How to Sous Vide Filet Mignon to Medium Rare I made my own Sous Vide with a crockpot and an Arduino and would like to cook a Filet Mignon cut to medium rare. 

However, a quick google search of '"sous vide" "medium rare" "filet mignon"' shows contradicting results:


This states 130F for steak in general, not Filet Mignon specifically.
This states 130F for Filet Mignon in particular.
This states 133F for Filet Mignon in particular.
This actually gives not only a range, but a range of 130-139! (for Filet Mignon in particular)
This states 130F for Filet Mignon in particular.
This states 131F for Filet Mignon in particular.
This states 134F for Filet Mignon in particular.
This also has the audacity to give a range of 130-139F but hedges it with 131F.


My sous vide can cook at an exact temperature. Which temperature should I cook Filet Mignon to medium rare?
130F (approx. 54C) works great. That brings it to the very bottom of the "medium-rare scale", allowing you to sear before presentation without overcooking.

Although, I have to tell you, filet mignon is kind of a waste with sous vide. Not that it won't be great, but a much less expensive cut can be cooked at that temperature much longer and give you amazingly tender results.

The minimum time for a medium-rare filet would be just as long as it takes for the whole steak to reach 130F (half an hour or 45 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steak). Of course you can cook it longer, that's one of the beauties of sous vide, but that won't make it any better.

You can spend a whole bunch less money and get chuck (shoulder) and slice it into steaks. Sous vide it for two days at 130F, and that makes a steak almost as tender as filet, yet more flavorful.



That is my very first chuck steak cooked at 131F for two days, then seared. I used a NASA hot cast-iron pan for the searing, so 1°F less will give you a little bit more time to sear without risking overcooking your filet (which would be really tragic!). 

Key Point: As Jefromi says in his answer, medium-rare is a scale. If you do 130F this time, consider carefully as you eat. Is the temperature absolutely perfect for you? Keep track of the temperatures you use every time you sous vide and your impressions at that temperature. Once you know what temperatures are perfect for you, sous vide allows you to duplicate perfection perfectly.