Sous Vide Tri-Tip: FWIW Eight to Ten Hours

mahenryak

Okay.  Lucky me, I discovered a non-Wagyu SRF Tri-Tip in the freezer a few days ago that I had lost track of.  The main reason I am really posting this is to share a recommendation from a recipe that I follow where the hot water bath time is considerably more than what I have observed folks doing in recent posts.  I've mentioned my source for the recipe more than a few times before, so I won't mention it again in this post unless someone requests it.  You may take this with a grain of salt, but I have had great results cooking this cut of meat for eight to ten hours, as opposed to the four hours that I see a lot of folks doing.  So, next time maybe give the extended cooking time a try.

P.S.
I may really be straying in the OT realm, here, given that I may cheat and use my cooking torch today instead of firing up the KJ JR.   

mahenryak

Just to put this post to bed...  Cooked for about 9.5 hours at 131F.  Seared on the KJ Jr.

mahenryak

Oops... and one more for @THEBuckeye .

Photo Egg

Hey buddy...how can anyone argue with results like you just posted...
Awesome 

mahenryak

Photo Egg said:

Hey buddy...how can anyone argue with results like you just posted...
Awesome 

Thank you very much.

UKMatt

Would you mind sharing the source and the temperature?

Tinyfish

Delicious

mahenryak

UKMatt said:

Would you mind sharing the source and the temperature?

Sure.  @UKMattI cooked it at 131F for 9.5 hours.  My wife doesn't like it bloody at all so I have to always keep this in mind.  You could go a little lower temp if you like it a little more on the rare side.  The source is 'Modernist Cooking Made Easy: Sous Vide: The Authoritative Guide to Low Temperature Precision Cooking'.  There is a recipe in there for Tri-Tip with roasted fennel and orange salad.  I just followed the suggested time and temp.  The author discusses a range of temperatures in there from 3 to four all the way up to 24 hours. He finishes by indicating that his personal preference is actually for 10 to 12 hours, for more tenderness.  There are also tables in the back that I use as my go to reference for various cuts of meats.  The only minor annoyance for me is that I have to convert them from C to F.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0991050177?keywords=modernist cooking made easy sous vide the authoritative guide to low temperature precision cooking&qid=1445794617&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

Correction: The title of the OP indicates 8 to 10 hours but the recipe actually calls for 10 to 12 hours.

Dondgc

I did one for 5 hours yesterday at 131 then seared on the Egg. I can't imagine it being more tender than it was but i may have to give the longer time a try. 

Shiff

Something has always confused me about sous vide cooking.  The food safety rules say to keep meat below 40 degrees or above 140 degrees and not to leave it in between for more than 4 hours.  Yet, I see many people saying they keep their meat in a sous vide at less than 140 degrees for up to 10 hours.  Couldn't this be a problem?

mahenryak

Shiff said:

Something has always confused me about sous vide cooking.  The food safety rules say to keep meat below 40 degrees or above 140 degrees and not to leave it in between for more than 4 hours.  Yet, I see many people saying they keep their meat in a sous vide at less than 140 degrees for up to 10 hours.  Couldn't this be a problem?

@Shiff according to the book, you are safe for longer cooks as long as you are above 130F, hence the 131F recommendation.  You will achieve pasteurization at this temp if you cook it long enough (dependent upon thickness).  If you go less than 130F for longer than four hours you are in the danger zone too long.  So, good question and it points out that if you are shooting for more tenderness and intend to cook longer than four hours you need to be above 130F.  Because, of this, I would like to retract what I wrote above to those who like their Tri-Tips rarer. 

mahenryak

Important Food Safety Note: 

If you want to try this recommendation and you decide to cook for longer than four hours you need to stay above 130F, so cook at 131F and you should be fine.  If you like your Tri-Tip rarer then don't exceed four hours.