Sous Vide

Tak · January 2015

Hi everyone...really interested in cooking using the sous vide style...wanted to ask those who do it what are your thoughts and if you find it to be a good method to cook....thanks!

dlk7 · January 2015

I've had amazing results with both the sous vide supreme and my sansaire. Great for when you don't know what time someone will show up for dinner too. Just leave the food in until you are ready. Tons of recipes now too.

THE DRU · January 2015

I have the sous vide supreme and really dig it. Got a flank steak in there right now and will sear it on the egg after 18hours in the hot tub.

4Runner · January 2015

@THEDRU - what temp? Reason I ask is I was under the impression you don't want meat at less than 140 in the Sous Vide when exceeding 4 hours and I assume a Flank would be a good bit less than that. Let me know

The Cen-Tex Smoker · January 2015

4Runner said:

@THEDRU - what temp? Reason I ask is I was under the impression you don't want meat at less than 140 in the Sous Vide when exceeding 4 hours and I assume a Flank would be a good bit less than that. Let me know

thats not actually the case. You can go as low as 132 or so safely, especially on something as thin as a flank. It takes a little more time to pasteurize at 132 so you want to make sure you are cooking safely. Make sure you have the sous vide time and temp chart before attempting to cook sous vide. It's safe as long as you know what you are doing. There are many charts available on Google and Google images and you will know exactly what's safe and what's not. It will also give you the temp for the best texture. Chicken breast is safe at 132 but it's like eating a rubber ball. Cook it at 147 and its butter.

Little Steven · January 2015

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

4Runner said:

@THEDRU - what temp? Reason I ask is I was under the impression you don't want meat at less than 140 in the Sous Vide when exceeding 4 hours and I assume a Flank would be a good bit less than that. Let me know

thats not actually the case. You can go as low as 132 or so safely, especially on something as thin as a flank. It takes a little more time to pasteurize at 132 so you want to make sure you are cooking safely. Make sure you have the sous vide time and temp chart before attempting to cook sous vide. It's safe as long as you know what you are doing. There are many charts available on Google and Google images and you will know exactly what's safe and what's not. It will also give you the temp for the best texture. Chicken breast is safe at 132 but it's like eating a rubber ball. Cook it at 147 and its butter.

131

4Runner · January 2015

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

4Runner said:

@THEDRU - what temp? Reason I ask is I was under the impression you don't want meat at less than 140 in the Sous Vide when exceeding 4 hours and I assume a Flank would be a good bit less than that. Let me know

thats not actually the case. You can go as low as 132 or so safely, especially on something as thin as a flank. It takes a little more time to pasteurize at 132 so you want to make sure you are cooking safely. Make sure you have the sous vide time and temp chart before attempting to cook sous vide. It's safe as long as you know what you are doing. There are many charts available on Google and Google images and you will know exactly what's safe and what's not. It will also give you the temp for the best texture. Chicken breast is safe at 132 but it's like eating a rubber ball. Cook it at 147 and its butter.

Still. Flank at 132? Too high for my taste.

Black_Badger · January 2015

I recently purchased an Anova and i really like it. I've got some deboned chicken thighs going right now at 150 for 1.5 hrs before crisping up the skin in a pan. I did this once before but I left the bones in (for enhanced flavor, I thought...) but the texture wasn't what I hoped for. We'll see if it turns out better this time. Finger crossed...

The other thing I've discovered I REALLY love it for is reheating previously smoked meat. It's great to know I can bring pulled pork or even brisket back up to a nice eating temp without cooking it further and drying it out. This is hands down the best method I've found for reheating. Haven't tried ribs yet, maybe I'll do that next.

Cheers -
B_B

BigWader · January 2015

@Tak Cookins Sous Vide is a different kind of cooking for sure but there are areas where you will see it really shine.

The biggest improvements I have noticed are meats that are lean and typically need to cook a long time, or can easily overshoot correct doneness.

It is my first choice method to cook boneless chicken breast, pork tenderloin, loin chops turkey breast, strip loin steaks, lobster tail etc. There is no need to brine in advance and the texture is amazing.

It also taught me that the absolutely best sear you can get is on a cast iron griddle or pan. I used to think that high temp bbq sear is the be all and end all and while the hardwood fire is magical I am still big on using cast iron for sear.

Tak · January 2015

Thanks everyone for your responses....this helps me to know I want to try it out....think I will look into the Anova...not sure that I need the Supreme although I hear it is a wonderful unit.....one other question I had was texture of the food....does cooking with this method alter the texture of the food you cook....I was really thinking of using this method to cook fish....thoughts?

The Cen-Tex Smoker · January 2015

4Runner said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

4Runner said:

@THEDRU - what temp? Reason I ask is I was under the impression you don't want meat at less than 140 in the Sous Vide when exceeding 4 hours and I assume a Flank would be a good bit less than that. Let me know

thats not actually the case. You can go as low as 132 or so safely, especially on something as thin as a flank. It takes a little more time to pasteurize at 132 so you want to make sure you are cooking safely. Make sure you have the sous vide time and temp chart before attempting to cook sous vide. It's safe as long as you know what you are doing. There are many charts available on Google and Google images and you will know exactly what's safe and what's not. It will also give you the temp for the best texture. Chicken breast is safe at 132 but it's like eating a rubber ball. Cook it at 147 and its butter.

Still. Flank at 132? Too high for my taste.

only if you are going over 4 hrs. You can go as low as you want if you are just doing a steak for a few hours. If you are doing something like short ribs for 4 days, you need to make sure you are doing it safely. 131 as steven correctly said is the lowest you can safely do and even then, that depends of the thickness of the cut you are cooking. It has to reach a safe internal temp within 4 hours or you are in danger of contamination. Something like flank would easily reach that temp within an hour or so but a chuck roast would not. Use the charts people! You can really make yourself and loved ones sick if you don't pay attn.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · January 2015

BigWader said:

@Tak Cookins Sous Vide is a different kind of cooking for sure but there are areas where you will see it really shine.
The biggest improvements I have noticed are meats that are lean and typically need to cook a long time, or can easily overshoot correct doneness.
It is my first choice method to cook boneless chicken breast, pork tenderloin, loin chops turkey breast, strip loin steaks, lobster tail etc. There is no need to brine in advance and the texture is amazing.
It also taught me that the absolutely best sear you can get is on a cast iron griddle or pan. I used to think that high temp bbq sear is the be all and end all and while the hardwood fire is magical I am still big on using cast iron for sear.

can I agree twice?

Raymont · January 2015

+1 on all comments and recommendations. I love my sous vide. Use it 3x per week. Cooking multiple steaks (of different sizes/thickness) is now simple. Chicken breasts are best I've ever tasted.

Mross · January 2015

I just did a brisket flat. It was the best brisket I have ever done.

gdenby · January 2015

Tak said:

Thanks everyone for your responses....this helps me to know I want to try it out....think I will look into the Anova...not sure that I need the Supreme although I hear it is a wonderful unit.....one other question I had was texture of the food....does cooking with this method alter the texture of the food you cook....I was really thinking of using this method to cook fish....thoughts?

My wife is very picky about fish. I did some steelhead awhile back. After a brief brine to keep the albumin from curdling, did them at 122F for 15 min. She said it was the 2nd best fish she had ever had, and that portions of it were like butter.

Overall, the texture is different. Some of the beef short ribs have seemed to sort of pop as I bit into the meat, as if the muscle structure was still somewhat intact.

4Runner · January 2015

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

4Runner said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

4Runner said:

@THEDRU - what temp? Reason I ask is I was under the impression you don't want meat at less than 140 in the Sous Vide when exceeding 4 hours and I assume a Flank would be a good bit less than that. Let me know

thats not actually the case. You can go as low as 132 or so safely, especially on something as thin as a flank. It takes a little more time to pasteurize at 132 so you want to make sure you are cooking safely. Make sure you have the sous vide time and temp chart before attempting to cook sous vide. It's safe as long as you know what you are doing. There are many charts available on Google and Google images and you will know exactly what's safe and what's not. It will also give you the temp for the best texture. Chicken breast is safe at 132 but it's like eating a rubber ball. Cook it at 147 and its butter.

Still. Flank at 132? Too high for my taste.

only if you are going over 4 hrs. You can go as low as you want if you are just doing a steak for a few hours. If you are doing something like short ribs for 4 days, you need to make sure you are doing it safely. 131 as steven correctly said is the lowest you can safely do and even then, that depends of the thickness of the cut you are cooking. It has to reach a safe internal temp within 4 hours or you are in danger of contamination. Something like flank would easily reach that temp within an hour or so but a chuck roast would not. Use the charts people! You can really make yourself and loved ones sick if you don't pay attn.

Got it. I'm pretty conservative as the only red meat I have gone longer than 4 hours was short ribs and that was 160 something I do believe. Better than safe than sorry. I actually stopped doing flanks in the Sous Vide as it is such a think cut of meat I just throw it on down low and flip a few times and it is done....the wife gets the real thin end and the boys and I get the med rare thick side. Delicious and relatively cheap.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · January 2015

4Runner said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

4Runner said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

4Runner said:

@THEDRU - what temp? Reason I ask is I was under the impression you don't want meat at less than 140 in the Sous Vide when exceeding 4 hours and I assume a Flank would be a good bit less than that. Let me know

thats not actually the case. You can go as low as 132 or so safely, especially on something as thin as a flank. It takes a little more time to pasteurize at 132 so you want to make sure you are cooking safely. Make sure you have the sous vide time and temp chart before attempting to cook sous vide. It's safe as long as you know what you are doing. There are many charts available on Google and Google images and you will know exactly what's safe and what's not. It will also give you the temp for the best texture. Chicken breast is safe at 132 but it's like eating a rubber ball. Cook it at 147 and its butter.

Still. Flank at 132? Too high for my taste.

only if you are going over 4 hrs. You can go as low as you want if you are just doing a steak for a few hours. If you are doing something like short ribs for 4 days, you need to make sure you are doing it safely. 131 as steven correctly said is the lowest you can safely do and even then, that depends of the thickness of the cut you are cooking. It has to reach a safe internal temp within 4 hours or you are in danger of contamination. Something like flank would easily reach that temp within an hour or so but a chuck roast would not. Use the charts people! You can really make yourself and loved ones sick if you don't pay attn.

Got it. I'm pretty conservative as the only red meat I have gone longer than 4 hours was short ribs and that was 160 something I do believe. Better than safe than sorry. I actually stopped doing flanks in the Sous Vide as it is such a think cut of meat I just throw it on down low and flip a few times and it is done....the wife gets the real thin end and the boys and I get the med rare thick side. Delicious and relatively cheap.

I did short ribs at 132 for 4 days. It was pretty crazy. Med rare but falling off the bone as if they were braised. I can't say they were my favorite short ribs ever but it was pretty cool having fall of the bone med rare shorties.

I'm trying another recipe this week that will be SV for 3 days, then sliced like sashimi, seared with caramel fish sauce and served over rice like sushi.

grege345 · January 2015

My questionis with the chart. It says 146 for chicken. I thought chicken was only safe at 165

Photo Egg · January 2015

grege345 said:

My questionis with the chart. It says 146 for chicken. I thought chicken was only safe at 165

Longer SV cooking time, such as 90 minutes, at a lower temp of 146 also make it safe.

Where as a temp of 165 make it safe in mere seconds.

There is more to this than "just" temp.

Black_Badger · January 2015

With any cooking process that kills bacteria (which is the key aspect of heating food to make it safe to eat) there's both a time and temperature component. Lower safe temps requires longer sustained time. Conversely, holding food for a long time at temperatures that are permissive for bacterial growth can lead to contamination and make you incredibly sick. With sous vide it's a careful balance you have to strike, thus the value of the charts.

Cheers -
B_B

The Cen-Tex Smoker · January 2015

grege345 said:

My questionis with the chart. It says 146 for chicken. I thought chicken was only safe at 165

all good advice above. Also, chicken is perfectly safe at 140- anything is. it's just not the right texture if cooked to 140. it's not that white meat is safe at 165 and dark at 185, it's that they are cooked properly (the texture is best) at those temps. Sous Vide allows the meat to safely come to proper texture (or better) at much lower temps but usually over more time.

grege345 · January 2015

Many thanks. Are there any apps for quick reference that are worth a dam?

Canugghead · January 2015

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

I'm trying another recipe this week that will be SV for 3 days, then sliced like sashimi, seared with caramel fish sauce and served over rice like sushi.

sounds EPIC! looking forward to the results and details!

The Cen-Tex Smoker · January 2015

grege345 said:

Many thanks. Are there any apps for quick reference that are worth a dam?

they have one that is like $10 if I remember right. I bought it and never used it once. just download the charts from sous vide supreme or the interwebs. google images has some good charts with pictures, times, temps etc. I use the crappy little cheat sheet that came with my SVS. It's taped up inside the nearest cabinet door. I reference the fancy online charts when doing something I may be unfamiliar with. They are fun to read though- you can learn a lot about what time and temp do to food.

look again for an app, Sous Vide cooking has gotten way more popular since I bought mine. I'm sure there are some new options out there.

84Horn · January 2015

grege345 said:

Many thanks. Are there any apps for quick reference that are worth a dam?

I use the Sous Vide app by Primolicious. It is great for checking time and temps for different items and has a spot where you can add your own notes for each item. I think it cost $1.99.

DMW · January 2015

grege345 said:

Many thanks. Are there any apps for quick reference that are worth a dam?

I have the ChefSteps app. Heaps of recipes, and a really cool egg calculator.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · January 2015

Here is a really cool "Map" of SV time and temps from Chef Steps. This is a great site for anyone looking for some great tricks and tips:

http://www.chefsteps.com/activities/a-map-of-sous-vide-cooking?utm_source=ChefSteps&utm_campaign=6981cd54d9-map_of_sous_vide&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a61ebdcaa6-6981cd54d9-130530301

4Runner · January 2015

Here is the chart I was thinking about. Looks like long cooks are 134 and higher. http://www.sousvidesupreme.com/en-us/sousvide_cookingtemperatures.htm

Sous Vide

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