Have you done your steaks in the broiler? I usually use a torch since I find that in order to get the sear I want, I have to leave them in the broiler too long. I usually cook the steaks to 129 F, but I guess I could drop down to 122 F or something.
I know a lot of people use a torch, but personally I like the skillet. Seems less fiddly and generally faster for a steak.
Maybe I’m just paranoid and missing out on some flavor but I don’t cook anything other than fish below 135F to kill any bacteria. https://www.amazingfoodmadeeasy.com/info/sous-vide-safety/mo... (Update) I’ve seen other reliable sources suggest 130F for 2+ hours is safe.
That's funny; fish is the one thing I'm ultra paranoid about. Many parasites survive in fish up to 145 F, and parasites are much more common than you might think. The gross out factor convinced me to switch away from wild salmon to farmed. Sushi grade fish is a bit different since it's required to be flash frozen in the U.S., but you're still eating parasite corpses (which doesn't bother some people, but personally makes me a bit squeamish).
As a society we live bathed in feces. The fecal-oral route is the most common way in which we get food poisoning. Yet it's only when the feces is pathogen-laden that we actually get food poisoning.
Worrying about dead parasites seems a little pointless when most people don't even wash their hands correctly.
For me anyhow, beef at 135 is decent (pork and chicken at 145 is my goto FWIW), but lots of fish tastes rubbery and just bad when cooked above 125 or so. I don't eat a ton of fish so I gamble on that.
He has a fairly exhaustive explanation of the different food-born microorganisms and how to kill them.
Anyways, go get at least one!
To piggyback on this comment, one reason I love using a cast iron skillet for steaks is so I can get a nice fond and deglaze for a sauce to go over the steak/potatoes/whatever. It's like a freebie!
Ahh, that could make sense, yes.
> one reason I love using a cast iron skillet for steaks is so I can get a nice fond and deglaze for a sauce
Yup. Pan sauces are free flavor that you get with every pan meal :) Works well with stainless steel skillets too.
One solution to having to broil them for too long might be to finish your sous vide cook, then chill them in an ice bath, and only broil once cold. That way the lower meat temp protects against the broiler overcooking the inside.