Over the past few months I have become obsessed with sous vide cooking, a process in which meats or other ingredients are cryovac'd and simmered in a water bath over a long period of time in order to ensure a tender and perfectly cooked end product.

Most recently I decided to amp up an already amazing product, two 12oz. Certified Angus Beef strip steaks by starting them in the sous vide water bath then finished hot-and-fast on the grill for a nice sear.  For those of you unfamiliar with Certified Angus Beef brand, it is arguably the best-of-the-best when it comes to Angus beef with all product having to meet 10 strict requirements in order to receive the CAB stamp of approval.  The result is an amazing taste sensation -- one that is well marbled, tender, and packed full of beefy flavor.

In the end, the combination of great beef, the sous vide bath, and live smoke and flame resulted in a steak that'll I'll definitely be serving up again and again.

SOUS VIDE AND GRILLED STRIP STEAK WITH HATCH CHILE BUTTER

Ingredients

 2 strip steaks, approximately 12oz. each

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1/2 tsp. onion powder

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature

1 Hatch chile (substitute poblano chile if Hatch chiles are not available)

Instructions

Fill a large container with water and attached a Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker or similar sous vide cooking device according to directions and set to 125 degrees.  Combine the garlic powder, salt, onion powder, and pepper in a small bowl and blend well.  Season both sides of the steaks liberally then place in a cryovac bag and seal.  Place steaks in the water bath for 2 hours.         

After 1 1/2 hours, prepare your grill for high-heat cooking (450+ degrees).  Grill the Hatch chile until charred on all sides then place in a resealable back for 5 minutes to make the skin easier to remove.  Peel the skin off of the chile, remove the seeds and ribs, then finely dice the flesh.  Mix 1 tbsp. of the chopped Hatch chile with the butter and set aside until ready to use.

At the 2 hour mark, remove the steaks from the crovac and pat dry.  Place the steaks on a well oiled grill grate and grill the steak for approximately 2-3 minutes per side until they have developed a nice crust and have reached an internal temperature of 130 degrees for medium-rare.  Remove from the grill, top with the hatch chile butter, and allow them to rest for 5 minutes before serving.  

Note: Sous vide unit provided by Anova Culinary for recipe testing purposes.  Steaks were provided by Certified Angus Beef for recipe testing purposes.  No additional compensation was received from either company.