When cooking steak sous vide, you end up with a lot of flavorful steak juice left behind in the bag. This savory liquid is full of beefy flavor and natural collagen, and it would be a shame to simply throw it out. Instead, there are many delicious ways to repurpose that steak juice to make the most of that rich umami flavor.
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Make a Rich Pan Sauce
One of the best uses for leftover steak juice is to quickly make an easy, delicious pan sauce. After searing your steaks, deglaze the pan with a bit of wine or stock. Then, whisk in a few tablespoons of the collected steak juice. Reduce briefly to thicken and enrich the sauce, then finish with a pat of butter or cream. The natural collagens in the steak juice make for a rich, silky sauce that’s perfect for serving over the sliced steak.
Create a Flavorful Gravy
For a more substantial sauce, use the steak juice as the base for a hearty gravy. The concentrated meaty flavor adds tons of umami and richness. After making your steaks, pour the juices into a saucepan. Whisk in some flour to make a roux, then gradually add milk, stock or wine while whisking. Simmer until thickened, then season with herbs and pepper. Drizzle this beefy gravy over steaks, potatoes or rice for added flavor.
Enhance a Soup or Stew
Don’t restrict steak juice just to steak dishes – it can provide a savory boost to all sorts of recipes. For heartier dishes like soups and stews, whisk a few tablespoons of steak juice into the pot. It will add a hit of meaty richness and natural collagen for improved texture. Beef stew, mushroom soup and French onion soup are all excellent candidates for enhancement with some leftover steak juice.
Use as a Marinade for Other Meats
The flavors absorbed by the steak during sous vide cooking get concentrated in those juices. So it makes a fantastic marinade for other types of meat before cooking. Combine the juice with some olive oil, herbs and spices to create a quick marinade. Let chicken, pork chops, shrimp or vegetables soak for 30 minutes or up to overnight for added flavor. The steak juice adds both moisture and big meaty flavor.
Add to a Stir-Fry
For a quick and easy flavor boost, add some steak juice to your next stir-fry. The small amount of added moisture helps combine flavors and unify ingredients. The savory umami punch gives a bigger meaty taste. When making beef and broccoli, chicken fajita mix or shrimp stir fry, add a spoonful or two of juice just as you add your protein to the pan.
Mix into Mashed Potatoes or Rice
Some of the easiest ways to use leftover steak juice are mixing it into starch side dishes like mashed potatoes or rice. The juice adds moisture while also providing a hit of rich, meaty flavor. When making mashed potatoes, simply add a few tablespoons of steak juice instead of milk or cream. For rice, stir some juice in after cooking for extra flavor.
Use as a Base for Homemade Stock
Don’t have enough steak juice to use right away? Freeze it to use as the start of your next batch of homemade stock. The natural gelatin helps provide body, while the beefy flavor gives a solid umami backbone. Thaw the frozen juice and simmer with veggies, herbs and bones to make a well-rounded stock perfect for soups or braises.
Create a Delicious Salad Dressing
Steak juice also helps build big flavor into lighter dishes like salads. Whisk together leftover juice, olive oil, vinegar and Dijon mustard for a bold vinaigrette. The meaty flavor pairs perfectly with sturdy greens like kale or spinach. For a creamy dressing, blend juice with Greek yogurt, lemon juice and herbs. The options are endless for infusing salads with steakhouse flavor.
Use as a Flavorful Cooking Liquid for Vegetables
For the easiest vegetable side dish ever, simmer veggies in the leftover steak juice instead of water. Tender vegetables like green beans, asparagus and broccoli soak up the savory beefy flavor. Simply add trimmed veggies to a pan with 1-2 tablespoons juice and cook until bright green and tender. The natural collagens help retain moisture too.
Freeze for Later Use
If you don’t have an immediate use, freeze steak juice in ice cube trays or small bags. That way you can thaw just what you need for future recipes. The frozen juice will keep beefy flavor for months. Ideas include adding to a bolognese sauce, using as a base for cabbage rolls, or even adding meaty flavor to chili.
Conclusion: Don’t Waste the Flavorful Steak Juice
With so many possibilities for adding flavor and richness, it would be a real shame to waste all that concentrated savory goodness left over from sous vide steak. Whether making a quick pan sauce or flavorful salad dressing, the steak juice takes recipes to the next level. So next time you cook steak sous vide, be sure to collect those flavorful juices and transform them into something delicious. With a bit of creativity in the kitchen, you can easily capture the essence of the steak and carry that umami flavor into all sorts of dishes.
