Buzz
One of my go-to niche jabs is, 'He’s the type who insists on rare steak, regardless of the cut.' (This same person likely views vermouth as a flaw, but that’s another topic.) Preferences are fine, and a rare steak can be exquisite. However, certain cuts, like ribeyes, demand more time and heat to truly shine—and I’ve got just the method to make it happen.
Dubbed 'Sous-Vide Que' by Meathead Goldwyn from AmazingRibs.com, this technique involves several steps that may seem excessive, but each serves a critical purpose. (Trust me, as someone who avoids unnecessary effort, I wouldn’t recommend it otherwise.) Their method begins with a dry brine, followed by a sous-vide soak, a quick chill, a low-temperature smoke, and finishes with a sear for that perfect crust. Despite the lengthy process, the result is far from dry—it’s the most succulent steak I’ve ever tasted.
What’s the purpose of dry brining?
Dry brining, essentially just salting, is the simplest and most efficient method to season a steak. Simply coat it generously with salt, then place it on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet in the fridge. The salt extracts moisture from the steak, dissolving itself and allowing the salt to penetrate the meat. Leaving the steak uncovered in the fridge also dries its surface, ensuring a superior sear. (Moist meat steams; dry meat browns.)
Why use sous vide?
Ribeye enthusiasts adore this cut for its marbling. When cooked to the ideal temperature, the intramuscular fat melts, creating a juicy, flavorful steak. However, this doesn’t occur until 130℉, the temperature often labeled as 'medium-rare.'
Cooking a ribeye to a mere 120℉ may slightly soften the fat, but it won’t melt, defeating the purpose of choosing a ribeye (which is rarely inexpensive). Slowly heating the steak in a low-temperature oven to 15 degrees below its target temperature, then searing to reach 130℉—known as 'reverse searing'—works well for lean cuts like filet mignon, but it’s less effective for ribeye. Even with this gradual method, the steak is removed as soon as it hits 130℉, leaving little time for the marbling to melt and enrich the meat.
Sous-vide cooking, on the other hand, allows you to maintain the steak at the fat-melting temperature for an extended period (here, two hours) without overcooking or drying it out. After this, it’s ready to be chilled.
Why is chilling necessary?
The chilling step nearly made me question this method. While sous-vide cooking followed by chilling and holding proteins is standard in restaurants, it feels excessive for home use. However, there are compelling reasons to embrace the chill.
First, consider smoking. Placing a ribeye straight from the sous-vide bath into a smoker or low-temperature grill risks overcooking it. Even at 225℉, the internal temperature will climb, and by the time you sear it, you’ll end up with a well-done steak—something most of us want to avoid. (Though some might prefer it, I certainly don’t.)
Smoking a chilled ribeye at 225℉ gradually raises its temperature while infusing it with smoky flavor and enhancing its color, all without further cooking the proteins.
Chilling may also offer additional benefits. During my testing, I prepared two steaks: one smoked after chilling and the other reverse-seared without wood chips. Both were remarkably juicy. The science behind this phenomenon is detailed in Meathead Goldwyn’s digital book “Sous Vide Que Made Easy,” available for under four dollars and packed with valuable insights. Goldwyn explains that chilling meat before reheating enhances juiciness and flavor, as the expelled juices are reabsorbed, and enzyme activity plays a role. For more in-depth information, visit Goldwyn’s website (though the article is behind a paywall). One theory suggests that cooking deactivates calpastatin, a protein that inhibits calpain, a tenderizing enzyme. Once calpastatin is deactivated by heat, calpain continues to tenderize the meat, and chilling allows this process to occur safely before the final cooking steps.
There’s also the convenience of meal prep: You can sous-vide your steaks ahead of time, chill them, and then smoke and sear them later without worrying about the intramuscular fat. The steak is already 'cooked' and can stay fresh in a sealed vacuum bag for up to five days in the fridge. All that’s left is to warm it on a smoky grill and give it a quick sear for that perfect crust. (The crust forms easily, thanks to the dry brining process in the fridge.)
Why combine smoking and searing?
Smoke and meat are a match made in culinary heaven. While you could simply warm your steak in a low-temperature oven or on a grill without wood chunks, smoking it for even 45 minutes adds incredible flavor, a rich color, and a subtle smoke ring. The result is a truly impressive steak.
Essential tools for the perfect ribeye:
An immersion circulator to ensure fat melts perfectly: Anova Culinary Nano Sous-Vide Precision Cooker
A charcoal grill for effortless smoking: Weber Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill
A charcoal chimney for blazing-hot coals: Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter
Lighter cubes for quick ignition: Weber Lighter Cubes
An external digital thermometer to prevent overcooking: ThermoPro TP829 Wireless Meat Thermometer
Although the original recipe recommends smoking until the internal temperature hits 115℉ and searing to 135℉, I adjusted both temperatures slightly. Since the steak is already cooked, the goal is simply to warm it and achieve a crust. I smoked my steak to 105℉ and then seared it in a scorching cast iron pan placed directly over the coals. (I skip grill marks.)
How to prevent the grey ring
With my eyes closed, I couldn’t find a single flaw in this steak. But, under pressure, I’ll admit the slight grey ring on some slices was a minor letdown. I don’t believe this resulted from overcooking or searing but rather from over-drying. Initially, I planned to dry brine the steak for 24 hours, but unforeseen circumstances extended it to 48 hours. I suspect that extra time caused this (minor, mostly aesthetic) issue.
During my earlier experiments with dry aging steaks at home (which I concluded weren’t worth the effort), I observed that steaks left in the fridge for prolonged periods developed a crust faster than fresh ones but also formed a grey ring almost instantly. This happens for two reasons: The outer layer loses moisture, causing rapid browning and cooking, while the salt breaks down the surface proteins, partially 'cooking' them. These factors can create a grey ring if you’re not cautious, so aim for a 24-hour dry brine for the most visually appealing steak. (That said, the 48-hour dry brine didn’t harm the flavor or texture, so don’t worry if it goes slightly over a day.)
Enough reading, geeks. Time to get cooking.
(This recipe is tailored for a basic charcoal setup; check AmazingRibs.com for gas grill instructions. It also requires an external, multi-probe thermometer, a must-have for serious grilling or smoking.)
Sous Vide Que Ribeye (adapted with love from AmazingRibs.com)
Ingredients:
1 2-pound ribeye (preferably bone-in)
1 teaspoon Morton Coarse Kosher salt (If using a different salt, adjust by mass, but avoid fine salt.)
Ice and water for an ice bath
2 chunks of your preferred smoking wood
Generously salt both sides of the steak and place it on a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Leave it uncovered in the fridge for 24 hours.
Place the steak in a vacuum bag and seal it, or use a sealable freezer bag and remove excess air using the water displacement method.
Fill a large container with water and attach your immersion circulator, setting it to 130℉. Cook the steaks sous-vide for 2 hours. Prepare an ice bath during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Once done, transfer the steaks to the ice bath to halt the cooking process. Let them sit in the ice bath for an hour, then move them to the fridge until ready to smoke, for up to 5 days.
Fill a charcoal chimney with charcoal and place it over a lit fuel cube. Once the charcoal stops smoking and the top layer begins to ash, pour the coals onto one side of the grill, forming a compact pile. Attach an external digital thermometer probe to the grates to monitor the grill’s internal temperature. Close the grill and adjust the air vents at the top and bottom to maintain a temperature between 200℉ and 250℉. (Open vents increase airflow and heat, while closed vents reduce it.)
Once the grill reaches the desired temperature, insert another thermometer probe into the steak, add the wood chunks to the coals, and place the steak on the grill grates as far from the coals as possible. Smoke until the steak’s internal temperature hits 80℉, then position a lightly oiled cast iron skillet over the coals, close the grill, and continue smoking until the steak reaches 105℉ internally.
Open the grill and move the steak to the hot cast iron pan for searing. Sear both sides, ensuring the steak doesn’t exceed 130℉—remove it at 120℉ to be cautious—then plate and serve right away.
