Inspired by a filthy hippy.

ChillyWillis

It's a great starter unit Scottie, you should get a good feel for SV cooking for sure. I was debating several different models and ended up settling on that one and it's worked great for myself and the lovely lady.

If I was looking to cook for a much larger group I probably would have gone with a different model, but we all know you're not searching for a way to cook for a crowd around your place

nolaegghead

Tip:  They pretty much just have to keep up with heat loss.  Obviously this is higher with higher bath temps, but in general, if you use a cooler (rather than a pot, or uninsulated bin) and if you cover the top of the water with a blanket of bubble wrap (save your Amazon packing materials), it takes very little work to keep a large amount of water under 180F (that's about the highest temp you'll ever use - for vegetables). 

Typically you'll be between 131 and 165F.  I usually hot tub at 105F.  Keep it under 4 hours.  For long cooks, above 130F - generally 131F is used for safety reasons, error on the side of safety, bla bla bla. 

Keep in mind, if you have something fatty, you will not have much fat rendering unless you are in the 160s.  So if you did prime brisket point at 135 for 48 hours, it will be pink, and loaded with fat.  Totally different piece of meat versus cooking at 165F or smoking on the grill, exclusively.

I know Scottie hates eggs, but you can take raw eggs and kill enough salmonella (if it is contaminated) to eat them raw, safely.  Little bit of protein denaturing will take place so they don't emulsify quite as well, but well enough.  If you like your raw cookie dough, or mayo, and you have a bubble baby, this is one way to safely eat raw eggs.

With sous vide, more isn't necessarily better.  At the far extreme you can reduce meat to mush.  Play around with a combination of sous vide as a pre-treatment to your smoking, searing, etc.

Feel free to call me, I've cooked just about everything you can imagine in them and I experiment quite a bit.  There's an app that I don't have but it has the safety tables and recommended temp/times for various foods and sizes.  I think Polyscience makes it.

nolabrew

I sous vided a prime sirloin at 165°F for 74 hours.  Then I used a spoon to mash it up real good.  I ate it in the shower while wearing socks.  It was great. 

SGH

@nolaegghead
I have two turkeys coming out of a Cure tomorrow. My plan is to make a turkey porchetta. Going to bone out the breast, remove the tenderloins, roll and tie the deboned and detenderloined breasts in the skin with a fiery herb paste. How long should I Sous Vide them and at what temp? 
For reference, I'm going to give it a final indirect sear at 550 degrees to crisp and color the skin. Your thoughts?

nolaegghead

@SGH - Typically I separate the white and dark meat, much like white nationalist do.  Then I do the white meat around 4 hours at 148F, the dark meat at 165 for 8 hours.  The white meat is better at a lower temp and the dark meat does well at a higher temp to break down some the the connective tissue, especially in the legs. 

I would, in your case, try the lower temp for longer.  The breast might be a bit mushy, but I'd go 148F for the whole deboned porchetta for 8 hours.  Or do 4 hours, pull it out hot and smoke until you get the natural effect of the outer dark meat  cooking hotter as it's more exposed to the heat than the breast.  You can shield the breast some and orient it in the smoker to encourage this.

SGH

nolaegghead said:

white nationalist 

You are in trouble when I finally get my hands on a dictionary 
148 for 8 hours it is then. Thanks ole buddy. 

Sweet100s

@nolaegghead, what has been your experience with sous vide chicken thighs?   
@SGH, I thought porchetta is only pork?   Pls start a topic on your porchetta venture so I can easily follow it! 

ps:  So glad to see that rascal hippie Nola is back! 

nolaegghead

@Sweet100s

I've done chicken thighs via sous vide.  In my opinion, it's not worth the effort.  A long and low temp sous vide doesn't render enough fat (they are fatty), and you might as well just bake them and pull at 175F, they will be perfect. 

Some people cook thighs to over 200, meat just falls apart, still, plenty of fat and connective tissue so they're good. 

I can see cooking a massive amount via sous vide, maybe 4 hours at 168, then you can get away with a quick direct sear and crank out food for the masses.

@SGH is making more of a ballotine, porchetta is traditionally pork, although you can do porchetta styled chicken.

I've had a job with the same company for 25 years, am I still a hippy?    The hair, must be the hair....

Austin Egghead

Scotty, sous vide seasoning has a learning curve.  So far we have done rib eyes, chicken and center cut pork chops.  All have been seasoned (dry rubs) like they were going on the egg and all,  but the chops,  were finished on the egg.  Verdict:  steak very good, chicken and chops were bland and could have been used more agressive seasoning.  
The next 'periment will be chops sous vide with dry rub,  fresh herbs and fresh peppers.
 Whole or spatched chicken may always be relugated to the egg, but not giving up just yet.  Going to sous vide the chicken by parts and see what happens.  

SGH

nolaegghead said:

I've had a job with the same company for 25 years, am I still a hippy?   

Absolutely. Once a hippy always a hippy   


The hair, must be the hair....

Indeed it is my friend. But please know that you are far and away my favorite hippy. 

SGH

Sweet100s said:

@SGH, I thought porchetta is only pork?   Pls start a topic on your porchetta venture so I can easily follow it! 

The traditional dish certainly is pork. However I'm making a mock of the process using turkey breast. I'm going to remove the skin in one big piece, lay it out and stretch it. Then I'm going to remove the tenderloins from the breast. The remaining breast will be rolled and tied in the skin. It's certainly a crude version of porchetta but using turkey instead of pork. 
If it turns out good I will be glad to post it sister. 

nolaegghead

Turkey skin certainly isn't as robust a material to work with vs pig skin.  Interested in seeing some pictures of the process.  Ya ole red-neck.  Mississippi Archie Bunker.

SGH

nolaegghead said:

Turkey skin certainly isn't as robust a material to work with vs pig skin.  Interested in seeing some pictures of the process.  Ya ole red-neck.  Mississippi Archie Bunker.

I'm sure going to post it for better or worse. 
Nola I'm thinking about cutting the Sous Vide time to 4-6 hours due to wanting to finish this indirect at 550 degrees. Think that will be ok?

nolaegghead

It will be fine.

Little Steven

I did a pork belly last year at Christmas. Think it was three days. Grilled it on the egg and it disappeared in minutes. Lamb shanks, short ribs, pork shank, eye of round and duck confit are all great.