I have a Sous vide cooker on the way (birthday present from my lovely wife). I know there are several experienced users on here and I’d be greatful for any learning curve-shortening wisdom you are willing to share.

Only thing we've taken some time to figure out, is get as much air out of the bag as you can.

But, we're doing if faux style in a ziplock in a stock pot on the stove, until we get an actual controller & vacuum sealer.

Can use ziplock bags, don’t have to have a sealer.

Easiest way to get all air out with a ziplock is to close all but about an inch and slowly put the bag in the water. Keep the open corner of the bag the highest point. The pressure of the water on the bag will force the air out. Just as you are about to totally submerge the bag, finish closing the seal.

Other tips -

Use some sort of stand or rack to keep bags separated and off the. Bottom. Want the water to be able to fully circulate around the bag.

Cover the water container, helps to keep the heat in and keep the cooker working efficiently

If doing meat, you can sear before or after soup vide bath. If after, pat the meat dry first and it will sear better.

I love SV chicken breasts, super tender, moist and no stringyness



Here is New York Strip I did for about 3.5 hours to 135 degree medium rare, perfect edge to edge color and super tender



All sorts of info and recipes on the web, you’ll love it.


Enjoy!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 911Boss,

Pro tip: when doing lllooooonnnggg cook times (I've done 100 hr prime rib/short ribs/chuckies etc.), go VERY easy on the salt. From a texture standpoint, an ample amount of salt that you'd traditionally use to dry brine a roast or other big hunk-of-meat will cause a firm/cured texture, instead of the melt-in-your-mouth texture you're looking for from SV, especially with extended baths.

quote:

Originally posted by 911Boss:
Can use ziplock bags, don’t have to have a sealer.

Easiest way to get all air out with a ziplock is to close all but about an inch and slowly put the bag in the water. Keep the open corner of the bag the highest point. The pressure of the water on the bag will force the air out. Just as you are about to totally submerge the bag, finish closing the seal.

All sorts of info and recipes on the web, you’ll love it.


Enjoy!

Thanks, will try that the next time.

Since the meat temperature is much lower it will cool off my faster than standard cooking methods. This means have everything else ready for the meal. Otherwise you'll end up with cold meat to eat.

We use a vacuum sealer that are inexpensive at Costco. We buy 1 1/2” thick NY steaks when they’re on sale for $6 a pound. We spice, vacuum pack them and freeze. We’ll take them out of the freezer and drop them in the water and cook for about 4 hours. We then sear in a cast iron pan and dive in.

We’ve never been disappointed.

Tougher cuts can be cooked longer to tenderize them.

quote:

Here is New York Strip I did for about 3.5 hours to 125 degree medium rare, perfect edge to edge color and super tender

I would not cook it below 130 degrees for that long. Sounds like a recipe for food poisoning.

Pasteurization is a value of time and temperature. Low sous vide temps are safe if it’s over a long enough time.

There are charts and tables on the subject.

I'm the amateur as I've only borrowed a SV cooking wand once, but I found fat can/should be trimmed from steaks.
Normally on the grill I plan on much of it getting rendered but w/ SV, the fat is untouched w/ shorter cook times and very present on your plate.
Not a huge deal but as I don't shy from a little bit of nice, melted, fatty goodness, the SV fatty steaks were still a bit solid.

quote:

Originally posted by Spokane228:
Pasteurization is a value of time and temperature. Low sous vide temps are safe if it’s over a long enough time.

There are charts and tables on the subject.

No, no, NO!!! Pasteurization, yes, food safety, no. Meat should NOT be in SV for longer than 2.5 hours under 130 degrees. It's fine for a short steak bath of an hour or two, since it's still inside the 4 hours combined between 40 & 140 rule. I don't mean to sound scoldy, but it's very serious, and can often be overlooked. Do a web search on "sous vide meat below 130". Please.

tip:

When doing longer cooks (chuck or round roasts for example), I'll presear, because it helps kill whatever lives on the outside of the meat, which can ruin a relatively low cook - some people recommend quickly "par boiling" roasts for the same reason. (see the conversation about long cooks below 130. I'll do long cooks at 131, just for that extra degree of safety)

after removing the meat from the bath, take it out of your bag, dry it off, and *let it cool* for 5-10 minutes. This isn't letting it rest. This is to 1) give moisture a chance to evaporate (moisture is the enemy of a good sear), and 2) when you do sear now, you can go longer without raising the internal temperature beyond what you cooked at.

For example, if you take out a steak cooked at 129, let it cool for 5-10 minutes, so that when you sear it, the surface will get ripping hot, really quickly, and that heat will start to transmit inwards. Had you seared immediately, that internal temperature would raise above 130, potentially making your medium rare a medium or worse. Letting the meat cool a bit gives you a buffer zone.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:

quote:

Here is New York Strip I did for about 3.5 hours to 125 degree medium rare, perfect edge to edge color and super tender

I would not cook it below 130 degrees for that long. Sounds like a recipe for food poisoning.

Typo, medium rare is closer to 135 (original post corrected)

125 would be rare.


As another said, longer time makes lower temp safe. Safe either way though.

http://sousvide.wikia.com/wiki...n_pasteurizing_times