How to Make Sous Vide T Bone Steak (Seared In a Cast Iron)

Last updated on May 12, 2020

Holy Moly. This recipe for sous vide T Bone steak finished in a cast iron pan is ridiculously easy to make. Once you learn how to sous vide T Bone Steak, I doubt you’ll cook it any other way. The inside turns out a perfect medium. It’s tender and juicy. The outside crust is drenched in garlic butter and seared in a cast iron pan to achieve the perfect “bark”.  And all you need is a couple of ingredients and the perfect sous vide time and temperature for T Bone steak. You can also finish this recipe on the grill. So go ahead and sharpen those steak knives… let’s get cooking! 

Special thanks to Oak Barn Beef for sending me this handsome cut of meat as part of their delivery box this month.

Why this sous vide T bone steak recipe is a winner

Such a beautiful cut of meat deserves special treatment. Yes, there are other methods to preparing steak – grilling, pan frying, oven baking, etc. So many people ask if steak made sous vide is better than grilling or any of these other methods – and I believe 100% YES.

Especially for people who don’t have much experience cooking steak. It is a completely fool-proof way to cook steak evenly. It’s very difficult to overcook sous vide steak.

In this recipe, you’ll learn how long to sous vide T bone steak for a perfect medium-rare to medium. 

The beauty of this recipe is that you can finish it in a cast iron pan to different temperatures. But you only have to actively be with the steak for a few minutes. 

Ingredients for T bone steak sous vide style

You can use any T bone up to 2.5” thick for this recipe.

Pictured in this is a 1.25″ thick T Bone steak from Oak Barn Beef. They ship gorgeous cuts of beef from Nebraska to your doorstep.

Their beef is dry aged for 21 days, just like you’d expect from a high-end steakhouse. They even obsess over premium DNA testing! Have you ever heard of such a thing? It’s pretty amazing how much they care about quality.

Did you know? T bone steak has two popular cuts in it: the filet tenderloin and NY Strip.

Can you sous vide frozen t bone steak?

Yes, add 60 minutes to the sous vide bath time to cook T bone steak from frozen.

This is a great option if you want to buy a bunch of steaks in advance. Season the steaks prior to vacuum sealing and freezing so it’s easy to pull them out and cook them. 

How to cook sous vide T bone steak – step by step

Set the sous vide machine to 130 degrees. I made this recipe with my Anova.

Pat the T bone steak dry and season it salt. Top it with shallots and cilantro, then vacuum seal it. 

If you are sous viding multiple T bones, vacuum seal them in separate bags (since they are so big). If you vacuum seal them in the same bag, make sure they aren’t touching. 

How long do you sous vide T bone steak?

Sous vide the T bone at 130 degrees for 2.5 hours for medium-rare to medium.

In the following steps you can finish the steak to desired temperature in the cast iron pan. I like this method to prevent overcooking the steak.

Scroll to the bottom of this post for a time and temperature chart for sous vide steak.

Remove the T bone steak from the vacuum sealed bag. Discard the cilantro. 

Pat the T bone dry with a paper towel before searing it. 

How do you sear a steak after sous vide?

Add olive oil to a large cast iron pan on medium-high heat. When olive oil is hot (it will be shiny), add the T bone steak to the pan. 

Add garlic and butter to the pan, and “baste” the steak continually as it cooks for 30 seconds on each side. 

For steak cooking newbies, basting means to spoon the garlic butter over the steak. Do this during the entire searing process – about 1-2 minutes – to lock in a ton of juicy and flavor. 

Then sear the edges of the steak for 5 seconds each side. To cook the sous vide steak to about medium, sear the two big flat sides for an additional 15 seconds. 

Remove steak from pan and transfer it to a cutting board. Rest the sous vide T bone steak for at least 5 minutes before serving or cutting. 

I always find that a minute or two after cutting the steak into strips, the pieces become even more vibrantly pink in the center.

Getting the perfect medium temperature

The easiest way to keep track of the internal temperature of steak is to use a digital thermometer. The buzzer goes off when the steak cooks to your desired temp.

However, since the internal temperature of the sous vide steak is already cooked to 130 degrees (medium-rare), it’s pretty easy to “wing it”.

To keep the steak as close to medium-rare as possible, sear the steak on each side for 30 seconds. 

To serve, drizzle with garlic butter from the pan and chipotle herb dressing. 

How to make the chipotle herb sauce

This is one of my favorite colorful and intensely flavored green sauces for steak.

Pulse cilantro, chipotle, and lemon juice a few times in the food processor while drizzling in olive oil. Do not purée the mixture, just roughly combine the green sauce ingredients. 

The herb sauce should have a rough texture. Once combined, add salt and pepper to taste.

Do you need to use an ice bath?

I don’t! I put it right in the cast iron pan. But you can. Especially if you’re not going to sear the steak right away. Here’s how…

Prepare an ice bath when steak is almost done in the sous vide bath.

Fill a large bowl of water with a handful of ice cubes. When sous vide t bone steak is done cooking, shock it in the ice bath.

Can you overcook sous vide steak?

If you use my recommended time and temp for sous vide t bone steak, you can’t overcook the steak.

The only variable is when you sear the steak in the cast iron pan, or finish it on the grill. The final step to get a crust on the steak shouldn’t take more than two minutes. 

If you’re nervous about burning your steak, use a digital thermometer.

How long can sous vide steak stay in the fridge?

The steak can be refrigerated after the sous vide bath for 1-2 days with wonderful results.

You can sous vide it one day, then sear it the next. Keep it in the vacuum sealed bag for freshness. 

Sous vide steak time and temperature chart

All sous vide steaks can be cooked between 45 minutes – 4 hours. In this recipe, I cooked the steak 2.5 hours, but I’ve cooked steak for as low as 45 minutes with delicious results.

Don’t forget to add 60 minutes when cooking from frozen.

• Rare steak – sous vide at 120-128°F
• Medium rare steak – sous vide at 129-134°F
• Medium steak – sous vide at 135-144°F
• Medium well steak – sous vide at 145-155°F
• Well done steak – sous vide at 156-162°F

Make it a surf and turf!! Serve steak with this sous vide seafood recipe: Sous Vide Lobster Tails.

For sides, pair t-bone with with sous vide onions in beer, potatoes gratin with pesto or another one of these potato side dishes for steak. 

Tasty tips for cooking sous vide T bone 

• Wait a few minutes before serving. I always find that a minute or two after cutting the steak into strips, the pieces become even more vibrantly pink in the center. 
• You don’t need to add butter or olive oil to the sous vide bag. The latest belief is that adding these fats during the sous vide process will dilute the flavor of the steak. 
• How do you flavor sous vide steak? Use salt and aromatics to flavor the steak. Try fresh herbs, garlic and/or shallots. My #1 used salt is this Penzey’s garlic salt. 
• If you want to add flavor with spices, add them in the final step, when the steak is about to be seared in the cast iron pan. This leads to the best flavor. 
• Looking for good flavor? Try this smokes spice sampler.
• If you’re sous viding multiple T bones, vacuum seal them in separate bags (since they are so big).
• Like my vacuum sealer? Me, too. Check it out in my Foodsaver 4400 Vacuum Sealer Demo Video. 
• What sous vide machine do you use? This recipe used my Anova. 
• How do you get the perfect medium steak temperature? The easiest way to keep track of the internal temperature of the steak while searing the edges in the cast iron pan is to use a digital thermometer with a buzzer that will go off when the steak is cooked to desired temp. However, since the internal temperature of the sous vide steak is already cooked to 130 degrees (medium-rare), it’s pretty easy to “wing it”. 

If you love cooking this way, check out these grilled sous vide beef kebabs.

Readers also love these sous vide recipes

• Sous Vide Wings
• Sous Vide Spare Ribs with BBQ Sauce
• Sous Vide Turkey Legs
• Sous Vide Turkey Breast
• Sous Vide Pulled Pork
• Sous Vide Short Ribs
• Sous Vide Onions in Beer
• Sous Vide Cookbooks for Beginners
• How to Sous Vide Frozen Steak

Tools to help with sous vide cooking

• A big sous vide bucket to hold the water “sous vide bath” that the food cooks inside.
• Vacuum sealer and bags or plastic gallon bags to cook food. 
• A sous vide machine like the Anova, Joule, Instant Pot Slim
• A big sous vide bucket or stock pot to hold the water the food cooks in
• Egg bites and desserts need small mason jars to cook in and the kind that does *not* curve (like this particular mason jar) – is my favorite because it makes it easier for the egg bites to pop out.
• Metal tongs to remove food from the sous vide bath.
• Protect natural stone countertops from the heat of the water bath with a cutting board.
• For more sous vide inspiration, see the sous vide cookbook by Jenna from Sip Bite Go

Share your t bone sous vide steak

Include #sipbitego and tag @sipbitego on Instagram – I’d love to see your pic. Check out my sous vide cookbook on Amazon: The Home Chef’s Sous Vide Cookbook. And for updates, get news from Sip Bite Go.

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Sous Vide T Bone Steak Finished In a Cast Iron Pan Recipe (Sip Bite Go)

This recipe for sous vide T Bone steak finished in a cast iron pan is ridiculously easy to make. Once you learn how to sous vide T Bone Steak, I doubt you’ll cook it any other way. The inside turns out a perfect medium. It's tender and juicy. The outside crust is drenched in garlic butter and seared in a cast iron pan to achieve the perfect “bark”.  And all you need is a couple of ingredients and the perfect sous vide time and temperature for T Bone steak. You can also finish this recipe on the grill.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours 35 minutes

Resting Time 5 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 1069 kcal

Author Jenna Passaro

Ingredients

Sous Vide T Bone Steak

• 1.75 lbs T Bone steak
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp shallot diced (substitute garlic)
• 10 cilantro sprigs
• 1 tbsp garlic diced
• 2 tbsp butter

Chipotle Herb Sauce

• 1 cup cilantro rough chopped
• 1/2 tsp chipotle powder substitute paprika or chili powder
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

1. Prepare a sous vide bath to 130 degrees.
2. Pat the T bone steak dry, season with salt, then top with shallots and cilantro. Vacuum seal.
3. Sous vide at 130 degrees for 2.5 hours for medium/ medium-rare. (note - you can sous vide tbone steak for 45minutes - 4 hours with great results).

4. (Optional) Prepare chipotle herb sauce. Pulse cilantro, chipotle, and lemon juice a few times while drizzling olive oil in a food processor. Do not purée, just roughly combine the green sauce ingredients. The herb sauce should have a rough texture. Once combined, add salt and pepper to taste.

5. (Optional to do if not searing right away) Prepare an ice bath when steak is almost done in the sous vide bath. Fill a large bowl of water with a handful of ice cubes. When sous vide T bone steak is done cooking, shock it in the ice bath.

6. Remove the T bone steak from the vacuum sealed bag. Discard the cilantro. Pat the bone steak dry with a paper towel.
7. Heat a large cast iron pan to medium-high heat. Add olive oil. When olive oil is hot (it will be shiny), add T bone steak to pan. Add garlic and butter to the pan, and continue to spoon it over the steak during the entire searing process - which takes about 1-2 minutes.
8. To keep the steak as medium-rare as possible, sear the steak on each side for 30 seconds. Then sear the edges for 5 seconds each side. To cook the sous vide steak to about medium, sear the two big flat sides for an additional 15 seconds.
9. Remove steak from pan and transfer it to a cutting board. Rest the sous vide T bone steak for at least 5 minutes. Cut steak. To serve, drizzle with garlic butter from the pan and chipotle herb dressing. Enjoy!

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

• You don’t need to add butter or olive oil to the sous vide bag. The latest belief is that adding these fats during the sous vide process will dilute the flavor of the steak. 
• How do you flavor sous vide steak? Use salt and aromatics to flavor the steak. Try fresh herbs, garlic and/or shallots. My #1 used salt is this Penzey’s garlic salt. 
• If you want to add flavor with spices, add them in the final step, when the steak is about to be seared in the cast iron pan. This leads to the best flavor. 
• Looking for good flavor? Try this smokes spice sampler.
• If you’re sous viding multiple T bones, vacuum seal them in separate bags (since they are so big).
• Like my vacuum sealer? Me, too. Check it out in my Foodsaver 4400 Vacuum Sealer Demo Video. 
• What sous vide machine do you use? This recipe used my Anova. 
• How do you get the perfect medium steak temperature? The easiest way to keep track of the internal temperature of the steak while searing the edges in the cast iron pan is to use a digital thermometer with a buzzer that will go off when the steak is cooked to desired temp. However, since the internal temperature of the sous vide steak is already cooked to 130 degrees (medium-rare), it’s pretty easy to “wing it”.

Nutrition Facts

Sous Vide T Bone Steak Finished In a Cast Iron Pan Recipe (Sip Bite Go)

Amount Per Serving (0.75 lb)

Calories 1069 Calories from Fat 702

% Daily Value*

Fat 78g120%

Saturated Fat 32g200%

Cholesterol 253mg84%

Sodium 1791mg78%

Potassium 1357mg39%

Carbohydrates 6g2%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 84g168%

Vitamin A 1770IU35%

Vitamin C 20mg24%

Calcium 50mg5%

Iron 9mg50%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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