Sous Vide Beef Bulgogi Bowls

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds flank steak
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon oil, for sautéing
• 1/3 cup gochujang chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• Cooked white rice, for serving
• 1/2 cup kimchi or more, for serving
• 2 tablespoons Sesame seeds, garnish
• Handful fresh cilantro, to garnish
• Thai basil, to garnish

Directions

1. Place the steak in a large gallon-sized zip-top freezer bag. Add the grated ginger, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and black pepper, then move everything around in the bag until the steak is well coated.
2. Close the bag using the water-displacement method: lower the bag slowly into the water so the pressure pushes the air up and out through the open top. When the top of the bag is right at the water line and the air is out, seal it. You can do this right in the pot while the water is heating, just use a little caution if the water is already steaming. From here, you can cook the beef right away, refrigerate it for later for 2 days maximum, or freeze it for up to a few weeks.
3. Fill a pot with water and set your immersion circulator in place. Set it to 130 degrees F and let the water heat fully.
4. Once the water is at temperature, lower the sealed bag of steak into the pot so it is completely submerged and can cook evenly. Let it cook for at least 2 hours or up to 3 hours, then take the bag out of the water and turn off the circulator. If you want, you can cool the steak at this point and refrigerate it for up to 2 days before slicing and searing.
5. While the steak cooks, make the rice, mix the sauce, and get the garnishes ready. Stir together the chili sauce, soy sauce, honey, and lime juice, then set aside about 1/4 cup for drizzling over the finished bowls. The rest will go into the skillet with the steak.
6. When the steak is done, take it out of the water and let it sit for 10 minutes. Use tongs to remove the beef from the bag, then cut it against the grain into thin strips. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over high heat, add the sliced beef, and sauté for 1 minute to get a fast sear. Don’t crowd the pan; work in batches if you need to. Add the sauce for searing to the skillet with the beef and toss everything together for another 15 to 20 seconds. Serve the beef over rice with the juices from the skillet, sprinkle with sesame seeds, add kimchi on the side, garnish with cilantro and/or Thai basil, and drizzle the reserved bulgogi sauce over the top.