Pork Steak Sous Vide. Ultimate Fast Food.

Pork steak (or pork tenderloin to some) is a tricky enough cut of meat. If you want it moist, you risk serving it raw. If you err on the side of caution your meal could be as dry as my late grandmother’s sherry. This is one cut of meat where sous vide can really shine.

The sous vide method is not all about long cooking. You know the type who’s recipes involve throwing a leg of venison into the sous vide before spending an extended weekend with their in-laws in Vermont. This pork is fast food by comparison. The ingredients list is mercifully short too. Don’t be fooled by the brevity, it’s packed with layers of flavour.

Ingredients

• 1 free range pork fillet.
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of whole grain mustard
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper
• 3cm / 1” piece of fresh ginger root

I just can’t resist a pouring shot.

Peel and chop the ginger nice and small. Slice the pork steak in half for convenience. Add all the ingredients to a sous vide bag and seal.

This is a pretty fancy Miele chamber vacuum. All good fun.

Pop it in the water bath at 58°C/135°F. The Vermonters will have to see you another time as this takes only an hour and a half.

The tenderloin looks pretty bland at this stage. Don’t be fooled.

Take the tenderloin from the bag and brown it on a medium hot pan. Remove to a chopping board. Add the bag marinade to the pan and reduce until it achieves a nice consistency.

Be careful of the heat of the frying pan. This is just as hot as one wants it.

Slice the pork and serve it with rice and a generous dollop of the sauce. For (relatively) fast food, this is a tender delight.

Perfectly cooked pork. This is a delight.

If you are thinking that sous vide is all about long cooking, think again. This takes little time and packs a real punch of flavour. The meat melts in the mouth and will please almost anyone, even those in-laws in Vermont.

The sauce adds a lovely extra dimension of flavour.