Sous-Vide chuck roast beef

 I buy my meat straight at the farm, and I like knowing how it was fed and where it comes from.

Last year, I bought a cow that was exclusively grass-fed. If the meat was lean and tasty, it definitely lacked fat. I cooked it, and we ate it, but more than once I was disappointed with the result. 

It was chewy, very chewy .....

I asked on some forums what my solution could be to avoid this fact, and one person came up with the idea of trying sous-vide cooking.

I ordered a water circulating device, took a large plastic container, and gave it a try. I must say that I was not disappointed, and I decided to explore that method of cooking a little more.

We finished that cow, ate it all .... and I went to another farm to buy half a cow that was grass-fed BUT grain-finished. 

Today I tried to make a chuck roast, using the sous-vide technique and finishing it in the oven. 

That was a success !! 

Steps : 

I used a frozen roast.

Put it (still frozen) in a bag ( a ziplock bag works fine, I actually sous-vide with a machine, by choice and convenience). I add some olive oil, salt, pepper, and some garlic powder to the bag, close it, and put it in the water bath at 131 degrees Fahrenheit, for 24 hours.

 

When the time is over, I take it out of the bag and put it to rest on a rack. I spray the rack with oil to make sure the roast doesn't stick and cover the bottom of the pan with aluminum foil.

Preparing the crust : 

I use about 2 tablespoons of powder mustard, 3 tablespoons of ground peppercorn, 2 tablespoons of Kosher salt, and I finely chop some Rosemary. I mix all the spices together.

The secret to getting the spices/crust to stick to the meat is: take 1 egg white, whisk it for about 30 seconds, and, using a pastry brush, cover the meat with the egg. 

    Roll the roast in the spices and bake in the oven at 475 for about 25 minutes          (flipping it halfway).

Let it rest a few minutes, slice, and enjoy !!