fragrance evenly over the meat and further enhancing its flavor I also included a nonaromaticized steak as a control The results were a shock: tasters unanimously picked the nonbutter version as the most aromatic Some even had trouble telling the difference between the buttered version and the version with no aromatics at all! How could this be? I looked at the sous-vide bags the steaks had been cooked in and had my answer: the bag with the buttered steak contained a large amount of highly aromatic melted butter Turns out that rather than traveling into the meat, where I wanted it to go, the aroma ended up in the butter, getting thrown away along with the bag Conclusion: Aromatics are fine, but leave out the butter if you want to maximize their flavor COOKING STEAK IN A COOLER Cooking steak in a cooler is the absolute best, most foolproof way to ensure that you get yours to exactly the level of doneness that you like As we’ve already discussed, the degree of doneness is largely a personal matter, but if you are the kind who likes your steaks rare, I strongly suggest keeping an open mind about taking your steak a shade more toward well-done At a rare 120°F, the beef fat is still relatively solid—it hasn’t begun to melt into the surrounding meat, which means that for all intents and purposes, it may as well not be there In my book, undercooking a heavily marbled rib-eye or expensive Japanese-style Wagyu steak is just as much of a crime as overcooking it In an impromptu blindfolded tasting I held at a dinner party, I found that even most self-proclaimed rare steak lovers actually preferred the texture and flavor of mediumrare (130°F) or even medium steaks (140°F) when they couldn’t see the color of the meat they were eating Try it out, and see what you think One more thing: cooking sous-vide is ideal for cheaper “butcher’s cuts” of beef The expensive steak house cuts— New York strip, rib-eye, porterhouse, T-bone, and filet (tenderloin)—have historically been prized for their extreme tenderness, not particularly for their flavor But more flavorful cuts like hanger, blade, or flatiron steak are much more difficult to cook correctly—even a tad over- or undercooked, and you’re left with a tough, stringy, chewy mess Cooked properly, though, these can be every bit as tender as the more expensive cuts, and with more flavor to boot! That’s why those cuts are commonly referred to as “butcher" or “chef” cuts—chefs and butchers love them because they are cheap and, with proper preparation, delicious With a sous-vide setup, anyone can properly cook these tricky cuts Like most fatty cuts of beef, these are at their best when cooked to medium-rare or medium Do you want to pay $7 per pound for a hanger steak that is just as tender as and tastes much better than a $16-per-pound strip steak? Yes, please! ... preferred the texture and flavor of mediumrare (1 30°F) or even medium steaks (1 40°F) when they couldn’t see the color of the meat they were eating Try it out, and see what you think One more thing: cooking. .. beef The expensive steak house cuts— New York strip, rib-eye, porterhouse, T-bone, and filet (tenderloin)—have historically been prized for their extreme tenderness, not particularly for their... them because they are cheap and, with proper preparation, delicious With a sous-vide setup, anyone can properly cook these tricky cuts Like most fatty cuts of beef, these are at their best when cooked to medium-rare or medium