1smallbeef roast: eye of round, sirloin tip (1½ to 2 lbs)
salt and pepper
Instructions
Don’t be dismayed by the length of this recipe! If you’re new to sous vide cooking, the detail here will help you. If you’re used to SV, this is for you: sous vide petite roast beef: 132/55 4-6H. Let me explain just what that means, okay?
Set up your sous vide container and device. Set the temperature to 132˚F or 55˚C. While the water comes up to temperature, bag the roast beef, if you're not grabbing it from the freezer.
Take the petite roast, salt and pepper on all sides, and place in an appropriately-sized bag. Seal each bag appropriately. If using a vacuum sealer, follow the instructions for your device. Special directions for a heavy-duty zip bag, by water displacement: holding the opening above the water, dunk the rest of the bag. Press out any air and zip the bag shut. Then remove the bag from the water; it will only go back into the sous vide system once the water is at the correct temperature.
When the water is up to temperature, place the sealed bag in the water. Make sure that water can circulate freely around the bag, and then simply let it hang out in the warm bath for at least 4 hours, and not more than 7 hours. (More sous vide time would start to affect the texture of the beef, edging it toward mushy.)NOTE FOR COOKING FROM FROZEN: minimum time is 6 hours, and not more than 9, for the same reasons of texture.
At the end of cooking time, pull the bags from the water and set it on a towel. Remove the roast from the bag, and discard any accumulated liquid. Pat the beef dry with paper towels.
Heat a skillet, add just a bit of oil or butter, and sear the beef on all sides. Remove to a cutting board and slice as you wish.