In the Kitchen with Des Harris: Beef Sirloin Two Ways
As Executive Chef at The Hunting Lodge, Des Harris knows how to get the absolute best out of every cut of meat. He has outlined two different ways to achieve a perfectly cooked beef sirloin – using a Gaggenau convection oven and the Sous Vide method.
As convection ovens use lower temperatures and take less time to cook than their conventional counterparts, large cuts of meat roast evenly and form a crisp exterior that retains moisture and flavor. Sous Vide is a very precise method and a good way to cook the meat evenly throughout. The joint is then seared whole or in steaks to develop the flavor and color.
Beef is best eaten at the core temperature of somewhere between 53–55 degrees. 55 degrees is medium doneness, which Des believes to be the most tender.
CONVECTION METHOD
Cooking time: Approximately 50 minutes
Preheat the oven to 85 degrees
Pre-seal the seasoned, room temperature joint of beef
Place on an oven rack, set over a tray in the oven
Probe the piece of beef and set the core temperature to 55 degrees for medium doneness or 53 degrees for medium-rare. Cook the joint until the temperature is achieved
You can carve and serve the beef immediately. It needs no resting as the meat has not been stressed by high temperatures
SOUS VIDE METHOD
Cooking time: Approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes
Vacuum pack the piece of beef at 100% with a dash of olive oil, a sprig of thyme and a split clove of garlic
Place into the steam oven set at 60 degrees and probe the piece of beef through the bag. Set the core temperature to 55 degrees for medium doneness or 53 degrees for medium-rare. Cook the joint until the temperature is achieved
At this point, you can take the beef out of the bag and drain its excess juices in a colander. You can either seal the whole joint before carving or portion the joint into steaks and grill briefly to caramelize the surface
