Sous Vide cooking. What's that about?

[User169]

Getting precious about bicycle components is perfectly ok, of course....

....and beer!

 

[rich p]

This is the problem, isn't it?? I did the Google images thing and the results look good, but not significantly better than a steak I've cooked for a few minutes from room temperature in a decent pan. Isn't life just too short?

It is, at your age!!

 

[PK99]

[QUOTE 3021103, member: 259"]But can it make toast?[/QUOTE]

The inner pot of the lakeland kit can be used on the stove top for browning, so it cold certainly make fried bread.

 

[swee'pea99]

[QUOTE 3020493, member: 259"]I've seriously thought about getting a sous vide thingy but I've been put off by the fact that you have to also buy a vacuum packing thingy and the real danger that it would be yet another gadget taking up room in the kitchen. I'm still tempted though. [/QUOTE]
What I want to know is, is there any reason you can't cheat?

Rather than lashing out hundreds for a special machine that as you say will just clog up the kitchen, can't you achieve the same end by packing the meat in a ziplock bag, sucking out as much air as possible (which in truth will be as near as dammit all of it, and I guess the idea behind vacuum packing is simply to make sure there are no insulating layers of air trapped...that should be easy enough to look for), then stick the thing in a big bowl of water at today's magic temperature - say, 80 degrees - and stick it in the oven at 80 degrees for as long as it takes (checking every now & then for evaporation and topping up as & when necessary).

Wouldn't that work? I'm quite keen to try, but I really don't have any spare cash to spend on kit, nor do I ever buy 'kit' (ie, clutter) unless it's essential.

 

[ColinJ]

It's even cheaper to just stop eating.

Not quite as healthy though!

 

[PK99]

What I want to know is, is there any reason you can't cheat?

Rather than lashing out hundreds for a special machine that as you say will just clog up the kitchen, can't you achieve the same end by packing the meat in a ziplock bag, sucking out as much air as possible (which in truth will be as near as dammit all of it, and I guess the idea behind vacuum packing is simply to make sure there are no insulating layers of air trapped...that should be easy enough to look for), then stick the thing in a big bowl of water at today's magic temperature - say, 80 degrees - and stick it in the oven at 80 degrees for as long as it takes (checking every now & then for evaporation and topping up as & when necessary).

Wouldn't that work? I'm quite keen to try, but I really don't have any spare cash to spend on kit, nor do I ever buy 'kit' (ie, clutter) unless it's essential.

Re the ziplock. The pukka technique, used to package liquids without a chamber vac machine, is to use the Archimedes principle. Put the food in a ziplock. Immerse in a bowl/sink of water, allowing the water to force out the air, carefully not letting any water in and seal. Do it on an angle such that the las bit to be sealed is the top corner. Not perfect, but adequate. Google sous vide ziplock. Note you do need to be sure that the ziplock is suitable ie will not collapse for the temperature used and that it is food safe at the temps.

The oven idea is possible IF you have a fancy oven with very accurate temperature control at the low temps needed, which for most SV cooking is around 60C. SV machines work at very closely controlled temps 0.1C for prof kit, 0.5 to 1C for domestic kit. Ovens cycle +/- several degrees.

A better plan is cool box sous vide, try googling that. There is some useful stuff up there, I've never tried it, but as a way of trying the technique at low cost it is as good as any.

 

[swee'pea99]

Re the ziplock. The pukka technique, used to package liquids without a chamber vac machine, is to use the Archimedes principle. Put the food in a ziplock. Immerse in a bowl/sink of water, allowing the water to force out the air, carefully not letting any water in and seal. Do it on an angle such that the las bit to be sealed is the top corner. Not perfect, but adequate. Google sous vide ziplock. Note you do need to be sure that the ziplock is suitable ie will not collapse for the temperature used and that it is food safe at the temps.

The oven idea is possible IF you have a fancy oven with very accurate temperature control at the low temps needed, which for most SV cooking is around 60C. SV machines work at very closely controlled temps 0.1C for prof kit, 0.5 to 1C for domestic kit. Ovens cycle +/- several degrees.

A better plan is cool box sous vide, try googling that. There is some useful stuff up there, I've never tried it, but as a way of trying the technique at low cost it is as good as any.

Thanks. Interesting. Re the temperature control, this is all completely new to me, but intuitively I find it hard to believe that precise temperature control is really that big a deal. I'm sure the pro equipment maintains very precise temperatures - why wouldn't it? Easy enough to do, technically. But does that mean it's actually necessary? If you're cooking something for four hours at 80, say, I find it hard to see why the results would be significantly different if the temperature over those hours fluctuated between, say, 76 & 84. Maybe I'm wrong...but just intuitively, it feels unlikely to me.

I will check out this cool box idea too - thanks for that.

 

[bricksmasher]

I am a chef, chances are if you've eaten in more expensive restaurants before you've had something cooked this way, reason being 1. You can't over cook things, 2. things retain much more moisture. Ive used waterbaths plenty of times while cooking, venison, lamb, duck and alot of places do fish, pork belly etc.

Once its cooked in the bath, pan fry it to give it some colour/more flavour and its perfect

But ofcourse there is nothing wrong with cooking things in a pan/oven either, I do like waterbaths though

 

[PK99]

Thanks. Interesting. Re the temperature control, this is all completely new to me, but intuitively I find it hard to believe that precise temperature control is really that big a deal. I'm sure the pro equipment maintains very precise temperatures - why wouldn't it? Easy enough to do, technically. But does that mean it's actually necessary? If you're cooking something for four hours at 80, say, I find it hard to see why the results would be significantly different if the temperature over those hours fluctuated between, say, 76 & 84. Maybe I'm wrong...but just intuitively, it feels unlikely to me.

I will check out this cool box idea too - thanks for that.

Depends on what you are cooking. Eggs +\- a degree or so is critical. Ditto salmon or other fish. Less critical for things cooked at high temps but steak or lamb is very different + or - 5 degrees around the target 60C for medium rare.

 

[PK99]

I am a chef, chances are if you've eaten in more expensive restaurants before you've had something cooked this way, reason being 1. You can't over cook things, 2. things retain much more moisture. Ive used waterbaths plenty of times while cooking, venison, lamb, duck and alot of places do fish, pork belly etc.

Once its cooked in the bath, pan fry it to give it some colour/more flavour and its perfect

But ofcourse there is nothing wrong with cooking things in a pan/oven either, I do like waterbaths though

Your advice please. I read recently different views on browning before or after SV, any view?

 

[bricksmasher]

Your advice please. I read recently different views on browning before or after SV, any view?

I, and every other person I know that do SV, always brown after.... Ive not actually heard of browning before, but I can only suggest, patting it dry first, put in hot oil and baste with butter towards the end

 

[PK99]

I, and every other person I know that do SV, always brown after.... Ive not actually heard of browning before, but I can only suggest, patting it dry first, put in hot oil and baste with butter towards the end

Agree it seemed strange to me, the idea was getting a good crust on the cold item over cooked only the shallowest of layers, a very quick flash in the pan after to re crisp the surface.

I always brown after.

Though I do find I prefer the chicken breast we had tonight un browned.

 

[bricksmasher]

Agree it seemed strange to me, the idea was getting a good crust on the cold item over cooked only the shallowest of layers, a very quick flash in the pan after to re crisp the surface.

I always brown after.

Though I do find I prefer the chicken breast we had tonight un browned.

Nice! Are you in the catering trade?

I've not got one at home, but some of the best things ive tasted are done SV no doubt, pork tenderloin wrapped in pancetta being one of them and monkfish too.. so juicey!

Ive never looked at domestic models, but if you've got a recommendation i might have to invest lol
I must admit, Ive never served anything without searing it off afterwards, but thats due to appearance of food for restaurant i guess its different when it comes to cooking for yourself

 

[PK99]

Nice! Are you in the catering trade?

I've not got one at home, but some of the best things ive tasted are done SV no doubt, pork tenderloin wrapped in pancetta being one of them and monkfish too.. so juicey!

Ive never looked at domestic models, but if you've got a recommendation i might have to invest lol
I must admit, Ive never served anything without searing it off afterwards, but thats due to appearance of food for restaurant i guess its different when it comes to cooking for yourself

Not in the trade, but in a different live I would have been! At 58, I'm happy to stay domestic.

Agree about the pork tenderloin, i do it with an apple and mushroom stuffing. Fantastically moist result.

I have a Sous Vide supreme (from john lewis) absolutely trouble free and trivially easy to use. You would find you miss the chamber vac, suction is not as good.

The chicken breast tonight was skinless, sliced and dressed in a salad so searing for appearance plus it was a 5:2 diet day so wanted to avoid the fat from browning.

 

[bricksmasher]

Not in the trade, but in a different live I would have been! At 58, I'm happy to stay domestic.

Agree about the pork tenderloin, i do it with an apple and mushroom stuffing. Fantastically moist result.

I have a Sous Vide supreme (from john lewis) absolutely trouble free and trivially easy to use. You would find you miss the chamber vac, suction is not as good.

The chicken breast tonight was skinless, sliced and dressed in a salad so searing for appearance plus it was a 5:2 diet day so wanted to avoid the fat from browning.

Cool, sounds nice, Ill have to have a look then, they are indeed very easy to use, for now I enjoy my slowcooker, but SV would be better for sure.

Ah yeah, I understand the chicken now, makes sense!