Grant Crilly is the Executive Director and cofounder of ChefSteps. Grant is a classically trained chef and, prior to ChefSteps, he worked on the award-winning cookbook series Modernist Cuisine and cooked at various restaurants, including L’Astrance in Paris, Busaba in Mumbai, and Mistral Kitchen in Seattle.

Grant Crilly

Juicy, flavor-packed, and impossibly tender, <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/sous-vide-steak">a sous vide steak</a> is an extraordinary meal that you can make in your kitchen tonight, no special equipment required. And steak’s just the beginning. From delicate fish to snappy asparagus, there’s no end to what you can achieve when you can control how your food cooks with this simple method. To cook food sous vide is to heat it just enough for it to reach the exact doneness you desire, with no risk of over- or undercooking. While tools like <a href="/joule">immersion circulators</a> can make the process faster and easier, you certainly don’t need any new gadgets to get started. Just grab a pot, a digital thermometer, and some ziplock-style plastic bags, and you’re good to go. The key to cooking food successfully with the stovetop method is holding the water at a steady temperature long enough to cook the food. To do this, you’ll need to adjust the stove’s burner and the placement of your pot on top if it. Keep in mind that you’re constantly losing heat through the sides of the pot and from the evaporation of water, so there’s no getting around the fact that your temperature will fluctuate a bit. Stick with it—if you keep your water within a degree or two, you’re doing great.Let’s start cooking sous vide!WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Digital instant-read thermometer

1-gallon Ziplock-style freezer bag(s)

Binder clip

Cook Sous Vide Tonight: Stovetop Method