Having added the sous vide to our gadget list, I had to try a recipe that would showcase the results you can get with the technique. I decided on sirloin as a great cut because it is big on taste and fairly lean so harder to get juicy through frying alone. Inspired by a recipe from Great British Chefs at first attempt I prepared the best steak I ever cooked at home…

Step 1 - Prepare the sirloin

• Heat the salt, sugar, peppercorns, coriander seeds and thyme together in 1 litre of water until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Leave this brine to cool in the fridge while the beef comes to room temperature.

• Trim the fatty tail of the sirloin and any other sinewy bits while leaving the strip of fat along the top. Trim out any meaty cuts from the fat.

• Place the sirloin in the brine and leave for 2 hours.

• With 30 min to go, assemble the sous vide and heat the bath to 52 C.

• Rinse the steak and pat dry before sealing in vacuum bag with a sprig of thyme and the beef dripping. Place the bag in the water bath for 1.5 hours.

Step 2 - The beer sauce

• Take the meaty trimmings, the cuts of fat and a little more beef dripping and brown the meat over medium heat.

• Remove the fat rind and trimmings and use the remaining fat to fry the shallots, garlic and a few peppercorns. Once nicely brown deglaze with a splash of sherry vinegar.

• Add the beer and reduce by half.

• Add the wine and reduce by half.

• Return the trimmings and rind to the pan along with another sprig of thyme, the beef stock jelly and 50 ml of water and cook for 20 minutes.

• Sieve the sauce and stand in the fridge for 30 min.

• Skim off the fat layer and return to clean pan to concentrate and reheat when needed.

Step 3 - Complete the dish

• Put a large frying pan over a high heat.

• Remove the steak from the water bath and cut from the bag. Dust the meat with icing sugar and place in the hot pan.

• Fry 1 min each side to achieve a black caramelised crust but no more.

• Leave the steak to rest 10 min while you warm the sauce and finish any sides (I served with triple cooked chips and pre-blanched broccoli finished with a quick fry in the skimmed beef fat).

• Carve the steak into thick cross-sections and serve.

 Ingredients

• 200g Sea salt

• 200g Soft brown sugar

• 20g Black peppercorns

• 20g Coriander seeds

• 5 sprigs fresh thyme

• Thick cut of sirloin ~800g

• 50g Beef dripping

• 1 Shallot

• 1 clove garlic

• Sherry vinegar

• 200ml Malty beer (I used Old Peculiar)

• 100ml Red wine

• 1 Jelly type beef stock ‘cube’ (bit of a cheat this one)

• Icing sugar for dusting