heater. The water never goes above that temperature. The meat never goes above that temperature. You set it to exactly where you want the steak to land, and it stays there until you're ready for it. An hour, two hours, three. Doesn't matter. The steak cannot overcook because the water won't let it.

This is why I cook steak this way for dinner parties. The food is ready when you are. You're not standing over a hot pan while your guests are drinking without you. Pull the bags out of the water, pat the steaks bone dry, sear them hard for a minute on each side, plate and serve. The whole finishing process takes five minutes.

The temperature you choose determines the doneness. 129°F is medium rare with a warm red center. 135°F is the edge of medium. Pick your number, set the bath, and forget about it.

A few things worth knowing. Pat the steaks very, very dry before the sear. The bag creates moisture on the surface of the meat and moisture is the enemy of a crust. Press paper towels into every side and don't rush this step. Then get your cast iron or grill as hot as you possibly can. You're not cooking the steak at this point, you're building a crust on something that's already perfectly cooked inside. One minute per side, maybe two. That's all you need and all you want.

You can also pull the bags early. An hour before you're ready to sear, take them out of the water and let them sit at room temperature still sealed. They hold beautifully. This is the move if you want to be completely present with your guests and just step away for ten minutes when it's time to eat.

The chimichurri is not traditional and that's the point.

Classic chimichurri is garlic, fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. This one swaps the vinegar for black Chinese vinegar, and that single substitution changes everything. Chinkiang vinegar has a sweetness and depth that red wine vinegar doesn't, a slight funkiness that sits underneath the herbs and garlic and makes you stop and wonder what you're tasting.

Raw garlic, crushed. Dried red pepper flakes. Flake salt. Fresh oregano leaves. Olive oil. Black Chinese vinegar. Mortar and pestle if you want the texture, food processor if you want to be done in thirty seconds. Both work. The chimichurri can be made hours ahead and only gets better as it sits.

This is a dinner party steak. It's also a Tuesday steak. The technique doesn't care about the occasion.