Sous vide London broil is the perfect meal for a busy day. You can prepare it ahead of time and leave it in your sous vide machine to slowly cook while you are getting other things done.
In this article, we will go over how long to sous vide London Broil and what temperature you should use, as well as other important tips and tricks for making sure your steak comes out perfectly every time.
Key Takeaways
- Sous vide cooking is a great way to cook a tough cut of meat such as London broil and get it tender.
- How long to sous vide London broil? Usually, 2 to 3 hours but the timing will depend on how you like your meat cooked plus the thickness of the cut of the meat.
- The recommended temperature to cook your London broil should be 136°F to 140°F. If you like your steak well done, go for 150°F or more.
- Sous vide is a cooking method that uses a temperature-controlled water bath to cook food to an exact internal temperature. This has become very popular for cooking steak because it allows you to cook your steak perfectly every time, with no guesswork.
What Is London Broil?
London broil is a cut of beef that comes from the top round of a cow. It is usually marinated before cooking, and it's usually cooked in an oven or with the grilling method.
The name "London broil" comes from where it was first served: in London restaurants.
Since it is a tough cut of meat, it is best cooked low and slow. Sous vide is the perfect method for this type of steak since it allows you to cook at a precise temperature for a long period of time.
What Is Sous Vide?
London broil is usually marinated and cooked quickly on a grill. But if you're looking for a new way to prepare this cut of meat, sous vide may be worth it.
This is a cooking technique that involves placing your food in a vacuum-sealed bag and then cooking it in a water bath set at a specific temperature for an extended period of time. This method allows foods to cook evenly while retaining moisture and flavor. You can use sous vide machine, an instant pot, slow cooker, etc.
You Can Cook Different Types of Food with Sous Vide Method
It's especially useful for cooking meat, fish, sous vide eggs and vegetables because it helps to evenly cook them all the way through without overcooking your sous vide on the outside.
What Temperature Should I Use?
For sous vide London broil, it is best to use 136°F/58°C because this temperature is ideal for rare and medium-rare meat. If you want your meat more done, then increase the temperature to 140°F/60°C or even 146°F/63°C (medium).
You can go higher than that if you want your cut of meat to be sous vide cooked very well.
On top of that, the broil is cooked at temperatures needed to eliminate bacteria in food, so there's no danger of food poisoning or food-borne illness from improperly cooked meat.
How Long to Sous Vide London Broil
The first step in sous vide cooking is determining how long your meat needs to cook based on its thickness and the desired doneness level.
It takes about 2 to 3 hours for a 1-inch thick piece of London broil to cook in a water bath with a temperature of 136°F. Once it is done cooking, you can sear it in a pan over high heat before serving.
Can I Use a Different Cut?
Yes, you can use any cut of beef with this technique as long as it’s not too thin or too thick.
For example, I like using boneless top round roast because it has more flavor than flank steak but less fat than hanger steak, which is a very tender cut with lots of marbling.
How to Sous Vide London Broil
What You Will Need for Sous Vide?
You will need the following for your sous vide London broil recipe:
- Sous vide machine
- Vacuum sealer
- Cast iron pan or cast iron skillet
- Olive Oil
- Soy Sauce
- Kosher salt and pepper
- Vacuum seal bag or zip lock bag
- Minced garlic
- Steak that is 1 inch thick
Step 1: Prepare Your London Broil
London broil can be purchased from your local butcher or supermarket. If you purchase from the supermarket, it may be slightly tougher than if you buy directly from a butcher. Butcher shops usually trim some of the fat off their London broils before they sell them, but most supermarkets do not trim their meat at all.
You can remove excess fat content from the round steak, before cooking it sous vide. You can also ask your butcher to trim the fat off before he sells it to you if he has not done so.
Season Your Top Round Steak
Season the steak with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper on both sides. You can also season with garlic powder plus add soy sauce if you want.
Let the beef rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before cooking. This gives you enough time to set up your immersion cooker, but not so much time that the meat dries out or loses its moisture.
After seasoning your steak, place it in a vacuum-sealed bag.
Step 2: Vacuum Seal the Bag
Ensure that the packaging you choose to sous vide cook with is BPA-free and can withstand high temperatures. You'll not want the bag to tear or melt when exposed to heat.
The next step is to vacuum seal the bag. This is easily done with any vacuum sealer. If you don’t have one, you can also use a ziplock bag and a straw. Just suck all the air out of the bag, and then seal it.
Step 3: Sous Vide the Top Round Steak
Prepare your water bath by adding enough water to cover the London broil completely, then place the sous vide immersion circulator in the water bath and turn it on. Set the water temperature from 136°F to 140°F.
Once the water reaches its target temperature, immerse the bag with the London broil and set the timer to 2 hours.
Step 4: Remove the Bag
Once done cooking, remove the London Broil from the sous vide bag and pat dry with a towel. Place it on a cutting board and season it with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Searing the Sous Vide Cooked Beef
To sear the sous vide beef, first make sure that your pan is hot enough. Heat up your pan over medium heat so that it's hot enough to get a good sear on your meat.
Next, add some oil to your cast iron pan. A little bit of olive oil helps with browning and adds flavor to your sous vide steak. Add about 1 tablespoon of olive or canola oil for every pound of steak that you are cooking.
Cook until golden brown on one side then flip over and repeat on another side until golden brown as well (about 2-3 minutes per side depending on thickness).
Remove from the pan and let rest for 3-4 minutes before serving.
Importance of Searing after Cooking Sous Vide
Searing is a process of browning the surface of the meat. It is done by applying heat directly to the surface of the meat, which browns it and adds flavor. This can be done in a pan or on a grill.
Searing also helps prevent moisture loss during cooking. The result is a moist, tender and flavorful dish that looks impressive on your table.
How to Sous Vide London Broil Without a Machine?
If you don't have a sous vide machine, you can still make this recipe on the stovetop with a slow cooker.
You will need to keep Monitoring
The main difference is that you'll need to keep an eye on your top-round steak while it cooks and check its internal temperature frequently, which might take longer than using a sous vide cooker. Follow the same steps that I have given here but without an immersion circulator.
To sous vide, you will need to boil water to a certain temperature and adjust the flame of the stovetop to keep the temperature constant. However, due to heat loss, you will need to keep monitoring the temperature with a thermometer.
Can you Marinate London Broil Before Sous Vide Cooking it?
Yes, you can marinate your London broil before sous vide cooking it.
Marinades are a popular way to flavor foods before cooking. Food can be brined or soaked in vinegar, oil, and herbs.
The reason that it's crucial to marinate your beef steak before sous vide cooking is that the meat will have more time to absorb those flavors. The longer it marinates, the better it will taste.
Makes the Meat Tender
Also, the liquid in the marinade helps to break down some of the proteins in the sous vide meat, making them more tender and flavorful when cooked.
When you add meat to a marinade, the acid in the marinade breaks down the muscle fibers.
As this happens, the meat becomes more tender and easier to chew on your tongue. This is one of the main reasons why people like preparing sous vide steaks that have been marinated in an acidic liquid because they can chew through it much easier than they could if they just ate the steak when not marinated.