Achieve perfectly rosy medium rare Denver steak without any guesswork thanks to precise sous vide methods locking in all the juices and tenderness before a lightning fast sear in cast iron gives that gorgeous crust everyone craves.

What Is Denver Steak in the Sous Vide?

The Denver cut of steak comes from the chuck primal, which is around the shoulder area of the cow. This beef cut is known for being juicy and having a good amount of marbling with tons of beefy flavor, perfect for pan-searing like our pan seared Denver steak or cooking sous vide.

Sous vide is a fancy French term that basically means “under vacuum.” Sous vide cooking involves sealing your food in a vacuum-sealed bag and then cooking it slowly in warm water. Unlike cooking steak on high heat like grilling or pan-searing, sous vide steak is cooked low and slow for hours, breaking down the connective tissue and muscle fibers in the beef. The vacuum-sealed bag locks in the rich flavor while the warm water bath cooks the steak.

The sous vide method is one of our favorite fool-proof ways to make tender steak because the water bath perfectly cooks the steak inside and out without a ton of effort on your part. We love using it for tougher steaks like sous vide chuck steak and more tender cuts like sous vide filet mignon.

Sous Vide Denver Steak Recipe Ingredients

• Denver steaks – look for petite Denver steaks. If you can’t find them at your grocery store, look for them at your local butcher shop.
• Salt 
• Cowboy / Coffee blend – dry rub that helps tenderize the meat and adds a nice crust.
• Black pepper
• Oil 
• Unsalted butter or herb compound butter – adds flavor and locks in the steak’s juices.

How to Make Sous Vide Denver Steak

First, pat the steaks dry with paper towels to get rid of any excess moisture. Then, season them with a good sprinkle of salt. After that, seal those seasoned steaks up in a bag using a vacuum sealer or the water displacement method.

Now, let’s prep the water bath. Preheat it to 120°F using an immersion circulator. Once that’s done, gently place the steaks into the water bath and let them cook for a nice, slow cook of 3 hours.

When the timer’s up, take the steaks out of the water bath and their sealed bag. Give them another pat-down to make sure they’re nice and dry.

Time to amp up the flavor! Coat those Denver steaks generously with the coffee blend.

Next, heat up a skillet over medium-high heat until it’s just about smoking. This is for our reverse sear method. Add some oil, give it a good swirl to cover the pan, and once the oil surface starts shimmering (wait about a minute), use long tongs to place the steaks into the hot pan carefully.

Let a tasty crust form on one side for about 60 seconds, then flip it and let the other side get its crusty moment for an additional 45 to 60 seconds. If your steaks are on the thicker side, use the tongs to hold them on the sides for a quick color boost.

Now, take those flavorful steaks out of the skillet and crown them with a bit of compound butter. Let them take a breather for 5 to 7 minutes before slicing them into thin slices against the grain.