By choosing a rather inexpensive cut like chuck roast and using the Sous Vide technique we are able to transform what would have been considered impossible only a few years ago, a thick medium rare cut of ridiculously tender chuck roast coated in a crunchy flavorful crust, and don’t forget the gravy! For the Steaks: 1.
Level of difficulty: 75
Chicken fried steak has a lot in common with Spaghetti Bolognese and Barbecued Spare Ribs. Huh? Whenever someone refers to these items (and many others), the room falls silent for a moment while everyone conjures up their most evocative recollections of the dish–the way Mom made it, the way their favorite (and now extinct) diner made it, or even the way that they themselves make it.
What starts as an enthusiastic group hug quickly escalates into a debate replete with raised eyebrows and condescending smirks. Soon, the whole thing degenerates into a vitriolic argument with lots of shaking heads, raised voices and hurt feelings. Friendships can be destroyed. Otherwise stable partnerships can dissolve before our very eyes. Add some alcohol and you may even see some low-rent physical altercations.
There are many versions of chicken fried steak. Each devotee is convinced theirs is the only real, true, authentic, acceptable, edible version. The fact that almost nobody uses the same coating on fried chicken as they would on chicken fried steak serves only to complicate matters.
Chicken fried steak isn’t exactly the sort of thing people associate with sous vide anyway. What could be further from the Chi-Chi stylings of Modernist Cuisine? But what is a chicken fried steak? When you get right down to it, it’s a classic veal cutlet without the classic veal. Pounded thin (or jaccarded) to compress and tenderize it, a cheap cut of beef is cleverly concealed in a heavy coating and fried. Where would you insert sous vide in that process? Could you stuff a breaded/battered slice of meat in a sous vide bag with any expectation of favorable results? Hardly. I suppose somebody may have tried it.
People come up will all kinds of crazy things to use sous vide for, all in the name of a sort of self indulgent “process of experimentation.” Sous vide’s best efforts are not totally limited to protein tenderization, moisture preservation and pasteurization–but that’s where the process really shines.
And let’s face it–even vigorous pounding and needling will not turn a really tough cut of meat into a tender one. Hopefully, the toughness may become somewhat less noticeable. So, sous vide CAN be used to tenderize that tough cut of meat–but the compressive pounding and breading need to come AFTERWARDS.
I have a good friend who lived all over the south for many years, eventually settling in Oregon. I listened with intent as he apoplectically detailed, red-face with eyes popping, his appalled revelation that “up north” and/or “out west” a chicken fried steak might be served with brown sauce instead of the cloyingly thick cream gravy characteristic of the southern version. This fellow wouldn’t even know where to start when it came to preparing a chicken fried steak, but, by gum, he knew that it wasn’t even “real” unless it had cream gravy. People are really dogmatic about their culinary preferences. I like it both ways.
Beef sirloin tip steak or roast or any tough, inexpensive, lean cut like chuck, top round, etc. Within limits, the size of the piece does not matter. You can process individual portioned pieces at approximately 6 oz/175 g, or you can process roasts up to 3 lbs./1.5 Kg and then portion them after processing. The temperature and interval remain the same–that is the beauty of sous vide!
Powdered egg white, as needed. I keep mine in a dredge/shaker. No mess, very convenient. Preferred seasonings of your choice–salt not to exceed 2 teaspoons/lb. of meat. Flour, as needed. I keep a dredge/shaker filled with flour as well. Egg, 1 each, beaten will with 1 oz/30 ml water. Bread crumbs, fine, as needed. Vegetable oil.
Equipment requirements:
Preheat the sous vide bath to 128 F/53 C.
Vacuum seal the roast in heat rated plastic, stage into a rack and lower into the bath.
Sous Vide CHICKEN FRIED TOMAHAWK Steaks!
FAQ
Can you deep fry after sous vide?
What temp should chicken-fried steak be?
Why is chicken-fried steak soggy?
What’s the difference between chicken-fried steak and fried steak?
How do you cook a steak sous vide?
Cooking steak sous vide is a two-phase process. The first phase involves sealing the steak in a plastic bag and cooking it to the desired final temperature using your sous vide device. The second phase is searing the meat to develop color, flavor, and textural contrast on its surface, and to help render and soften its fat.
Can you cook chicken Sous Vide before frying?
Make ahead – You can cook the chicken sous vide and chill in advance of frying. Don’t overcrowd the pieces in the oil or it will cool down and not crisp as quickly. Fry in batches to use a smaller frying pot and less oil. Fry at a higher temperature than normal since the chicken is already fully cooked and you are just browning it.
What is a sous vide steak?
Sous vide steaks, on the other hand, can be held for several hours before you finish them by searing and serving, which means that your steaks are ready when you and your guests are. Finally, sous vide offers results that are not attainable by traditional methods. With standard high-heat cooking, you develop a temperature gradient within the meat.
How hot should a sous vide steak be?
Because a sous vide steak cooks from edge to edge with more or less perfect evenness, there is no temperature gradient inside. A medium-rare steak should be 130°F from the very center to the outer edge, with only the outer surfaces hotter after searing. Sous vide steaks can be served immediately after searing.