This summer Cobb salad with garden-fresh tomato is a grand slam, especially its dressing, a non-creamy, clean-eating riff on honey mustard.

We cooked pork chops sous vide then breaded and finished them in the oven to get that crispy, crunchy crust using our faux fried technique.

We browned chicken breast, simmered it in garlic sauce and served it over a bed of polenta. To show off, we topped it all with a fried egg.

We quite enjoy Top Chef. It’s wholesome, fun reality television. We like the competition. The food intrigues us. Tom Colicchio is just the right amount of curmudgeon. And, boy, do the chefs employ some zany techniques. Recently, while catching up on a past season, we witnessed one chef prepare the most deliciously perfect steak. It had a strong but shallow sear and was evenly pink from edge to glorious edge. It was medium rare bliss. And, it captivated us. For years, we’ve chased this—beef’s Holy Grail. We’ve read and read. We’ve practiced and practiced. We cooked plenty of fine steak. Never did we ever make a perfect one. The Top Chef contestant called his dish “steak sous vide.” We assumed that was French for steak “cooked way better than any bum like you ever could.” But, no. We researched it....