Add this beefy, juicy, melt-in-your-mouth, flavourful Sous Vide Flank Steak Tacos with all the fixings to your next taco any day.
So, did I accomplish my goal? Did this shot of my Sous Vide Flank Steak Tacos make you drool just a touch? I hope so!
No food photo tricks here (I never do). It's one hundred percent real deal, edge-to-edge pink plumpness. Eating and enjoying the food we prepare is first on our priority list; photographing and blogging are secondary.
The Real Deal
So you will not find engine oil posing as maple syrup, shoe polish painted burgers, liquid soap foam topped beer or mashed potatoes moonlighting as ice cream. WTF? And what a complete waste of food. I could not believe it when a friend sent me a link to tricks used to make food look, urm... delicious. I get that some foods won't hold up to a professional photo shoot, but the list of tricks were simply deceptive and downright disgusting.
This luscious looking piece of flank steak was smothered with an olive, balsamic vinegar, smoked paprika mustard and garlic paste marinade and sprinkled with salt and pepper to taste. Or you can skip the marinade and just salt and pepper it before cooking it sous vide.
It may not look whatever your idea of 'perfect' might be, but is is all real and simply delish!
Time & Temperature
Flank steak is a relatively cheaper cut of meat. It is a lean, tough cut that's a great candidate for cooking sous vide. My preference for cooking this cut sous vide is 56ºC/133ºF for 2-3 hours or up to 24 hours. Here are a few other options we have tried and enjoyed:
- Medium rare - 54.4ºC/130ºF to 57.2ºC/135ºF for 2-3 hours
- Medium - 57.7ºC/136ºF to 62.7ºC/145ºF for 1-2 hours
Note that cooking meat sous vide 54.4ºC/130ºF or below for an extended period can be harmful, so if you choose the lower end of the temperature scale, 2 hours is probably best. Also important, is checking the internal temperature of your meat to ensure doneness and safety.
If you have tried other time and temperature combinations, I would love to hear about them.
Taco ANYDAY!
The steak, once cooked, can be used in a number of ways. We like it alongside eggs for brunch, but enjoy it most wrapped in soft tortilla shells. Did someone say TACO THURSDAY? I am down for TACO ANYDAY, but that does not roll off the tongue as deliciously.
Our Sous Vide Flank Steak Tacos we packed with avocado, tomato, pepper and corn, wrapped in homemade masa harina tortilla shells. But not just any corn, we're talking sous vide street corn and it was OH MY LAAAWD AMAZING!
Sous Vide Flank Steak Tacos
Ingredients
Method
- Add warm water to a heavy-duty pot or heat-safe container, attach your immersion cooker heat water to 56C/133F. Cover to contain heat and prevent evaporation.
- Clean and pat the meat dry. Add all the ingredients, except the sat and pepper, to a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Brush marinade onto both sides of the steak and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add to a resealable sous vide bag along with remaining marinade. Pass the filled bag along the edge of a counter to remove excess air, or use the displacement method. Add the sealed bag to the heated water and cook for 2 hours.
- Remove from the bag when cooked. Place on a cooling rack to allow the juice to drip off and pat (not rub) lightly with a paper towel. To finish the steak, heat a skillet or grill until smoking. Sear steak for about a minute, flipping every 10-15 seconds. Or, if you own a Searzall torch, that will do the trick! Cut into thin slices.
- Build your tacos with all the fixings listed here, or any of your preference. Enjoy!
2pots2cook says
Absolutely amazing ! Absolutely 🙂
jacquee | i sugar coat it! says
THANK YOU!!
Luke Pewitt says
What is smoked paprika mustard can I buy it or make it ?
jacquee | i sugar coat it! says
I found it at my local butcher shop, but you should get similar results by combining paprika and dijon or regular mustard.