Sous Vide Guide (Pronounced "Sue Veed")
In French, sous vide literally means under vacuum. It's an ideal way to make sure food is fully cooked yet still tender
If you haven’t cooked sous vide before, this post might change the way you think about making food. Restaurants use this type of cooking because it’s a sure fire way to get meats, eggs, fish and veggies to extremely precise levels of doneness. The result is incredibly moist food that is flavorful and perfectly cooked.
It’s quite simple. You’ll heat a basin of water to your preferred cooking temperature (see chart below). Then, vacuum seal your food with seasonings and a carrier like olive oil or butter and drop the sealed bags into the water bath. The foods usually take a few hours to reach temperature but can stay in the water bath for much longer, though leaving them in for too long can change the texture.
Premium steaks can be cooked for 1-3 hours. Past that time they might start to get mushy. Prime cut roasts, which are thicker, need about 6 hours to fully cook, and start to get mushy after about 8-10 hours depending on thickness. Tougher cuts like rump roast or bottom round roast can be sous vide for 24-48 hours to break down the sinew and tight muscle fibers. Compared to traditional roasting, sous vide is much more forgiving.
Equipment:
Vacuum sealer and bags
Sous vide machine
10-20 quart container to hold the water
Adding herbs to the vacuum bag is really simple. Just sprinkle your favorite seasonings into the bag and massage into the meat before sealing. Because dogs’ noses are so sensitive I use about 1/4 the amount I would use for myself. Here is a list of some dog friendly herbs and spices.
Rosemary
Oregano
Basil
Turmeric
Ginger
Cinnamon
Parsley
Recently I prepared a Christmas turkey breast sous vide. Then I broiled it in the oven at 425 degrees for about 10 minutes.
Browning the outside to create crisp crusts will enhance the flavor, texture and appearance. Called the Maillard reaction, browning occurs when proteins and sugars form special compounds called melanoidins. These compounds give roasted foods their distinct flavor. Scientists believe that browning food tastes so good because it signals the nutritional content of food as well as the safety from roasting.
Browning can be done in several ways.
In a hot pan on the stove with olive oil and butter
Best for single steaks, chicken breast and fish
For smaller meals
On the grill
When making larger amounts of food
For more charred flavor
Broil mode in the oven
Good for roasts and whole birds
Blow torch
For smaller items
Allows precise control of heat
Chart of cooking temperatures and times
Have Fun!