Sous Vide Filet Mignon

Today I’m going to be discussing a cooking method I haven’t posted about before: sous vide. Not familiar with sous vide? Well, this method is guaranteed to cook whatever food that you are cooking to the exact internal temperature you are aiming for. Seriously, it’s hard (almost impossible) to overcooking something with this method. One of my favorite things to sous vide is filet mignon and today you’re going to find out why.

What is sous vide?

In simple terms, sous vide is a cooking method that cooks food at an exact temperature in a water bath. I have an Anova Precision Cooker. This will warm a pot filled with water to the exact temperature that I would like. The water will be held at this temperature, which is why it is almost impossible to overcook food using this method.

Do I just toss my steak in a pot fill with water?

Sort of. I like to vacuum seal my foods using this Geryon vacuum sealer. The vacuum sealer will remove all of the air from the bag, allowing the bag to sink in the water. If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, you can use a plastic ziplock bag. I used ziplock bags for years before I purchased a vacuum sealer and the results are just as good! Just make sure to remove as much air from the bag before you completely close it and put it in the water. Otherwise the bag might float to the top and you really want it to be fully submerged.

What temperature should I set the water to?

Since this recipe is for filet mignon and I like my steaks cooked to the low end of medium-rare, I set my water temperature to 125ºF-130ºF. I always sear my steaks after the sous vide water bath (to get a nice crust), so you can set the temperature slightly under what you want your final internal temperature to be. If you like you steaks more done, then set the temperature higher. It’s entirely up to you! Omaha steaks has a nice steak doneness guide if you’re unsure of what temperature to use.

How long should the filet mignon cook for?

You need to let it cook for at least 1 hour but no more than 4 hours. If you went longer than 4 hours, the filet mignon won’t overcook, but the texture can change – I don’t recommend it. I typically will cook them for 2 hours and I always have great results. While that might seem like a long time, once the steak is in the water, there is nothing that you need to do. As we say when smoking meats, you can set it and forget it!

Do I need to sear the filets at the end?

You don’t need to but I do recommend it. Once the filet mignons are done cooking in the water, I’ll remove them and sear them in a very hot pan until a nice crust is formed. All that you need to do is heat a pan over medium-high heat, add some butter or oil, and sear your steaks – flipping every 45 seconds until you are satisfied with the crust. This will give your steak a beautiful crust on the outside with and perfectly cooked and tender inside.

That’s all there is to it!

After you sear your steaks, allow it to rest for 10 minutes and then it’s time to eat! It’s really that simple to get a top quality filet mignon using the sous vide method. Here is a summary of the steps:

1. Set the water temperature based on how you like the doneness of your steak
2. Vacuum seal the filet mignons or add to a plastic bag with all of the air removed
3. Submerge the filet mignons in the water and cook for around 2 hours
4. Remove the steaks and sear on medium-high heat until the you are satisfied with the crust

It’s so easy to do and delicious. I highly recommend giving the sous vide cooking method a shot. Try it out and you’ll see how straightforward it is to get high quality results. You won’t be disappointed!