Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Cen-Tex ! Sous Vide Chicken Rocks !!!!

24

Comments

  • Newportlocal
    Newportlocal Posts: 474
    I am obsessing on this stuff may get a minipack chamber vacuum debating that vs ary vacuum chambers. Mini pack seals on vacuum percent. Read this on texture effects of vacuum pressures on meats.
    http://www.cookingissues.com/2009/06/17/boring-but-useful-technical-post-vacuum-machines-affect-the-texture-of-your-meat/
    Still an inconclusive debate on egullet using organoleptic blind tasting.
    Plus the higher chamber vacuum will help with infusions.
    I didn't read the article, but from my SV book, I do know that putting meat under vacuum can change the texture.  Sous Vide literally means "under vacuum" in French, but that is a misnomer.  It should be named something like Water Bath.  The food does not have to be in a vacuum.  For chicken, I put it in my Food Saver and start drawing the air out.  As soon as it appears the air is mostly gone, but before it starts compressing the meat, I hit the "seal" button, which stops the vacuuming process and starts sealing.



    Sounds like you have the Douglas Baldwin book. I understand the sous vide misnomer. A vacuum has a certain effect especially for creating interstitial spaces filled by aromatics or marinades. Are you pulling adequate vacuum for your bags with your food saver without using marbles in the bag for weighting or clipping on an external weight? I.e. air bubble issues in bags. I realize in common usage it is more about the water bath temperature and it's accuracy. The sous vide Demi and supreme have very little variance I think it's half a degree. The new aqua chef looks like a good deal, but the heating element doesn't kick on until it drops 2 1/2 degrees. Thought about PID but will probably get a polyscience professional for a circulated water bath. I think what makes this so appealing for me is the low and slow aspect. You can easily do 72 hrs and have it cook evenly. I love seeing what you and Centex are doing with your cooking.
  • Village Idiot
    Village Idiot Posts: 6,959
    Thanks, Newport.  Yes, I have the Baldwin book and also "Sous Vide Help For The Busy Cook" by Jason Logsdon.  It looks like a good book with some great recipes, but so far, I've only used his tables for calculating cook times.
    __________________________________________

    Dripping Springs, Texas.
    Just west of Austintatious


  • Newportlocal
    Newportlocal Posts: 474
    Thanks, Newport.  Yes, I have the Baldwin book and also "Sous Vide Help For The Busy Cook" by Jason Logsdon.  It looks like a good book with some great recipes, but so far, I've only used his tables for calculating cook times.


    Not sure if you have an iPad but the guy who wrote sous vide dash made a polyscience sous vide app for calculating cook times. It looks like a good app. I have much to learn.
  • Thanks, Newport.  Yes, I have the Baldwin book and also "Sous Vide Help For The Busy Cook" by Jason Logsdon.  It looks like a good book with some great recipes, but so far, I've only used his tables for calculating cook times.


    Not sure if you have an iPad but the guy who wrote sous vide dash made a polyscience sous vide app for calculating cook times. It looks like a good app. I have much to learn.
    i have that app.....meh :o/
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Thanks, Newport.  Yes, I have the Baldwin book and also "Sous Vide Help For The Busy Cook" by Jason Logsdon.  It looks like a good book with some great recipes, but so far, I've only used his tables for calculating cook times.


    Not sure if you have an iPad but the guy who wrote sous vide dash made a polyscience sous vide app for calculating cook times. It looks like a good app. I have much to learn.
    i have that app.....meh :o/
    It's just not that hard. It's really simple and the apps and long scientific articles as to WHY are great, but when it comes to the HOW, it's really simple

    Don't over think it. It's the easiest way to cook I have ever known


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Newportlocal
    Newportlocal Posts: 474
    Thanks, Newport.  Yes, I have the Baldwin book and also "Sous Vide Help For The Busy Cook" by Jason Logsdon.  It looks like a good book with some great recipes, but so far, I've only used his tables for calculating cook times.


    Not sure if you have an iPad but the guy who wrote sous vide dash made a polyscience sous vide app for calculating cook times. It looks like a good app. I have much to learn.
    i have that app.....meh :o/
    It's just not that hard. It's really simple and the apps and long scientific articles as to WHY are great, but when it comes to the HOW, it's really simple

    Don't over think it. It's the easiest way to cook I have ever known




    It certainly appears set it and forget it. It shouldn't over cook at a specific temp. Just trying to see how I can get my egg, a sous vide, modernist cuisine,and a vacuum chamber machine for other applications as well. I have a $3500 budget. I want the best combination for the highest quality. As you a few other posters here I love my cooking and always trying to push the boundaries.
  • Thanks, Newport.  Yes, I have the Baldwin book and also "Sous Vide Help For The Busy Cook" by Jason Logsdon.  It looks like a good book with some great recipes, but so far, I've only used his tables for calculating cook times.


    Not sure if you have an iPad but the guy who wrote sous vide dash made a polyscience sous vide app for calculating cook times. It looks like a good app. I have much to learn.
    i have that app.....meh :o/
    It's just not that hard. It's really simple and the apps and long scientific articles as to WHY are great, but when it comes to the HOW, it's really simple

    Don't over think it. It's the easiest way to cook I have ever known




    It certainly appears set it and forget it. It shouldn't over cook at a specific temp. Just trying to see how I can get my egg, a sous vide, modernist cuisine,and a vacuum chamber machine for other applications as well. I have a $3500 budget. I want the best combination for the highest quality. As you a few other posters here I love my cooking and always trying to push the boundaries.
    As you can probably tell, I'm a big fan of modernist cooking and I have looked into modernist cuisine quite a bit. My advice would be to take Modernist Cuisine off your list for now and get the right equipment. Many parts of modernist cuisine are dedicated to using equipment and techniques that are WAY out there and you will probably only use once in your life if ever because of how time consuming they are. many of the recipes require $10,000 centrifuges and hours worth of prep normally spread out among many grunt workers over many hours/days in a commercial kitchen. They make no pretense that the book is not for the home cook and is meant for commercial kitchens with the most modern equipment and a full staff.

    90% of the things you will ever do from that book is widely available on the web in other venues. I would like to have it one day but it would not keep me from getting equipment and starting on my cooking journey. I ran a very busy commercial kitchen that put out high end food for several years and we couldn't have touched 70% of what is in that book because of time and equipment restraints. 

    I would turn you on to modernistpantry.com for all the cool stuff that you will ever need to make bizarre and out of this world foods (meat glue, foam, flavored steam, carageenan...everything). All the ways to use those are widely available on the web.

    Save the $700 on the books, get the gear, play with modernistpantry.com and get really good, then decide if it's for you. The suggestions above would keep you busy for years before needing $700 commercial cookbooks to challenge you

    If money is no object, go for it. i would buy it today if that were the case for me. If you are giving up gear to get it- no way

    My 2 cents


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • That posted weird but you get the idea. Find where your quote stopped and mine starts


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • We'll try again:

    As you can probably tell, I'm a big fan of modernist cooking and I have looked into modernist cuisine quite a bit. My advice would be to take Modernist Cuisine off your list for now and get the right equipment. Many parts of modernist cuisine are dedicated to using equipment and techniques that are WAY out there and you will probably only use once in your life if ever because of how time consuming they are. many of the recipes require $10,000 centrifuges and hours worth of prep normally spread out among many grunt workers over many hours/days in a commercial kitchen. They make no pretense that the book is not for the home cook and is meant for commercial kitchens with the most modern equipment and a full staff.

    90% of the things you will ever do from that book is widely available on the web in other venues. I would like to have it one day but it would not keep me from getting equipment and starting on my cooking journey. I ran a very busy commercial kitchen that put out high end food for several years and we couldn't have touched 70% of what is in that book because of time and equipment restraints. 

    I would turn you on to modernistpantry.com for all the cool stuff that you will ever need to make bizarre and out of this world foods (meat glue, foam, flavored steam, carageenan...everything). All the ways to use those are widely available on the web.

    Save the $700 on the books, get the gear, play with modernistpantry.com and get really good, then decide if it's for you. The suggestions above would keep you busy for years before needing $700 commercial cookbooks to challenge you

    If money is no object, go for it. i would buy it today if that were the case for me. If you are giving up gear to get it- no way

    My 2 cents

    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Newportlocal
    Newportlocal Posts: 474
    Thanks for the advice. I can always get advice from chef friends, KKF, egullet, etc. I will gear up as you advised. I can always get modernist cuisine at Christmas also modenist cuisine for the home is coming out. http://modernistcuisine.com/2012/05/introducing-modernist-cuisine-at-home/
    My biggest hang up is chamber vacuum sealers a vacmaster vp112 will probably get me by and is a lot cheaper than the minipack for sous vide, infusions,etc.
    Many years ago I was a cook for Howard Johnson's and when my cooks didn't show up as General Manager at Yankee Doodles I was the cook. As is obvious we both love our cooking.
  • Thanks for the advice. I can always get advice from chef friends, KKF, egullet, etc. I will gear up as you advised. I can always get modernist cuisine at Christmas also modenist cuisine for the home is coming out. http://modernistcuisine.com/2012/05/introducing-modernist-cuisine-at-home/
    My biggest hang up is chamber vacuum sealers a vacmaster vp112 will probably get me by and is a lot cheaper than the minipack for sous vide, infusions,etc.
    Many years ago I was a cook for Howard Johnson's and when my cooks didn't show up as General Manager at Yankee Doodles I was the cook. As is obvious we both love our cooking.
    What??? YOu had cooks that didn't show up for work???? Say it ain't so! They are such a dependable lot :)

    I cooked many of shifts and my wife did too. Finally drove us to sell it.


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Thanks for the advice. I can always get advice from chef friends, KKF, egullet, etc. I will gear up as you advised. I can always get modernist cuisine at Christmas also modenist cuisine for the home is coming out. http://modernistcuisine.com/2012/05/introducing-modernist-cuisine-at-home/
    My biggest hang up is chamber vacuum sealers a vacmaster vp112 will probably get me by and is a lot cheaper than the minipack for sous vide, infusions,etc.
    Many years ago I was a cook for Howard Johnson's and when my cooks didn't show up as General Manager at Yankee Doodles I was the cook. As is obvious we both love our cooking.
    I think you are on the right track here. gear up, get the books when you can (if you decide you really want them down the road). 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Gary- My wife just bought some frozen HEB chicken breasts in individual vac bags. I just threw one in the SV, pan seared it with Dizzy Bombay rub and put it over some Biriyani Rice we had left over from last night. Absolutely fabulous. So juicy and tender. Almost criminal how easy it was.


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Village Idiot
    Village Idiot Posts: 6,959
    Gary- My wife just bought some frozen HEB chicken breasts in individual vac bags. I just threw one in the SV, pan seared it with Dizzy Bombay rub and put it over some Biriyani Rice we had left over from last night. Absolutely fabulous. So juicy and tender. Almost criminal how easy it was.


    Duh !  I buy the chicken breasts from Costco, which are already vacuum packed.  I didn't think to use them as is ... I took them out of their bag and resealed them in a Food Saver bag. What can I say?

    The possibilities are endless.  I really like your technique of adding frozen marinade to the vacuum bag.  I'll buy a ice tray if I can still find one.  I tried that with an Asian sauce on my first SV try, but the Shao Hsing  rice wine didn't freeze, and I had to abort.
    __________________________________________

    Dripping Springs, Texas.
    Just west of Austintatious


  • Gary- My wife just bought some frozen HEB chicken breasts in individual vac bags. I just threw one in the SV, pan seared it with Dizzy Bombay rub and put it over some Biriyani Rice we had left over from last night. Absolutely fabulous. So juicy and tender. Almost criminal how easy it was.


    Duh !  I buy the chicken breasts from Costco, which are already vacuum packed.  I didn't think to use them as is ... I took them out of their bag and resealed them in a Food Saver bag. What can I say?

    The possibilities are endless.  I really like your technique of adding frozen marinade to the vacuum bag.  I'll buy a ice tray if I can still find one.  I tried that with an Asian sauce on my first SV try, but the Shao Hsing  rice wine didn't freeze, and I had to abort.
    never made an easier meal in my life! I can see this issue with booze not freezing but maybe freeze everything else and put the small amount of booze in before sealing. You can obviously seal some liquid...the less the better though.

    I have to be honest, I have not seen a lot of benefit to marinating before SV. It's still pretty bland but I could be doing something wrong.I have found all the flavor comes in the finish.


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Newportlocal
    Newportlocal Posts: 474
    Gary- My wife just bought some frozen HEB chicken breasts in individual vac bags. I just threw one in the SV, pan seared it with Dizzy Bombay rub and put it over some Biriyani Rice we had left over from last night. Absolutely fabulous. So juicy and tender. Almost criminal how easy it was.


    Duh !  I buy the chicken breasts from Costco, which are already vacuum packed.  I didn't think to use them as is ... I took them out of their bag and resealed them in a Food Saver bag. What can I say?

    The possibilities are endless.  I really like your technique of adding frozen marinade to the vacuum bag.  I'll buy a ice tray if I can still find one.  I tried that with an Asian sauce on my first SV try, but the Shao Hsing  rice wine didn't freeze, and I had to abort.
    never made an easier meal in my life! I can see this issue with booze not freezing but maybe freeze everything else and put the small amount of booze in before sealing. You can obviously seal some liquid...the less the better though.

    I have to be honest, I have not seen a lot of benefit to marinating before SV. It's still pretty bland but I could be doing something wrong.I have found all the flavor comes in the finish.





    Not sure what you are bagging with, but just guessing the vacuum created isn't a high enough vacuum percent to pull the marinade into the interstitial spaces. Same with above mentioned liquid issues. Hence my looking at chamber vacuums, but hey we don't need many excuses for new toys anyway. : )
  • Village Idiot
    Village Idiot Posts: 6,959
    We are both learning, my friend.  But, when the initial results are fantastic, looking forward to even greater heights is exciting.  N'est ce pas?
    __________________________________________

    Dripping Springs, Texas.
    Just west of Austintatious


  • Gary- My wife just bought some frozen HEB chicken breasts in individual vac bags. I just threw one in the SV, pan seared it with Dizzy Bombay rub and put it over some Biriyani Rice we had left over from last night. Absolutely fabulous. So juicy and tender. Almost criminal how easy it was.


    Duh !  I buy the chicken breasts from Costco, which are already vacuum packed.  I didn't think to use them as is ... I took them out of their bag and resealed them in a Food Saver bag. What can I say?

    The possibilities are endless.  I really like your technique of adding frozen marinade to the vacuum bag.  I'll buy a ice tray if I can still find one.  I tried that with an Asian sauce on my first SV try, but the Shao Hsing  rice wine didn't freeze, and I had to abort.
    never made an easier meal in my life! I can see this issue with booze not freezing but maybe freeze everything else and put the small amount of booze in before sealing. You can obviously seal some liquid...the less the better though.

    I have to be honest, I have not seen a lot of benefit to marinating before SV. It's still pretty bland but I could be doing something wrong.I have found all the flavor comes in the finish.





    Not sure what you are bagging with, but just guessing the vacuum created isn't a high enough vacuum percent to pull the marinade into the interstitial spaces. Same with above mentioned liquid issues. Hence my looking at chamber vacuums, but hey we don't need many excuses for new toys anyway. : )
    correct. The chamber vac is a whole other deal


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Newportlocal
    Newportlocal Posts: 474
    We are both learning, my friend.  But, when the initial results are fantastic, looking forward to even greater heights is exciting.  N'est ce pas?


    Yes, learning and improving and watching what you guys are posting is great! C'est bien! Merci.
  • We are both learning, my friend.  But, when the initial results are fantastic, looking forward to even greater heights is exciting.  N'est ce pas?
    Amen
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Mudhole
    Mudhole Posts: 26
    I use the Sous Vide Magic, PID controller with a single burner hot plate and stock pot, works fine, got an eye round roast crusin' at 128* as I type, after 48 hrs, will sear on egg, slice thin and serve. The Sous Vide method has produced the best steaks I have ever cooked, I'm hooked
  • I use the Sous Vide Magic, PID controller with a single burner hot plate and stock pot, works fine, got an eye round roast crusin' at 128* as I type, after 48 hrs, will sear on egg, slice thin and serve. The Sous Vide method has produced the best steaks I have ever cooked, I'm hooked
    Nice! I love it too.


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • SteveWPBFL
    SteveWPBFL Posts: 1,327
    Reverse the basic sequence. What about searing or Egging or smoking or grilling or browning, etc. to add flavor first until you reach say 130F or so IT at say a half inch deep and then finish off in the SV to a uniform IT of 142F ?
  • Reverse the basic sequence. What about searing or Egging or smoking or grilling or browning, etc. to add flavor first until you reach say 130F or so IT at say a half inch deep and then finish off in the SV to a uniform IT of 142F ?
    It can be done


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Eggdam
    Eggdam Posts: 223
    Have you ever did a reverse sear on the egg after sving a steak?
  • billybon
    billybon Posts: 213
    Reverse the basic sequence. What about searing or Egging or smoking or grilling or browning, etc. to add flavor first until you reach say 130F or so IT at say a half inch deep and then finish off in the SV to a uniform IT of 142F ?
    Steve, if you are in West Palm Beach I would be willing to give you some pointers on SV cooking.
  • Have you ever did a reverse sear on the egg after sving a steak?



    Every time. Here are some 2" ribeyes fresh out of the SV. as you can see, they are med. rare throughout.

    Next pic is after the sear. Next pic you can see, still med rare tip to tail. Perfectly cooked throughout.
    Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos

    Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos

    Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Duganboy
    Duganboy Posts: 1,118
    LOL-I feel like someone who signed up for a 101 SV class and before you know it, I was in a graduate level class.

    I'm getting on board, slowly.
  • Ragtop99
    Ragtop99 Posts: 1,570
    Caz,

    Look at the chart.  Chicken is pasteurized at 165 degrees in 1 second.  It's pasteurized at 140 in 60 minutes.  So, if kept at 140 for an expended period of time, it is pasteurized.

    My SV cost $399.
    Interesting.  I looked up the USDA article behind the chart.  At 150* it takes less than 5 minutes to achieve the 7 log reduction even at 12% fat.  In a low temp egg cook, it might be safe to pull at 155*.
    Cooking on an XL and Medium in Bethesda, MD.
  • Eggdam
    Eggdam Posts: 223
    Have you ever did a reverse sear on the egg after sving a steak?



    Every time. Here are some 2" ribeyes fresh out of the SV. as you can see, they are med. rare throughout.

    Next pic is after the sear. Next pic you can see, still med rare tip to tail. Perfectly cooked throughout.
    Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos

    Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos

    Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos
    Wow that looks awsome. How long are they in the SV machine before searing? How do the steaks compare to the tradional methods?