How to control warming temp and humidity for service at home?

KiterTodd

I stopped at my local Peruvian chicken joint this week to grab dinner to-go (just imagine the best rotisserie chicken you have ever had, rubbed with herbs, marinated, and cooked over lump charcoal) and noticed that they pulled it out of a warming box with a temperature and humidity control.  I glanced at it and saw 157 degrees for temp and 27 for humidity (I'm guessing that is "%" but I don't know).

Their chicken, whenever you get it, is moist, delicious, and tastes like it was just cut off the grill.   I have been to other chicken places where they pull something out of the oven that was covered in foil and the chicken is dry and unimpressive.

I have noticed the same at BBQ joints.  Some places always serve you moist tender meat, and at others the quality is very dependent on when you go.

I've had this conversation with a couple BBQ chefs and they agree that a secret to serving quality bbq is keeping it warm and moist several hours after it came off the grill.  For some chefs, a guarded secret.

How can you do this at home?  (keep at serving temp with humidity)

I'm not asking about FTC.  This would be after your brisket is sliced, pork is pulled and chicken is broken into serving size pieces.  Assume the scenario of; you have a party that is several hours long, you are cooking and preparing meat ahead, then need to leave it for service.  Basically, replicate a $2,000 proofing/holding cabinet at home.

I have a crock pot, that gets too hot.  It cooks the meat even on low.
I have a electric roaster with a warm setting, but that will eventually dry the meat out as well.  (due to the heating element under the steel pan coming on and off, even at low temps)

lkapigian

The % would be higher than 27% I would think, but I use my oven with no issues for hours on end set @ 170 and could increase the humidity with a pan of water in the oven like I do when baking bread

When I do a larger party, Cambro is my friend and the RH % stays in a good area as long as the food is wrapped tight. There is also a "Warming Stone" that you can put in the Cambro for longer holding times

If away from an oven, a Chafing Dishes works well @ holding as well, basically a pan setting over very hot water- I will put the Protein in there, uncut or pulled until serving.

Just my 2 Cents

Carolina Q

I have no idea. But if you think a crock pot would work, get a digital temp controller and hold the temp wherever you want it. That how I do sous vide, though I've never tried it dry. When the sous vide water in the pot gets to your preset temp, the device kills power to the pot. When temp drops below preset temp, it turns power back on. BTW, it doesn't work with programmable crock pots, Hi-Lo-Off only.

This is the one I have.

https://www.amazon.com/WILLHI-Temperature-Controller-Thermostat-Improved/dp/B00V4TJR00/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1504195937&sr=8-11&keywords=digital+temp+controller

HeavyG

What @Carolina Q said. My crockpot also gets too hot even set on warm when run for 10+ hours so I need to use one of those cheap programmable controllers (mine has a submersible probe not a food probe) to keep the temp less than 200°F.

I've never used mine for sous vide per se. I use it when I do a Kahlua pork butt and just place the probe under the meat. It doesn't take too long tho for plenty of liquid to accumulate.

If you want to use your crockpot as a warming/humid chamber I'd probably just put an inch of water in it, make sure the probe is submerged, put in a rack that would hold your tray of meat above the water, set the temp for whatever you want to hold, and let it rip. You could do some crude humidity adjustments just by adjusting the position of the lid so it is opened a bit and adjust the size of the opening as needed.

Carolina Q

Mine has a submersible probe too. Not sure how it would work with air temp, but it's great with liquid. And it sounds like you want some liquid in there anyway. Longest and lowest I've gone was a 48 hr, 130° sous vide chuck roast. +/- 1° every time I checked. Temp confirmed with T-Pen enough times that I don't bother any more. Always exact.

If you just use an inch of water, keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't dry up, though with a lid, that probably won't be an issue.

blind99

all you need is a cvap or combi oven...

KiterTodd

HeavyG said:

What @Carolina Q said. My crockpot also gets too hot even set on warm when run for 10+ hours so I need to use one of those cheap programmable controllers (mine has a submersible probe not a food probe) to keep the temp less than 200°F.

I did not know such a thing existed.  ?!?   I can get a temp probe that sits in the crock pot and turns the power to it on and off as needed?   Anyone got a link to one of these?

@ikapigian Strangely, I don't have a chafing dish.  I think that would work, but would rather not mess with burners.  I'll have to research electric ones.  A pan of water between the meat and the heat is something I've always meant to do.

@blind99, I have no idea what a cvap or combi oven is.  I'll have to google those guys...


Thanks.

lkapigian

KiterTodd said:

HeavyG said:

What @Carolina Q said. My crockpot also gets too hot even set on warm when run for 10+ hours so I need to use one of those cheap programmable controllers (mine has a submersible probe not a food probe) to keep the temp less than 200°F.

I did not know such a thing existed.  ?!?   I can get a temp probe that sits in the crock pot and turns the power to it on and off as needed?   Anyone got a link to one of these?

@ikapigian Strangely, I don't have a chafing dish.  I think that would work, but would rather not mess with burners.  I'll have to research electric ones.  A pan of water between the meat and the heat is something I've always meant to do.

@blind99, I have no idea what a cvap or combi oven is.  I'll have to google those guys...


Thanks.

@KiterTodd we buy our chafing dishes for about $25.00 they use a Sterno Candle for the burner, lasts for hours, no fuss no muss

HeavyG

@Carolina Q already provided a link in his post.

They're easy to use once you grok how to program it. Once you've done it a few times it is no big deal - it's just not as easy as setting a temp on my Anova.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

all that is fine but those people are using a $5000 Cvap oven. Has a thermostat, hygrometer and a water line run to it. It make a huge difference if you are holding a lot of food for service. Out of reach for most civilians. Combi oven is probably the closest you will get for home use but they are pretty damn expensive for normal people as well. They are like $500 for a mini. I think those are going to fall like Sous Vide did. They are pretty useful and there really in tech there that would keep them up in the stratosphere on price. 

Carolina Q

If you do it with the crock pot and Digital Temp Controller, you'll also have a serviceable, albeit small, sous vide cooker. If your crock pot is non-programmable, you won't have to buy (or store) anything but the DTC. And you can store that in the crock pot when not in use. 

Assuming it will work for your purposes, you won't have to make room for a chafing dish either. Or an Anova. A warmer and a sous vide device for 30 bucks. And if it doesn't work properly for what you're going for, you'll still have SV. 

You can try this without cost. Turn on your crock pot and set it up however you think is best for your Peruvian thing. Grab your Maverick and put the probe in there (Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think water will hurt the Mav temp probe, but keep the cable connection dry). Watch the Mav display and when it reaches desired temp, turn off the crock pot. When the pot temp drops a degree, turn it back on. Do this until you get bored and check the chicken results.

The "non-programmable" part is important. If your crock pot is programmable, when the DTC shuts off power, the programming is lost. When it restores power, the crock pot won't know what to do. Hi-Lo-Off only.

Hotch

Wait a minute, Souis Vide has fallen!
Oh crap I never got a chance!

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Hotch said:

Wait a minute, Souis Vide has fallen!
Oh crap I never got a chance!

We were early adopters. I am embarrassed to say what I paid for my Sous Vide Supreme Demi

nolaegghead

I think I bought my Polyscience Chef commercial SV unit slightly used for $600.  But they haven't come down much, still $800 new.