The Mayo Seared Steak
From what I could find, there are two main reasons why this mayonnaise emulsion works well for searing compared to plain oil.
Since an emulsion is like a peace treaty between fat and water, so it actually wants to stick to our food, unlike plain oil which doesn't want to bind with our raw wet steak.
Mayo can brown food both thermally and chemically. Oil browns things thermally, but since mayo has sugars and proteins in it, which are needed for the Maillard reaction. This means it can brown on its own in addition to browning the food it is heating up.
Mayonnaise Seared Steak
Ingredients:
1 thick steak (1 inch or more - I used Filet Mignon)
Coarse Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Mayo - to cover steak lightly
Special Gear:
Sous Vide
Method:
Using your sous vide, preheat the water to 129 Fahrenheit for a medium rare.
Liberally, salt your steak on both sides and the edges. Next add plenty of fresh ground pepper.
Add the seasoned steak to a heavy duty ziploc bag (or vacuum seal) along with the crushed garlic cloves.
Place the steak bag in the water with the ziploc open to drive the air out. Close the top and if needed add a spoon to weight down the bag so the steak stays submerged.
Let the steak sous vide 60 minutes for 1 inch steak, 90 minutes for 1.5 inch steak, or 120 minutes for 2 inch steak.
Remove the steak from the bag, and pat it dry with a paper towel. This will remove excess moisture so we can sear better.
Preheat a cast iron to ripping high heat. You will probably set off the fire alarm while searing, it's worth it for the golden crispy crust from the Maillard reaction.
Add enough mayonnaise to cover and spread over the steak in a thin layer.
Sear the steak by adding it to the heated cast iron. Do not touch it! Let that sweet browning reaction go to work for about 20 seconds each side. Sear the flats and sides of the steak.
Slice and enjoy. There isn’t much a need to rest the steak since it has been sous vide which has already set the protein strands.