Sous Vide Roast Beef (French Dip)

I just love a good Cinderella story, don’t you? Especially with it involves meat!

Folks, I recently discovered my love of Sous Vide (pronounced “Soo-Veed”). So what is exactly is this? Sous Vide is a method of taking something (usually a meat, chicken, fish and even some mason-jarred cheesecake or eggs), sealing it in a plastic bag, submerging the bag in water and having it cooked at a very low temperature with a Sous Vide Stick/Immersion Circulator for hours and hours. The Sous Vide Stick is an expert at keeping the temperature of the water that the item is cooking in to exact precision, without deviation of a single degree.

So going back to my Cinderella story, this allows us to take an ordinary, cheaper roast and, by the Fairy Godmother powers of the Sous Vide, transform it into a cut of meat that tastes like of the the finest, juiciest, most tender Prime Ribs you’ve ever sunk your teeth into. Biddidy-Bobbidy-Sous Vide!

Here’s How I Made It!: 

We’re going to start with this thing that looks like a nice, thick wand.

Actually, it’s called a Sous Vide (pronounced “Soo-Veed”) stick/immersion circulator. And it transforms cheaper, ordinary cuts of meat into something of a Prime Rib level.

Speaking of meat, let’s get a totally thick & ordinary bottom or top round roast…

…and season it with some kosher salt.

Then add some oil to a large skillet/frying pan and give it heat.

Sear the roast on all sides…

…until it becomes a lovely charred color. When done searing, transfer the roast to a plate and let it cool.

Meanwhile, go back to the skillet and add in a dry red wine…

…as well as some thyme.

And now it’s Wine Thyme! Allow it to simmer for a minute, deglazing (scraping) the bottom of the pan to get up any roast remnants…

…and then turn off the heat and transfer the heated wine to a pyrex. Allow it to cool for a few minutes.

Back to roast, using tongs, place it in a gallon freezer bag OR Sous Vide Bags OR vacuum sealer

Pour in some beef broth…

…the wine…

…Worcestershire sauce…

…and some bay leaves.

Now seal the bag. If using Sous Vide Bags or a vacuum sealer, you’re done. But if using regular freezer bags, seal the top, leaving just the edge of one side open.

Now pour in medium-hot water from the sink around the bag (making sure none of it actually gets IN the bag). Pour in enough so it fills to just below the sealing line of the bag.

As the water surrounds the bag, it will begin to vacuum seal/cling to the meat.

When it gets toward the top, squeeze out any remaining air and seal the bag.

If using freezer bags, I strongly suggest double-bagging just to be safe that nothing spills out (it shouldn’t anyway – but better safe than sorry). Simply place the first bag in a second bag and repeat the brief sealing process – allowing the second bag to seal around the first one once submerged in the water.

Now it’s time to cook, Sous Vide-style. Clamp the Sous Vide Stick to the side of any 6qt-8qt pot (which is resting on a trivet)…

…immerse it in the water, making sure it’s in between the Min & Max fill lines. Set to the suggested temperature…

…and set the time. And that’s it. Easy peasy.

Just before you’re about to serve (and if making French Dips), cook some onions in oil in a skillet until caramelized. Set aside when done.

After the Sous Vide cooking cycle is complete, carefully remove the bag and place on a dish towel.

Open the bag and marvel at the beauty and savor that au jus aroma.

Now, taking tongs, CAREFULLY remove the roast to a plate – MAKING SURE THE BAG WITH ALL THE AU JUS IS UPRIGHT. If you ignore this, it will spill ALL of the au jus out and it will go everywhere and then everyone will cry.

Now take the bag with that coveted au jus and carefully pour it into a large bowl (there will be a lot).

Gorgeous g’au-ju.

Now we want to perform a final sear of the roast for it to have opening beauty and flavor. As it’s resting on a plate…

…pat it dry with some paper towels…

…and then return it to the oil-lined skillet for another quick round of searing on all sides.

When done, its gonna have a beautiful charred glisten. Okay, now its ready to slice this baby up!

Transfer the roast to a cutting board…

…and, using a good knife, slice it all up. You’ll see how it slices beautifully and substantially – totally staying in tact while remaining tender and juicy.

And can we look at that color? I want to have a suit that color now.

As you slice the meat, add it to a serving dish/large bowl and pour the au jus over it so it stays juicy and perfect.

And now we have our roast all sliced up and it’s going to seriously taste like some top-notch Prime Rib.

Now, if you’ve caramelized those onions and you’re making those French Dips, pre-heat the oven to broil.

Create the sandwiches by laying a few cuts of the roast beef into a clump on a foil-lined baking sheet.

…and then top with the caramelized onions…

…and a slice of a cheese fo your choice. Pop it in the oven to briefly broil…

…so that it looks like this when done!

Meanwhile, take some of the au jus and brush it on a sliced roll of your choice (or just dip the sliced roll in the au jus)…

And, with a spatula, take one of the mounds of cheese & onion-smothered roast beef, and lay it on the bottom bun…

…and close it with the top.

Are you excited? Cause I am.

Invite friends over and feed them. Have a party even. Because you’re mouth is about to have one anyway.

And there you have it. Fighting over every sandwich til the last bite!

SOUS VIDE ROAST BEEF/FRENCH DIPS ARE EVERYTHING!

Disclaimer: I was sent this product by Anova with no obligation for promotion. All opinions are honest and my own.

Sous Vide Roast Beef (French Dip with Au Jus)