These Sous-Vide Lamb Steaks Will Make You Forget About Chops
Due to the popularity of certain sock puppets in the ’80s, lamb chops seem to be the most popular attraction for young sheep. Lamb steaks are definitely worth your time, however, and when cooked in sous-video mode, they are nearly impossible to spoil.
Is this part of Will It Sous Vide? column where I usually do whatever you want with my immersion circulator.
Lamb steaks, as you might guess, eat like a tender beef steak, but – and this may shock you – tastes like lamb. I find it tastes a lot milder than the chops, so this might be a good entry lamb for you if the chops have proven too tasty in the past. As with beef steak, the precisely controlled temperature of the water bath means you are unlikely to overcook the lamb – you will have to leave it there for a very long time – and all the delicious meat juices and marinades will remain in the bag, which means that your steak will be more flavorful, and you’ve got the start of a great, easy-to-mix skillet sauce.
As far as meaty sous vide projects go, this is a relatively quick project. It requires a little frying and browning, but it’s all done in one pan, right down to the sauce. To make a juicy lamb steak (which is usually large enough for two) you will need:
- 1 lamb steak
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 shallots, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 sprig of rosemary, removed from the stem and chopped
- 1/2 cup red wine (look on the label for anything that says “good for filling meat”.)
- Salt and pepper
Set the water bath temperature to 135 ℉, then season the lamb with salt and pepper and set aside. In a large stainless steel skillet, melt the first tablespoon of butter over medium to low heat. Add the shallots, garlic and rosemary and cook until the shallots are soft and lightly caramelized, the garlic is slightly golden and the rosemary is aromatic. Place everything in a 1 gallon freezer bag and set aside.
Heat the skillet as hot as possible, then brown the steak on each side until it’s a light crust, paying particular attention to the fat on the sides. (You may need to use tongs or a tea towel to hold it to one side.) Transfer the steak to the flavoring bag and pour the wine into a hot skillet. Gather yummy fondant in a skillet, let the wine cut in half and pour it into a bag. Remove excess air from the bag by displacing water , then cook in a water bath for at least one hour, maybe up to three.
Remove the steak from the bag, scrape off the garlic and shallots, and store them in the juice bag. Pat the steak dry, then fry again in a hot skillet with another tablespoon of oil. When the steak is crusty, transfer it to a plate, remove the skillet from the heat, and add the last tablespoon of butter along with the juice and flavors from the bag.
Toss everything together for a juicy sauce with lots of shallots, pour over the steak and serve with the fried mushrooms. Take a bite and ask yourself, “Who’s the ram?”