Sous Vide

[The Knize]

That looks amazing!

<I was particularly pleased at how the fatty parts came out, which was my greatest concern with the ribeyes. The fat was soft and succulent (better than what usually comes off the grill or skillet, if I'm honest).>

That is what I like to hear! That was my experience with pork chops. The lean meat was juicy, soft, and supple, and the fat intermarried with it in a way that I do not think regular grilling or pan frying accomplishes. More on re-searing than on the first searing, though.

<I couldn't quite find a straight answer as to whether they needed to be in there for an hour or two hours>

I am finding that a lot in sous vide recipes. There is an interesting series on videos on You Tube where a guy compares side by side all sorts of sous vide preparations of various things, such as powdered garlic, minced garlic, roasted garlic; or just salt and pepper seasoning, raw onion and garlic, and herbs and butter. Butter in bag/no butter. I think also there is one on different cooking times. I think some of the results are surprising to the poster. Hard for me to remember what the results are. In any event, lots of the advice on sous vide seems all over the place! I would think thickness would make a different as to length of time, but maybe not.

I do think sous vide gives lots of room for variation with little impact on results.

 

[davent]

Looks super Doak!
dave

 

[Merle]

Anova Culinary offers not only their immersion pump/heater but a huge number of J. Kenji Lopez-Alt' recipes at their recipes.anovaculinary.com site. It's kind of nice to 'preview' his book, The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking through Science if you're not sure you want to go all in on a 30$US book (there is a Kindle version too). This guy is very accessible about not just hows... but also and especially the whys of differences in time and temperatures. And there are many other locations to mine on the web for more! seriouseats.com/the-food-lab

 

[jesseix]

For that matter, do you put raw garlic cloves or powdered garlic of some type into the bag when you want a garlic "seasoning"? Or, I suppose, one could wait until the searing stage. (I like the Costco dried granulated garlic for various purposes when I think something besides regular raw garlic is needed or sometimes in addition. I do not know that I am ever tempted to use grocery store garlic powder much less garlic salt for anything so long as I have that Costco dry granulated stuff.)

I'll usually put in raw garlic with steaks or pork, along with some fresh herbs. The flavor tends to get intensified though, so just keep that in mind. With garlic I usually do think slices spread out kindof evenly so I don't end up with a blast of garlic in one section.

 

[Merle]

I'm of the experience I get far more 'infusion?' doing a dry rub on proteins rather than just dumping the spices in the bag or using a bouquet garni bag. With vegetables, I'll start with a bowl and shake the additives and then toss to be sure we get good coverage. Oils are an interesting additive; Olive oil is added when it has tended to taste right, but much of the time it can be left out until the end. Sometimes nut and toasted sesame can build wonderful synergy properly in the sealed sous vide bag. This really becomes part of the experiential side of cooking; finding what works best for you.

 

[TexLaw]

Alright. I am 100% sold on sous vide for steaks. The ridiculous sale on steaks was still going on so we went for strips. Shoot, we even bought an extra one to ensure lots of leftovers. They came out just heavenly. This rocks!

 

[Merle]

ah, sweet magic @TexLaw ! Lovely pictures; I'm drooling.

and all I've got today is some biscuit mix I'm going to try cooking in my ebelskiver cast iron and a lobster bisque.
I forgot my turf!
/sad chin quiver

 

[The Knize]

Any thoughts on the best way to sear a steak or other piece of meat after sous vide? (I know it should be dried off. What I am asking is cast iron, torch, Searsall, grill, charcoal starter, etc.)

These You Tube "Sous Vide Everything" guys "tested" a whole bunch of different methods and seems to think they got significantly different quality results among them. I guess I was hoping that a hot cast iron frying pan was going to do about as well as anything, and I am a little skeptical. I hate to go to the trouble of building a charcoal fire or even heating up a gas grill. Searsalls seem expensive and to take quite awhile to use.

 

[TexLaw]

A cast iron skillet will do fine, but be prepared for some serious smoke. I like how my grill handled things, but I also am thinking about putting a large skillet on my propane burner outside.

 

[The Knize]

<a large skillet on my propane burner outside>

I was thinking the same. I have one of those outside turkey deep-fryer bat mobile-style propane burners. I have been fairly satisfied with what I can do on my regular stove top, but outside burner could probably take a cast iron pan to literally glowing red hot, if that seemed like a good idea. I do not think the "Sous Vide Everything" folks were taking their cast iron or griddles to such out of the ordinary temperatures in comparing searing methods.

 

[shavefan]

Alright. I am 100% sold on sous vide for steaks. The ridiculous sale on steaks was still going on so we went for strips. Shoot, we even bought an extra one to ensure lots of leftovers. They came out just heavenly. This rocks!

Those! Look! Amazing!

Just for scale, what size steaks are those and in what size pot?

 

[TexLaw]

@shavefan, this steaks were right about a pound, each (maybe a shade less}, and I believe that is a 10 quart pot. I just about got out my 20 quart pot, but there was just enough room for water to circulate well.

 

[shavefan]

@shavefan, this steaks were right about a pound, each (maybe a shade less}, and I believe that is a 10 quart pot. I just about got out my 20 quart pot, but there was just enough room for water to circulate well.

Thank you!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[The Knize]

Re searing: Is anyone using a Harbor Freight-style weed/ice burner torch? Propane Torch with Push Button Igniter I am intrigued. And folks on-line seem to think it gives the very best searing results with sous vide. On the other hand, I am not sure I have not lost my mind!

I am not sure how I would set this up. I do not have a kettle-type charcoal grill. I do have a large natural gas fired grill. I am not sure what this thing would do to that, even as something to just act as an undercarriage a grate.

 

[Merle]

@The Knize I didn't see anyone say, if using cast iron and an oven; preheat the cast iron to 400F, then turn on your broiler coils with the iron still under. When you're ready to place your patted dry and well-seasoned steak(s), watch closely and use that broiler like the seven thousand dollar salamander you wish you had...

This will get you there with the tools most of us have. But, by all means get that MAPP gas torch combo you were thinking of. YOU NEED IT! (really)

 

[davent]

Re searing: Is anyone using a Harbor Freight-style weed/ice burner torch? Propane Torch with Push Button Igniter I am intrigued. And folks on-line seem to think it gives the very best searing results with sous vide. On the other hand, I am not sure I have not lost my mind!

I am not sure how I would set this up. I do not have a kettle-type charcoal grill. I do have a large natural gas fired grill. I am not sure what this thing would do to that, even as something to just act as an undercarriage a grate.

You don't need the kettle bbq just the chimney starter, briquettes and a fireproof place out of doors to set the chimney. Put a couple metal skewers through the sides of the meat and those will support the meat over the glowing coals in the chimney.

A metal bucket with lid would be good to dump the hot briquettes into when done searing so you can smother them out and use them again for another sear. Welders gloves...
dave

 

[cleanshaved]

Alright. I am 100% sold on sous vide for steaks. View attachment 895982

Mate, with steak like that I could even join the sous vide club. Perfection!

 

[The Knize]

<You don't need the kettle bbq just the chimney starter>

Thanks. That all makes sense and thanks for taking the time. But I meant a set up for the flame thrower-like weed burner Harbor Freight torch.

<But, by all means get that MAPP gas torch combo you were thinking of. YOU NEED IT! (really) >

Just seems too fun not to have, doesn't it!

 

[Merle]

You have to have something to prove those 'shuttle tiles' you found on ebay were able to withstand 3500 degree F heat. There you go! If you didn't get them, you could try mine ...the shuttle tile that is... (was Not purchased on the bay)

 

[The Knize]

<If you didn't get them, you could try mine ...the shuttle tile that is... (was Not purchased on the bay)>

I am resisting the obvious "straight line" you put out there! "Too soon" for one thing.

I sous vided some carrots the other night. Some brown sugar in the bag. An hour at 188 degrees. Reduced the liquid in the bag and added butter as a sauce at the end. Did not sear anything. Maybe I should have. Did not seem all that great. Organic, multi-colored carrots. I am not sure their underlying flavor was that great to begin with!