Sous Vide Chuck Roast
on Jan 09, 2024, Updated Jan 25, 2024
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Sous Vide Chuck Roast is a game changer in the kitchen, offering tender, flavor-packed beef every time. This easy method transforms an affordable cut into a luxurious meal, perfect for impressing family and friends.
This sous vide dinner is a beef recipe that everyone enjoys! Give it a try and watch this humble chuck roast become the star of your dinner table.
Table of Contents
About this Sous Vide Chuck Roast Recipe
Step into the world of sous vide with this chuck roast recipe that promises tender, perfectly cooked beef every time. Like this sous vide chicken recipe, it’s a straightforward technique.
This delicious way to make chuck roast transforms a budget-friendly cut into a mouthwatering meal, ideal for both weeknight dinners and special occasions.
If you’re wondering why should I cook a chuck roast using sous vide? I’ll tell you! Sous vide is a great method for cooking tough and inexpensive cuts of beef like chuck roast because it allows for long, slow cooking, which breaks down tough connective tissues and transforms the cut into a tender and delicious dish.
With this sous vide chuck roast recipe, you can basically set it and forget it. It’s a lot less work than making braised beef like in our our beef bourguignon recipe!
What is a Chuck Roast?
(And Why is it Good for Sous Vide Cooking?)
A chuck roast is a cheap cut of beef from the shoulder of the cow. It’s known for being a tough cut of meat with a lot of connective tissue, which makes it perfect for slow-cooking methods like sous vide and crock pot cooking. The long, slow-cooking time breaks down the connective tissue, making the meat fork-tender and very flavorful.
Why You’ll Love This Chuck Roast Recipe
The Flavorful Seasoning Mix: The combination of salt, pepper, and garlic powder creates a mouthwatering seasoning mix, ensuring that every bite of the chuck roast is packed with delicious flavors.
Flexible Cooking Methods: Whether you’re using a sous vide bag, Ziplock bag, or a vacuum sealer, this recipe allows for various equipment, providing flexibility in your cooking.
Precise Temperature Control: Using a sous vide machine allows for precise temperature control, ensuring that the chuck roast is cooked to perfection according to your preferred doneness.
Customizable Doneness: The doneness chart in this recipe provides temperature options for medium rare, medium, and well-done, allowing you to customize the chuck roast to suit your preferred taste.
Tenderization Through Extended Cooking: The extended cooking time results in a remarkably tender, melt-in-your-mouth roast
Follow this easy sous vide recipe to bring out the best in your chuck roast, and get ready to serve up a dish that will have everyone asking for seconds. This sous vide chuck roast will soon become your go-to for a delicious, foolproof dinner.
What’s in This Sous Vide Beef Recipe?
The sous vide chuck roast recipe uses a mix of simple seasonings and fresh herbs to enhance the natural flavors of the chuck roast, paired with olive oil for the perfect sear.
Chuck Roast: Using the sous vide method of cooking, this tough cut of meat, often known as a budget-friendly cut, is transformed into a flavorful, juicy roast.
Consider using other cuts of beef like prime rib, eye of round roast, or chuck-eye steak. For a more upscale choice, filet mignon can also be employed, but ensure you adjust the cooking times accordingly.
Salt and Pepper: These foundational seasonings enhance the inherent flavors of the chuck roast. Seasoning salt not only contributes savoriness but also aids in retaining moisture during the sous vide process. Explore various salts, such as Himalayan or sea salt, for nuanced variations. Freshly ground black pepper provides a subtle heat, while white pepper, paprika, or cayenne can be substituted for a different flavor profile.
Garlic Powder: Garlic powder imparts a savory and aromatic essence to the roast, enriching its overall taste. Alternatively, minced garlic cloves can be utilized for a more pronounced garlic flavor, offering depth to the dish.
Fresh Rosemary: Rosemary imparts a fragrant and earthy flavor to the roast. Fresh thyme or oregano can serve as alternatives, and for a Mediterranean twist, Italian seasoning can be introduced.
Olive Oil: Olive oil not only adds richness but also contributes to achieving a golden-brown crust on the chuck steak. For varied flavors, consider using substitutes such as vegetable oil, canola oil, or clarified butter. Each brings its unique touch to the dish.
How to Make Sous Vide Chuck Roast
(See the full recipe in the recipe card below.)
The delicious chuck roast recipe involves seasoning the meat, vacuum sealing it for sous vide cooking, followed by a final sear to achieve a tender and flavorful chuck roast. Here is exactly how to make this delicious beef dinner!
- Mix Seasonings: Blend salt, pepper, and garlic powder, then thoroughly coat the chuck roast.
2. Prepare Bag: Place the seasoned meat and rosemary in a sous vide bag, removing air through sealing.
3. Sous Vide: Set the machine to the desired temperature and cook the roast immersed in water.
Check the cooking temperature and doneness chart below for recommended cooking times. I set mine to 136°F.
- Medium Rare: 130°F (54°C) for 24 to 48 hours
- Medium: 140°F (60°C) for 24 to 48 hours
- Well Done: 150°F (66°C) for 24 to 48 hours
In my opinion, the sweet spot for sous vide chuck roast is typically a low temperature, around 130-150°F, depending on your preferred doneness. This slow cooking process over a longer time ensures you end up with a juicy and flavorful roast.
4. Remove and Dry: After cooking, (a) take out the roast, discarding the bag’s liquid, and (b) dry the meat.
5. Sear Meat: In a hot skillet with oil, sear each side of the roast for a crispy crust.
A quick sear on a hot surface, such as a cast iron skillet, is the perfect way to finish a sous vide chuck roast. This also adds a flavorful crust without compromising the juiciness achieved through sous vide.
Searing Tip:
Be sure to pat the roast dry using paper towels before searing it, and use tongs to flip the roast over.
Searing your chuck roast is optional, but I recommend it because it adds a nice browned crust to the meat. If you do decide to sear your roast, do it after sous vide cooking. You can use a hot pan or grill it to sear the meat.
6. Rest and Slice: Let the roast rest before slicing against the grain for serving.
Recipe Tips
- Trim off any excess fat from the roast before you season and cook it.
- Vacuum-seal the roast in a bag with your favorite seasonings. I sometimes double bag the roast in a Ziplock bag just in case it leaks during the long cook.
- Use a quality sous vide cooker to ensure precise temperature control. The two cookers I recommend are Joule and Anova.
What Goes With This?
Pair your sous vide chuck roast with some of our flavorful side dishes from Platter Talk, each offering its own unique texture and taste to complement the main dish.
Garlic Mashed Potatoes: The creamy and rich texture of mashed potatoes complements the tenderness of the chuck roast, with a hint of garlic to elevate the flavors.
Potato Dumplings: These soft, pillowy dumplings act as the perfect sponge to soak up all the delicious juices from the chuck roast.
Creamy Mushroom Sauce: A silky, savory mushroom sauce adds a luxurious depth of flavor that pairs wonderfully with the meat’s richness.
Instant Pot Baked Beans: The sweetness and tang of baked beans offer a classic, hearty side that balances the savory notes of the roast. These are one of my favorite instant pot recipes!
Blitva: This traditional side dish of Swiss chard and potatoes brings a fresh, slightly bitter contrast that cuts through the richness of the meat.
Homemade Crusty Bread: This easy, no-kneed bread recipe is easy to make and also makes a great leftover chuck roast sandwich!
Recipe Questions
Sous vide cooking is safe when done properly. The key to sous vide cooking is to maintain proper temperature control, cook food to the appropriate internal temperature, and follow safe food handling practi
The kind of plastic bags used for cooking sous vide are BPA-free and food-grade safe. This means that they are designed to withstand the heat of sous vide cooking without contaminating the food with chemicals.
Sous vide cooked food can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to place it in a ziplock bag or airtight container.
The next time you have a special occasion, use our sous vide chuck roast recipe for your special dinner the next day. It’s one of the best ways for home cooks to take an inexpensive cut of beef and turn it into a spectacular meal! I hope you try this family recipe soon!
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Sous Vide Chuck Roast
Equipment
- Vacuum sealer Optional
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Chuck Roast
- Kosher salt and black pepper , To taste
- 4 tsp garlic powder
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, and garlic powder to create a flavorful seasoning mix. Sprinkle the seasoning evenly over the entire surface of the Chuck Roast, ensuring it is well-coated on all sides.
- Place the seasoned Chuck Roast with rosemary into a sous vide bag or a large Ziplock bag. Use the water displacement method or a vacuum sealer to remove the air from the plastic bag.
- Set up your sous vide machine and preheat the water bath to your preferred doneness.
- Submerge the vacuum bag in the preheated sous vide bath and cook the Chuck Roast for a minimum of 24 hours. A long cooking time will result in a more tender roast. I like to place a plate or bowl on top of the bag to keep it from floating during the cooking process.
- After it is done cooking, carefully remove the bag from the water bath and take the roast out of the bag. You can discard or use the liquid in the bag to make a delicious pan sauce or au jus. I like to add a little beef broth to the au jus and thicken it with flour or cornstarch and whisk it to get rid of any lumps.
- Pat the roast dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add 1-2 tablespoons of oil (such as canola or vegetable oil). Give the roast a good sear in the hot skillet on each side for 1-2 minutes or until a golden brown crust forms. Keep an eye on the roast to avoid overcooking.
- Transfer the seared sous vide pot roast to a cutting board and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing it against the grain.
- Serve the succulent slices with your favorite side dishes, such as mashed potatoes, green beans, roasted vegetables, or a side salad.
Notes
● Well Done: 150°F (66°C) for 24 to 48 hours
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
