Sous Vide

[GoatPackr]

When I first got my sous vide, I used it a lot. For me, it seemed very hit/miss. I had some very definite wins, but often, it was lackluster.

I seem to prefer a reverse sear on the grill, starting at a low temperature and amping up to the sear.

Otherwise, I really enjoy braised dishes or slow smoking all the way through.

I probably need to experiment with it some more but it mostly lives in the cupboard lately.

Buying a purpose made sous vide container would probably make it a much easier/more pleasant experience.

I don't ever think I could be talked into cooking a homegrown 1.25" thick rib eye any other way than reverse seared on my Yoder Ys640.
Then smothered in butter as I eat it.
Kids will chew each others arms off for them.
Good stuff.

I'm really curious about smoking chickens, turkey, summer sausage, kielbasa and all the other stuff in a cold smoker then finishing it in the sous vide.

 

[112Savage]

Small game like rabbits and squirrels will turn to mush easily especially if you go over an hour. Tender steaks over 2hrs get the mush kind of like if you put meat tenderizer/kiwi/pineapple on the meat.

Elk roasts like shoulders and heel roasts (3-4 pounds) take a long time like 48hrs at 130* but taste amazing and are very tender. At 24hrs the meat is tender but any connective tissue is still pretty solid.

Goose breast for 6-12hrs with SPG and butter then seared is amazing

My favorite is cured ham. We cure our own. 130 degrees for 3-4 hours. Mainly this makes the bone easier to remove. After removing the bone I re-vacuum seal and put it in the refrigerator to cool. I then slice it super thin like prosciutto. Literally it’s the best.

If you’re interested in cooking like this cooks illustrated is a great magazine for a curious cook.

 

[GoatPackr]

Small game like rabbits and squirrels will turn to mush easily especially if you go over an hour. Tender steaks over 2hrs get the mush kind of like if you put meat tenderizer/kiwi/pineapple on the meat.

Elk roasts like shoulders and heel roasts (3-4 pounds) take a long time like 48hrs at 130* but taste amazing and are very tender. At 24hrs the meat is tender but any connective tissue is still pretty solid.

Goose breast for 6-12hrs with SPG and butter then seared is amazing

My favorite is cured ham. We cure our own. 130 degrees for 3-4 hours. Mainly this makes the bone easier to remove. After removing the bone I re-vacuum seal and put it in the refrigerator to cool. I then slice it super thin like prosciutto. Literally it’s the best.

If you’re interested in cooking like this cooks illustrated is a great magazine for a curious cook.

That's some good info. Appreciate it.
I see a lot of people talking about cooking to lower temps for longer times. I get that and understand the concept of it. But where is a good source for good accurate info for cook temps. I have just started looking so maybe it's easily available like normal cool temp info.

 

[TimberRunner]

I agree, that it's hit or miss. I tried an elk roast for 12 hrs and then seared it. It looked amazing, but was mushy. Did a piece of elk backstrap for 2 hours and did the same and it was great. I also did some olive oil, garlic and rosemary in the bag for a venison roast. I think I did 6 hrs and it was great.

Have a plan to sear it when it comes out brown and ugly looking. You'll have some carryover temp.

 

[112Savage]

@GoatPackr i have an anova sous vide and they have an app. I’m sure there are also books dedicated to it. Sous vide was a really big deal in commercial kitchens in the early 2000’s so those books may be a little older. Also just google searching has helped me.

 

[DWinVA]

I use a temp controller on an old style crockpot for my "redneck Sous Vide" and it works great. Too long on already tender cuts will be lackluster but the more you try the better you'll get. Next day rutty old buck backstrap (fresh) done for about 5 hours then seared in an iron skillet.

God Bless.

 

[Ice-kub]

I think the coolest thing I did with mine was burgers for a party. English muffin rings packed with ground, vac sealed, cooked to 165°F and then seared for the grill marks. Absolute hit. Thick, juicy, perfectly cooked, uniform size.

 

[GoatPackr]

I think the coolest thing I did with mine was burgers for a party. English muffin rings packed with ground, vac sealed, cooked to 165°F and then seared for the grill marks. Absolute hit. Thick, juicy, perfectly cooked, uniform size.

The English muffins weren't soggy? Or did you not put them in just the grind and served on the English muffins after grilling?

 

[Ice-kub]

The English muffins weren't soggy? Or did you not put them in just the grind and served on the English muffins after grilling?

Haha no, I use the stainless steel rings packed with burger sealed in the bag. Without the rings the patties compress when you put it under vaccum.

 

[GoatPackr]

Haha no, I use the stainless steel rings packed with burger sealed in the bag. Without the rings the patties compress when you put it under vaccum.

Any reason you need things under a vacuum or are you doing that before freezing then putting them in right out of the freezer?

 

[ThreeOhSeven]

1.5" thawed steaks at 125° for 1.5 hours
I like to "marinate" in vacuum sealed bag for at least an hour prior to cooking. Keep it simple with salt, pepper, butter and freshly pressed garlic. Then a quick reverse sear in a buttered up cast iron.
I will still occasionally grill, but sous vide is legit.

 

[Maverick1]

I've been talking with my wife about one for a few years. Recently figured we need one to try. Meat Your Maker had them on-sale so I ordered one for her for Christmas with their container.

I'm looking for some do's and don't of using one and maybe some less common ideas with them.
My wife loves the crock pot and I'm not a fan of boiled all day foods.
We eat a lot of meat and I thought this might make things a little more palatable and we can still throw the meat in the smoker or BBQ to add that flavor.

Lots of good tips on this thread. One that probably hasn't been mentioned: Do NOT put your sous vide container/pot on top of a laminated countertop! It can (and will) delaminate the countertop, especially along the seams. (Ask me how I know!....). Put the sous vide container on top of a granite counter surface (if you have one) or on a smooth range top.

 

[Ice-kub]

Any reason you need things under a vacuum or are you doing that before freezing then putting them in right out of the freezer?

I believe the translation of sous vide to English is under vaccum. I don't think it would work if the bag was full of air?

 

[BBob]

Cow elk flank tonight. Vac sealed and marinated overnight. 125º in the bath for 1 hr. Pulled, sliced fajita style and quick seared in butter.

 

[BBob]

I believe the translation of sous vide to English is under vaccum. I don't think it would work if the bag was full of air?

The pressure of the water will push the bag tight to the food and the air out so it does not have to be sealed. You can hang a rod or dowel over the bath and use a large folder clip to hang the unsealed bag on the rod.

 

[GoatPackr]

I believe the translation of sous vide to English is under vaccum. I don't think it would work if the bag was full of air?

You should be able to remove air and not squish food. The poor man's vac pacer should work. Submerge food in a zip lock in to water then zip it.
I do like actual vacuum for marinating things.

I'll definitely be playing around with this thing to see what works.

 

[arctichunting]

I normally run my sous vide at 110. I find that when I pull it off i've got some wiggle room to actually get a little crisp on it on the stove or grill. If you run it too close to finishing temp (125+), you can't get a char on it without overcooking.

This, in theory, is pretty not good for you in terms of making a great environment for bacteria to grow. If you’ve been doing it this long and no issues, who cares.

I usually let it cool a little before searing and don’t have any issues


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jimbee]

I put an elk roast in the sous vide for about 2 hrs at 110 degrees, cut steaks and did a quick sear. It turned out really good and was a hit with the family. Just salt and a quick toss in melted butter for seasoning.

 

[copenmechanism]

There’s a point in the sous vide where the meat will start to break down even at low temps. Those of you who are cooking steaks to medium rare temps for hours are probably experiencing that. It’s not super pleasant, as you’ll find out. You have a window with sous vide, but it’s generally about the cook time to get to temperature. Steaks, depending on the thickness, are about an hour.

The way a sous vide works is you set the temp you want to finish at and cook at that temp until the entire piece of meat (or egg, or vegetable, or whatever) gets there. This is opposed to most cooking, where you’re cooking at a much higher temp and then pulling once you hit it. Because of this, it’s a much more scientific cooking method — there are literally formulas to figure out how long things should take. Serious Eats and Americas Test Kitchen have some great information, but in general, you should look up the “sous vide cook time” for most things you’re doing to ensure you’re cooking correctly. You’ll probably get a couple options based on what temp you want to finish at, but it’s not really meant to something you cowboy. Remember, it was invented to give commercial kitchens precision in when dishes would finish (and then to hold at temp for wiggle room).

To some other questions: yes, you can cook from frozen and yes you can cook in a marinade. Generally you’ll want to season prior to cooking regardless, since otherwise there is no time for the meat to pick up any of the flavoring, but you can absolutely do it while you’re cooking. Most recipes recommend adding some fat (a knob of butter for example) into the bag as well.

 

[Tod osier]

Any reason you need things under a vacuum or are you doing that before freezing then putting them in right out of the freezer?

Anything on the softer side gets frozen before vacuum sealed. That goes for burgers and fresh sausages. I just like the way they look perfect. I freeze in bags overnight and then set them on the counter for the ice crystals on/in the bag to melt then vac (or dip the bags in hot water). This is an extra step, but I spend enough time making the stuff, I like it to look perfect at the table.