Sous Vide Steak with Slow-Cooker Risotto
Preparing steaks using the sous vide method allows you to cook them to precisely your desired doneness, with no risk of overcooking the meat. A quick sear on a grill or in a hot pan is all that’s needed to quickly brown the steaks for extra flavor and a crusty exterior. A slow cooker or a multicooker with a slow-cooking function makes it easy to prepare risotto without having to stand at the stove and constantly stir the rice.
Ingredients
For the risotto:
- 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) (2 oz./60 g) unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) white wine
- 2 cups (14 oz./440 g) Arborio rice
- Kosher salt
- 6 cups (48 fl. oz./1.5 l) chicken broth
- Shaved Parmesan cheese for garnish
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves for garnish
For the steak:
- 4 rib eye steaks, about 12 oz. (375 g) each
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 4 fresh rosemary sprigs
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- Canola oil for brushing
Directions
To make the risotto, in a multicooker or a slow cooker with a browning feature set to Brown, melt the butter. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add the white wine and cook until the liquid is reduced, about 3 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Add 2 tsp. salt and the chicken broth and stir to combine. Cover and set to slow cook on low heat for 2 1/2 hours. Stir the rice and taste for doneness; it should be al dente (tender but firm to the bite). If not, re-cover and continue cooking on low heat until done, up to 30 minutes more.
While the risotto is cooking, prepare an immersion circulator for use according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Preheat the water to 129°F (54°C) for medium-rare or 134°F (57°C) for medium.
Season the steaks generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Place each steak in an individual vacuum bag and add 1 rosemary sprig and 2 garlic cloves to each bag. Vacuum seal the bags.
When the water reaches the desired temperature, lower the bags into the water bath and clip the top of each bag to the side of the water basin. Cook the steaks for 1 hour. (The steaks can be left in the water bath, at the cooking temperature, for up to another 3 hours before serving.)
Remove the bags from the water bath and transfer to the steaks to a plate, discarding the garlic and rosemary. Pat the steaks dry and season with salt and pepper.
Preheat an All-Clad grill with AutoSense according to the manufacturer’s instructions and brush the grate with canola oil. Place the steaks on the grill and lower the lid. Sear until charred on both sides, about 3 minutes. Transfer the steaks to individual plates and let rest for 5 minutes.
Spoon the risotto into a serving bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with shaved Parmesan and parsley and serve with the steaks. Serves 4.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen
