Sous Vide Ribeye with Herb Butter

Ingredients

• 2 bone-in ribeye steaks, 1 1/2 inches thick (about 16 oz each)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil or other high-smoke-point oil
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, for the butter
• Flaky sea salt, for finishing

Method

1. Make the herb butter first. Mash the softened butter with the parsley, chives, thyme leaves, minced garlic, lemon zest, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt until fully combined.
2. Spoon the butter onto a sheet of parchment, roll it into a tight log about 1 1/2 inches across, twist the ends, and refrigerate at least 1 hour until firm. It keeps five days — make it the day before if you're smart about it.
3. Set your immersion circulator to 131°F (55°C) for medium-rare. Use 129°F (54°C) if you want it closer to rare, 137°F (58°C) for medium. Pick a number and commit to it.
4. Season the steaks on all sides with the kosher salt and black pepper. Seal each one in a vacuum bag or zip-top bag with 2 thyme sprigs and a smashed garlic clove. No oil in the bag — it pulls flavor away from the meat.
5. Submerge the bags fully in the water bath and cook for 2 hours. A 1 1/2-inch steak needs at least 90 minutes to come to temperature all the way through. Do not run it past 4 hours — the texture starts breaking down.
6. Pull the bags, cut them open, and remove the steaks. Discard the herbs and garlic — they've done their job in the bag and they'll burn in the pan.
7. Pat the steaks absolutely dry with paper towels, then let them sit on a rack for 10 minutes and pat them again. Surface moisture is the only thing standing between you and a crust. Get it all.
8. Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat for 5 minutes, until it's smoking. Add the grapeseed oil and swirl to coat.
9. Lay the steaks in and sear 45 seconds per side, flipping once or twice, for about 2 minutes total. You're browning a surface, not cooking the interior — the interior is already done.
10. Stand each steak on its fat-cap edge with tongs and sear 30 seconds until the fat renders and browns.
11. Serve immediately. Sous vide steak needs no resting time — the whole cut is already at temperature. Top each with a 1/2-inch coin of herb butter and a pinch of flaky salt, and let it melt on the way to the table.