Steak Oscar, Sous Vide | Keto, Low-Carb

Bring the steakhouse to your home dining room with this elegant and delicious steak oscar. Perfectly cooked filet mignon is topped with a hearty serving of crab in béarnaise sauce and pan-grilled asparagus. The fact that it’s low-carb and keto-friendly is just an added bonus. Try it out for your next special occasion. If you like this, try my Perfect Pan Seared Boneless Ribeye.

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Peace, family. 

Hear me and hear me good. Steak Oscar is the dish you need for your next birthday, anniversary, holiday, graduation, promotion…you get where I’m going with this. It’s the perfect indulgent, celebratory meal when you need something extra special. A precisely cooked medium rare filet mignon, topped with pan grilled asparagus and a delicious blend of seafood and béarnaise sauce. Surf and turf, but make it slightly bougie. How do I know it’s precisely cooked? Because my two friends, sous vide and meat thermometer both said so. If you’re wondering what the heck I’m rambling on about, then keep reading and we’ll make some sense of it all. Even if you don’t decide to make this meal today, you’ll at least have a new cooking technique that you can keep in your back pocket for when the time comes. 

What Ingredients Do I Need?

• Filet Mignon – the star of the show
• Salt
• Cracked Black Pepper
• Garlic
• Fresh Herbs
• Egg Yolks
• Asparagus
• Lemon Juice
• Diced Shallot
• Tarragon
• Water

Can I use a Different Cut of Steak?

You can absolutely use another, less expensive cut of steak, such as ribeye or T-Bone for this recipe. I love using filet mignon when the occasion calls for something special.

What Tools Do I Need to Make this Dish?

I used the following tools to achieve this meal:

• Sous Vide Machine – I use Anova brand; more about that in a moment
• Vacuum Seal Bags
• Vacuum Sealer
• Large Tub/Pot
• Cast Iron Grill Pan
• Cast Iron Skillet

What Does Sous Vide Mean?

Sous vide is a French term that translates to “under vacuum.” Your food is placed into a plastic bag and vacuum sealed. It is then submerged into a bath of water that the sous vide machine keeps heated to an exact/precise temperature that you set. This allows the food to cook evenly to a precise doneness – in this case medium rare – without drying out or overcooking. It’s pretty much foolproof, which is always great when it comes to cooking.

There are several great brands for sous vide machines at different price points. My preferred brand is Anova. I’m able to connect it to my phone via bluetooth and set the temperature. I get a notification when the water has heated to my set temperature and a notification when it’s time to remove my food from the bath. Anova has several models; I use the “Nano” which works perfectly for my needs.

Vacuum Sealer

You don’t need a fancy or expensive vacuum sealer to remove the air from your vacuum seal bags. When my electric vacuum seal bit the dust, I was able to get a small manual pump that worked well and cost less than $10.

I’ve even seen some folks who don’t use a vacuum seal bag at all. They use a regular degular freezer bag and remove as much air as they can manually before submerging it in the water. I have not tested this method, so I can’t speak to the success, but it’s definitely worth researching if you’re in a bind.

What Do You Do After Removing the Bag from the Water?

Once the meat is cooked, it will look a little wonky.

This is because although it’s fully cooked, it won’t have much color to it. It still needs to be “finished.” You finish by searing it in a scorching hot pan – preferably cast iron – to develop crust and color. But wait. We just cooked it sous vide and now we’re searing it. Won’t it now be overcooked? Nope. I have a small trick to remedy this.

When I set my sous vide temperature, I like to select it at a temperature a couple of degrees below what I want the final temperature of my steak to be. That way, I give myself a little margin of error if I sear it too long. This is also where my meat thermometer comes into play. As I’m searing the steak, I use my instant read thermometer to make sure it does not exceed the desired temp. I like to remove any guess work when it comes to steak doneness because an overcooked steak is an absolute disaster. Especially here in Texas. Here’s a handy temp guide that you can save if you wish.

How to Make Béarnaise Sauce

To make the béarnaise, you’ll need:

• Shallot, diced
• Tarragon, chopped
• White Wine Vinegar
• Egg Yolks

• Clarified Butter*
• Black Pepper
• Salt

You start by adding the diced shallot, chopped tarragon, and white wine vinegar in a saucepan over medium heat. When you notice the liquid starting to bubble, reduce the heat to low. Allow to cook on low for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, or until you notice liquid has reduced to about 3 tablespoons. Remove the pan from heat, place the mixture in a glass bowl and allow it to cool. 

You can take that same saucepan that you just removed the vinegar, shallots, and tarragon from, and fill it with about two cups of water. Bring this water to a boil on the stovetop. 

Once the contents of the glass bowl have cooled you will add the egg yolks and about 1.5 tablespoons of water to the bowl.

Place the glass bowl into the saucepan and reduce the heat to low. Whisk the yolks over indirect heat until a creamy sauce begins to form; about 5 minutes. If you feel your bowl getting too hot, or feel that your eggs are overcooking, you can always remove the bowl from the indirect heat for about 30 seconds, while continuing to whisk, and then add it back to the heat again.

Finally pour in the clarified butter, salt, and pepper, and continue to whisk until well combined. 

Set your sauce aside while you finish preparing the rest of the meal. 

*How to Make Clarified Butter

I have a super easy method for making clarified butter. First, set your oven to the very lowest temperature setting. Then, add two sticks of unsalted butter to a glass bowl and place it in the oven. This will allow for a very gentle melt. Do not stir the butter! Once it has completely melted, you will notice that a solid layer has risen to the top. Gently skim off as much as you can using a spoon. You can then run the remains through a filter, such as cheesecloth or even a coffee filter. The final result will be clarified butter that can be used in any number of recipes and sauces such as béarnaise. 

Is Steak Oscar Keto-Friendly?

This dish is absolute low-carb and keto-friendly. Eat up!

What Type of Crab Do I Use?

I use jumbo lump crab meat for my steak oscar. In my supermarket, it is stored near the fresh seafood, refrigerated in a can. 

What if I don’t have a Sous Vide Machine?

If you don’t have a precision cooker, fret not. You can still make this delicious meal. Instead of using the Sous Vide machine to cook your filet mignon internally, you will use your oven. Preheat your oven to 400°. You will allow your steaks to come to room temperature for about an hour, and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat for about 3 minutes. Place the steaks in the pan, and cook for about 2 minutes per side, allowing a crust to develop. You can baste with butter, herbs, and garlic, as desired. Transfer the pan to the oven, checking the internal temperature with a meat thermometer every 2-3 minutes until it reaches your desired temperature/doneness. 

Can I Substitute the Crab?

I’ve been to restaurants where the steak oscar was served using shrimp instead of crab. I have not personally tested this method in my home kitchen. 

How Do I Cook the Asparagus?

I use a simple cast iron grill pan to prepare my trimmed asparagus spears. I melt a ½ tablespoon of butter in the pan over medium  heat. I then add  asparagus and minced garlic to the pan before seasoning it with salt and pepper. Allow the asparagus to cook for 10 minutes, turning often. When it is done, I squeeze with lemon juice. 

What Wine Pairs Well with Steak Oscar?

This is a tricky question since wine pairings often differ when speaking about seafood versus red meat. To play it safe, I recommend pairing with a red wine that is not too overpowering such as  pinot noir. 

How to Prepare Steak Oscar

1. Sous vide and then sear the filet mignon using the instructions and guidelines listed above. When finished searing, allow the steak to rest at least five minutes.
2. When the steaks nears the end of its’ time in the sous vide, prepare your béarnaise sauce, and pan grill your asparagus.
3. Top your steak with a portion of the jumbo lump crab, bearnaise sauce, and asparagus.

As usual try it out and let me know what you think. 

Peace,

Adri

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