Sous Vide - Gamechanger!

[workman]

They all nailed it this time. My christmas gifts were all perfect. Guess my wife DOES listen to me after all.
Anyway, one of them was a sous vide stick. I've used it twice so far, once on some steaks and once on - ehm, the front leg of a lamb, whatever you call it.
Results were outstanding, almost perfect. Now I just have to tinker with it a little, get some experience, and every goddamn meal I cook will be perfect!
I'm sure of it.
Sous Vide, best gadget ever!

 

[captainsousie]

They make a big difference if you have the time to work with them. An Italian friend of mine loves his and has made some truly amazing thing with it. Don't forget that duck does well with one.

Enjoy your new cooking toy.

 

[Ahi Ka]

Perfect for stoving tobacco!

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

It provides great results. I like the Traeger for more flavor but the Sous Vise can't be beat for tenderness. Super nice Christmas present.

 

[mso489]

No idea what this is, so I asked Mr. Google; it's an immersion device that circulates heated water around the meat/poultry/fish that is sealed in a plastic bag. You set up and walk away, the the device does the rest, mostly. I guess the plastic bag is made of plastic that doesn't give off monomers (little stray molecules that you don't want to ingest). Tenderness and lack of additional labor seem to be two advantages. Sounds interesting. There are so many devices for cooking, but if it works so well you use it regularly, I can't argue with that. Eventually, tell us about what it does best for you.

 

[weezell]

I need to get one those things! The wifes cousin was extolling the glory of them to me the other day. (She knows I love to cook!)...

 

[workman]

No idea what this is, so I asked Mr. Google; it's an immersion device that circulates heated water around the meat/poultry/fish that is sealed in a plastic bag. You set up and walk away, the the device does the rest, mostly. I guess the plastic bag is made of plastic that doesn't give off monomers (little stray molecules that you don't want to ingest). Tenderness and lack of additional labor seem to be two advantages. Sounds interesting. There are so many devices for cooking, but if it works so well you use it regularly, I can't argue with that. Eventually, tell us about what it does best for you.

The point is to slow cook the food in the bag at the optimal temperature. Depending on one's preferences that may be something like 57C for a steak, 48C for fish, 60C for lamb etc.
Afterwards you nuke it on the grill, frying pan or in the oven for flavor and texture of the surface, or not at all, whatever suits the meal.
It's all very scientific, one of the tricks of the trade of professional cooking that's become accessible to amateurs.

 

[workman]

It provides great results. I like the Traeger for more flavor but the Sous Vise can't be beat for tenderness. Super nice Christmas present.

I had to google Traeger. It seems like an advanced grill. Correct me if I'm wrong.
That'll be next then, I guess. I'll need a shed for that, and preferably a hotter climate.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I had to google Traeger. It seems like an advanced grill. Correct me if I'm wrong.
That'll be next then, I guess. I'll need a shed for that, and preferably a hotter climate.

It is an advanced grill. Wood pellets with auto feed. Wifi connected. Smoke, grill or whatever.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Sous vide ham last Thursday, beef tenderloin Xmas Eve! I don’t like searing in the kitchen (exhaust fan sucks) and had to put the beef in the oven for a bit to get a little brown on it it not a big deal. Need a hotter grill than my current gas grill for searing (when it’s not frigid out) so that’s on the agenda for spring.

 

[kcghost]

Not for me fellows. When I want to eat I expect it in 30 minutes or less.

 

[The Amish Tyrant]

Not for me fellows. When I want to eat I expect it in 30 minutes or less.

The point is to slow cook the food in the bag at the optimal temperature. Depending on one's preferences that may be something like 57C for a steak, 48C for fish, 60C for lamb etc.
Afterwards you nuke it on the grill, frying pan or in the oven for flavor and texture of the surface, or not at all, whatever suits the meal.
It's all very scientific, one of the tricks of the trade of professional cooking that's become accessible to amateurs.

A similar concept is a reverse sear.

A reverse sear is not as precise with the desired temperature of in effect, but it is quicker and without the need to purchase another gadget (although I love my kitchen toys, I'm running out of room to justify another purchase).

A traditional sear involved heating up a pan on the burner, adding oil or butter, and searing the meat until the outside has a nice crust or char. If the meat is too thick to reach the desired temperature without burning on the stove, finish cooking it in the oven.

A reverse sear involved preheating the meat in the oven, grill, or smoker until just under the desired temperature. Then sear the meat in an oiled pan over high heat to obtain the desired crust.

Conceptually, it is similar to smoking or baking ribs and then finishing them in the grill. Side note, I prefer the 3-2-1 method for ribs.

 

[workman]

Not for me fellows. When I want to eat I expect it in 30 minutes or less.

That can't be done unless you eat raw or precooked. Or fast food.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

That can't be done unless you eat raw or precooked. Or fast food.

Or call home on the back 9 and let her get a head start. 15 minutes to let the grill heat up when I get home and I can have my part done in a total of 30!

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

One thing we discovered about sous vide at the holidays was even with a double oven, having meat on auto pilot and out of the way frees up space for bread and potatoes, etc. and helps things come together in a more coordinated way.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I' m fascinated by sous vide cooking, but am not going to go there while I am single. But it did spur me to par boil some chicken breasts before finishing them on the bbq grill.

 

[boston]

Limited luck with mine so far. My son is a very good cook and despised the machine for anything but pork. Marginally.

He challenged me to a cook off with steak. He grilled his perfectly, which I'm not consistent with. I used the immersion cooker followed by a sear. He won. Mine was good. His was killer.

I quit. He can cook the steak from now on. Fine with me.

I expect it works nicely when one learns the nuances.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Limited luck with mine so far. My son is a very good cook and despised the machine for anything but pork. Marginally.

He challenged me to a cook off with steak. He grilled his perfectly, which I'm not consistent with. I used the immersion cooker followed by a sear. He won. Mine was good. His was killer.

I quit. He can cook the steak from now on. Fine with me.

I expect it works nicely when one learns the nuances.

Probably my limitations as a "chef" but I cook my steaks on the grill - thinner cuts of meat are a challenge with sous vide because the sear cooks the meat and if it's thin-ish you can lose the advantages, plus I like a little more "chew" with my ribeyes, etc. and I love grilling. Burgers and wieners won't be swirling in a bath of hot water!

Now . . my experiments with thick filet mignon, beef tenderloin and really thick "tomahawk" cuts have been positive and I like those to be like cutting butter and they are.

I prepared some pheasant breasts via sous vide before Thanksgiving and just couldn't sear them without cooking them through so at Thanksgiving I got them nice and tender with the sous vide and just put a little seasoning and a bit of oil and touch of soy on them and did a close and short broil in the oven and the sugars, etc. got them a wee bit of color - we were having them with rice anyway and the sear wasn't so critical just looked better, IMO. Summertime or fall I don't care how tender the pheasant is and just cut them up and wrap them in thick cuts of bacon and throw them on the grill and down a hard cider while watching them!

 

[trouttimes]

That can't be done unless you eat raw or precooked. Or fast food.

Instapot can do it from frozen to plate in 30 min.

 

[mso489]

There's a sort of trick to knowing about the wide variety of cooking devices yet buying (or only keeping) those you will actually use. For one example, for most people a covered pot is all they need to cook rice, but for some households with rice as a central dietary item, a rice cooker makes sense. Likewise with pressure cookers; most of us own them, but don't use them very often, and microwaves are that way too. But however exotic or high tech a device may be, if you use it regularly and become "expert" at cooking with it, it is a necessity. The trick is knowing when to get rid of the ones you won't use. Does anyone remember the old Father Sardouchi routine on SNL where he demonstrated "Mr. Tea," the equivalent of the Mr. Coffee machine, but where he only poured the hot water through a wire loop into a cup with a tea bag in it? Anyway, if a device cooks your way, it is magic.