Sous Vide ??

bettysnephew · November 2013

I have never tried SV, but have been hesitant because it seems to me that most of the "cooks" are done with food sitting in the danger zone for hours on end. I work in a processed food plant and am aware of the HAACP concerns. Is there some reason that these guidelines do not apply when cooking SV?

caliking · November 2013

My understanding is that killing the cooties in food is a function of temp and time. So if you cook chicken breast to 165, it is immediately safe. But cooked to some lower temp, it needs to cook for a certain amount of time at that temp before it becomes safe. Theres a serious eats page explaining all of this - I'll see if i can find it.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · November 2013

yes. food can be cooked safely at lower temperatures than the "danger zone" you hear about so much. food is safe instantly at 140 but that same food is safe at 131 after a few hours. It's the same process as pasteurization. most foods that are cooked under 140 for long periods of time are beef. Chicken is 147 for white and in the 160's for dark. Lower than you would cook to with something lie grilling or frying well above the "danger zone". This is all done for texture. There are calculations based on the thickness of the meat that you follow when cooking under 140 that tell you how quickly the center of the meat needs to reach a safe temperature. as long as the meat reaches that temp let's say 131-132 (for beef) for the right amount of time to kill everything within 4 hours, you can safely cook and hold it there safely for days. It's a very safe and healthy way to cook if you pay attn and follow the guidelines

caliking · November 2013

Here you go

http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/04/sous-vide-basics-low-temperature-chicken.html?ref=search

bettysnephew · November 2013

Thank you, that addresses some of my concerns. We do not have the luxury of maintaining those low temperatures for such long periods when making safe food at a profitable rate for consumers.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · November 2013

bettysnephew said:

Thank you, that addresses some of my concerns. We do not have the luxury of maintaining those low temperatures for such long periods when making safe food at a profitable rate for consumers.

correct. It's really not an efficient way to make food on a commercial scale but it's great at home.

bettysnephew · November 2013

Follow up question. Is there a time vs. initial food temp chart that indicates how long the item must be in the bath to achieve the safe edible internal temperature/time coefficient throughout? Sticking it with the old Thermapen would require rebagging.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · November 2013

bettysnephew said:

Follow up question. Is there a time vs. initial food temp chart that indicates how long the item must be in the bath to achieve the safe edible temperature/time coefficient throughout? Sticking it with the old Thermapen would require rebagging.

yep.the charts are out there everywhere on line. Sous Vide Supreme has it on thier site too. Douglas baldwin has a book and website with it all as well.

bettysnephew · November 2013

Thanks again, I will seek it out.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · November 2013

http://www.cuisinetechnology.com/blog/time-and-temperature-reference/

Skiddymarker · November 2013

The way I understand it, a piece of chicken breast in a sealed bag taken from a 38º fridge and put in a 140º water bath will be safe in about 60 minutes. The key is the meat will all be at 140º, so you do not need to poke the meat, just confirm the water temp if you must.

Sous Vide ??

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