How to achieve a good steak crust with a blowtorch? I tried to torch sous vide steaks twice with a culinary blow torch, but it seems to take forever to get any kind of crust. So far I was not able to achive a really good crust. Should I simply do it longer? The following result took me several minutes per side:



Granted, I don't notice much of a gradient, so I suppose, that even if it takes a long time, it probably doesn't affect the interior temperature too much. Still I am not sure, how it is even possible to achieve a decent crust with this method. And I am also confused, why would this take longer, considering that the temperature of the torch is a lot hotter, than a cast iron.
It does take a couple of minutes to get a good crust with a torch, but judging by that photo something went wrong as there’s little crust on that picture.

As aris mentioned, you need to ensure that there is no moisture on the steak.
You mentioned adding butter on top and letting it melt at room temperature. This could act as a barrier for the heat but no kitchen test I know of tackled this specifically. Next time try without as I’ve always gotten and seen good results without butter on it.

Lastly, keep the torch at a moderate distance and linger slightly on a spot until you see some sizzling. Make small circles, but don’t move the torch all over rapidly. You don’t need to distribute the heat evenly while trying to get a crust.