Recipe: Sous Vide Hanger Steak

Chef Matt Provencher of The Foundry in Manchester gives his tips on how to perfect the sous vide method of cooking

December 19, 2018

Susan Laughlin,

Photo by Susan Laughlin

The sous vide (French for under vacuum) method of cooking is all the rage with many chefs, including Evan Hennessey at Stages at One Washington in Dover and Matt Provencher at The Foundry in Manchester. With new high-tech kitchen tools, it’s now easy for the home cook to use the gentle heat of warm water to prepare tender meats and flavorful vegetables.

Provencher has been using sous vide since his days at Portsmouth’s Martingale Wharf. He is famous for his work with succulent meats, including BBQ short ribs, and now for his prime rib, served on Thursday evenings at The Foundry. “With sous vide, the beef is always spot-on, staying a bit pink in the center, but it’s a 9-hour process,” says Provencher. Many of his meat cuts are removed from the bag and then quickly seared on the stovetop or in the oven to caramelize. The low-and-slow method breaks down the sinew and fat, rendering tougher meat cuts beautifully fork-tender. Provencher also likes to make soft-boiled eggs in the water bath, claiming they come out perfect every time.

Sous Vide Hanger Steak

Succulent and a solid pink in the center

Recipe by Chef Matt Provencher of The Foundry

1 hanger steak cut into 2, 3 or 4 portions
1 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup fresh thyme leaves, chopped

Photo by Susan Laughlin

Start to heat the water bath to 129 degrees (the finish temperature for medium rare) with sous vide tool.

Clean and chop the thyme. In a mid-size bowl, combine the soy, oil and thyme.

Put one steak with marinade in each Ziplock bag, slowly submerging to remove the air. (Follow directions if you have a vacuum sealer.)

Sous vide for two hours. Depending on the thickness of the cut, times can vary. Generally more time will not ruin the perfect outcome — that’s the beauty of sous vide.

Once cooked, cut out of bag, pat dry and rub in salt and pepper. Sear on a very hot stovetop grill or hot cast iron pan for a minute or two. In season, you can finish outside on the grill.

Remove the steak from the grill and let rest for at least five minutes. Slice thinly against the grain and serve, maybe with a chimichurri sauce.

Buying a Sous Vide Tool

Chefs use a powerful heater and circulator that is part of a plastic 18-gallon bin with a cover. No stovetop space is required. Several companies have developed tools for the home cook that attach to a pot and heat and circulate using less than 900 watts. One option is the Joule ($179), totally controlled via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi through your cellphone, which can be flaky. It heats quickly at 1100 watts while the magnet at the bottom holds it upright in a metal pot. The Anova Nano is also highly rated, costs less than $100, and offers manual options for control in addition to Bluetooth and runs at 750 watts.