Chuck Roast is not knows to be a tender cut of meat that melts in your mouth. I’m here to tell you that with the Sous Vide machine that can be the case! Prepare to change the way you cook chuck roast forever. Not only that but we are going to share our super secret gravy recipe too!
Chuck roasts are best done at high temperatures and for several hours. When you cook your meat for longer periods, the collagen will become tender and you will not lose too much moisture.
What is Chuck Roast?
A chuck roast is typically known as the classic Pot Roast.
An average chuck roast is a rectangular cut, about an inch thick and is also knows as the 7 bone steak as the shape of the shoulder bone in cross-section resembles the numeral ‘7’. The most common way of cooking a Chuck Roast is by braising it in a pot.
Chuck roast is also a very economical cut of meat, and is often times used as ground beef as well.
Sous Vide Chuck Roast Cooking Times and Temperature
There is a simple philosophy to follow here. If you want juicy chuck roast then go for medium rare or medium cooking temperatures. If you want it really tender then go for longer cooking times. Having said that, the “well done” configuration will still be a lot juicier than if you use a conventional cooking method.
Medium rare chuck roast – Cooking temperature 131°F (55°C) – Cook for 24 hours to 72 hours
Medium chuck roast – Cooking temperature 140°F (60°C) – Cook for 24 hours to 72 hours
Well done (traditional) chuck roast – Cooking temperature 160°F (71°C) – Cook for 24 hours to 48 hours
If you go for a lower cooking time, you will find that your chuck roast will turn out like a very tender steak. If you cook for longer, then you will find that your meat becomes more like a traditional roast.
Equipment
- Sous Vide Machine – our favorite right now is the Anova or the Joule.
- Container – not necessary, but nice to have for bigger cuts of meat. We recommend the Lipavi as it is large and sturdy. You can also use a pot.
- Vacuum sealer and bags, or a freezer Ziploc bag. If you only have a Ziploc make sure to check our our article on the water displacement method. You can find our favorite vacuum sealers here – 5 Best Sous Vide Vacuum Sealers (Reviews Updated 2021)
Best Sous Vide Chuck Roast Recipe
- 2 pounds or 1 kilogram of beef chuck roast. You do not want the meat to be more than 3 inches thick and 2 inches thick is recommended.
- 1.5 cups of apple juice
- 0.5 cup of soy sauce
- 2 cups of water
- 0.25 cup of red wine
- 12 ounces or 340 grams of mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of mirin (sweet seasoning)
- 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
- Chopped carrot
- Chopped onion
- Minced garlic
- Butter
- Salt and pepper
How To Prepare And Cook Your Chuck Roast
- Fill your sous vide water bath and set to the temperature that you want to cook at. Next you will need to get the chuck roast ready for cooking.
- If there are large pieces of fat on the chuck roast then remove these with a knife and discard them. Remove any silver skin from the roast as well. Cut the chuck roast into pieces, and then put these into the fridge, covered up, while you prepare the gravy.
- You will need a saucepan to mix all of the ingredients together. Do not add the red wine at this stage. Simmer the ingredients over a medium heat for around 15 minutes. The gravy should have thickened by this point. Strain the gravy and cool.
- Put the chuck roast pieces into sous vide bags and add half of the gravy. Use a best sous vide vacuum sealer to seal the sous vide bags. When your cooking temperature has been achieved add the bags to your sous vide bath.
- Once the cooking time has finished you will want to make the rest of the gravy. Add the half that you saved into a saucepan with the red wine. Simmer over a high heat and then reduce it to half. Sautee the mushrooms and then add to the gravy.
- Remove the chuck roast and then sear with a sous vide torch on both sides for a minute each side. The chuck roast can then be sliced and served with the gravy.
Not what you’re looking for? Head on over to our super comprehensive article on best sous vide machine reviews and sous vide vacuum sealer reviews!
