Sous Vide

[Skippy918]

Here's what I bought from Amazon for less than $50 on the recommendation of my SIL: https://www.amazon.com/GERYON-Machine-Automatic-Starter-Indicator/dp/B07B4W5PMB/ref=sr_1_6?crid=1YAM2M7QC4X2A&keywords=vacuum+sealer&qid=1641255436&s=home-garden&sprefix=vacuum+sealer,garden,640&sr=1-6

It's been fine so far.

It comes with a few bags and a very small roll, but I also bought a 2-pack of 8"x50' and 11"x50' for less than $30.

@Skippy918 uses FoodSaver, which is top of the line but more expensive.

I've also read that in some cases, ziplocs may work better for some foods. For example I was just looking at an awesome Scallops Miso recipe, and the poster said they prefer ziplocs for scallops because their unknown brand vacuum sealer squished the scallops sometimes on Moist setting.

However, if you are going to use Ziplocs, be sure you use something like freezer bags with a very strong seal because you absolutely cannot have the seal leak.

With my setup, I can position ziplock bags so that the seal is above the water but the food is still underwater -- but I don't know if that's possible with what you are using.

But I prefer the vacuum sealer (with possible exceptions for soft stuff). And just FYI, I double-seal everything to prevent horror stories.

We have an old foodsaver basic model. I think we got it as a gift over a decade ago. It predates our sous vide.

 

[Lilsia]

You are cooking something to a specific temperature, just like you do when you bake it. The only thing is that it keeps it at that temperature instead of continuing to cook it. You put your food in raw in the oven or the crock pot and it starts to heat up. The sous vide is no different.

 

[JimMIA]

You are cooking something to a specific temperature, just like you do when you bake it. The only thing is that it keeps it at that temperature instead of continuing to cook it. You put your food in raw in the oven or the crock pot and it starts to heat up. The sous vide is no different.

The reason sous vide does not overcook is that you are cooking at very low temperature. With the food immersed in constant-temp water, it can't get any more done.

OTOH, if you left chocolate chip cookies in an oven at 375 for 3 hours, you'd have little pieces of charcoal.

 

[JoeA]

For those looking at a vac sealer, check out the brand Ink Bird. You can find them easily enough on Amazon.

They are very popular in the home brew and BBQ community.

 

[fly girl]

I have a new instant pot for Christmas and want to do the Sous Vide with a pork loin. Trouble is I'm nervous about food poisoning and there isn't much out there that looks reliable on this style, yes there is info bt is seems so random so it feels iffy. Should I bother? Anyone know the ins and outs?

I have the Instant Pot that does sous vide. That was a key selling point for me. Unfortunately, it was not a good sous vide. (Granted, I had the first roll out Instant Pot with this feature, so it may have improved.)

Fast forward, I have a Joule and I love it. Sous Vide is the way to go, especially for steaks. I just made bottom round roast last week. Sous vide it at 131 degrees for 30 hours. Finished by searing it in a cast iron skillet. My family raved over it. It was incredibly tender which is not something you can typically say for that cut of meat.

Hopefully you will be more successful with your Instant Pot. If not, consider a sous vide stick.

And I purchased an inexpensive vacuum sealer after I did the ziplock method for a couple of months and could never quite get all the air out. The sealer does come in handy for freezing too.

This is the one I bought, and it works fine. The price went up though, last January I purchased it for $48.

 

[mjkacmom]

I have the Instant Pot that does sous vide. That was a key selling point for me. Unfortunately, it was not a good sous vide. (Granted, I had the first roll out Instant Pot with this feature, so it may have improved.)

Fast forward, I have a Joule and I love it. Sous Vide is the way to go, especially for steaks. I just made bottom round roast last week. Sous vide it at 131 degrees for 30 hours. Finished by searing it in a cast iron skillet. My family raved over it. It was incredibly tender which is not something you can typically say for that cut of meat.

Hopefully you will be more successful with your Instant Pot. If not, consider a sous vide stick.

And I purchased an inexpensive vacuum sealer after I did the ziplock method for a couple of months and could never quite get all the air out. The sealer does come in handy for freezing too.

This is the one I bought, and it works fine. The price went up though, last January I purchased it for $48.

View attachment 635782

We just got a vacuum sealer and are using it for the first time today after using ziplocks for a year. Our household of 7 is missing 3, still want yo buy meat at Costco but now need to break it up.

 

[LuvOrlando]

So last night I ran out of time for the pork loin and did it the oven, lost opportunity.

Since this is new to me and I don't have a sealer yet I picked up 4 individually wrapped strip steaks from wegmans where they did the sealing in packaging. They are on the thin side, I wasn't sure if how much they move around matters so I guessed. Good idea? not good idea? I can always put them in ziplocks and season but if it's this good maybe I can season when I sear it?

I also picked up 2 lbs cod fillet and am pondering ziplocking this and trying sous vide tonight or just baking it, ideas? It's a delicate fish so maybe it's easier to cook?

 

[JimMIA]

Since this is new to me and I don't have a sealer yet I picked up 4 individually wrapped strip steaks from wegmans where they did the sealing in packaging. They are on the thin side, I wasn't sure if how much they move around matters so I guessed. Good idea? not good idea? I can always put them in ziplocks and season but if it's this good maybe I can season when I sear it?

Are the steaks vacuum-sealed, or sealed air-tight with a minimum of air inside? If so, they're probably okay. The key is you cannot have any water get in. Ziplocs are fine as long as the seal is good

If you're not going to rely on the Wegman's sealing, I would remove the ones you're going to cook, season them and put the seasoned steaks in ziplocs.

If you are going to freeze some of the steaks, do NOT season before freezing.

For the ones you are cooking, you can add seasoning when you sear, but if you put it in before sous vide, the seasoning will infuse well into the meat during cooking.

I would cook the steak at least 45 minutes at 133F for medium-rare. You can cook them longer and you won't over cook, so go an hour if you want. A general rule for steak is 45 minutes minimum and one hour for each inch of thickness. Weight doesn't matter.

I also picked up 2 lbs cod fillet and am pondering ziplocking this and trying sous vide tonight or just baking it, ideas? It's a delicate fish so maybe it's easier to cook?

I would say steak is the easiest, most nearly foolproof thing to cook.

Seafood cooks at lower temp, and cooks much quicker. Be sure you look up a good sous vide recipe for any seafood.

 

[LuvOrlando]

-

 

[JimMIA]

Here's a link to Anova's extensive collection of sous vide recipes: https://recipes.anovaculinary.com/

And...did you mean to post the above to the Memes thread?

 

[LuvOrlando]

Here's a link to Anova's extensive collection of sous vide recipes: https://recipes.anovaculinary.com/

And...did you mean to post the above to the Memes thread?

Thanks and whoops no, I didn't mean to put the meme there

I did make the fish and it was perfectly cooked, 30 min at 140. I dropped each filet in a ziplock with a pat of butter, a few sprigs of thyme and about a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice. It was good but there was liquid in there I'm not sure was from the fish or if it got in so I'll switch to the ziplocks for the freezer until I can get a sealer. I also made rice with some fresh ginger and fresh garlic which was superb. This is fun so far.

 

[JimMIA]

Thanks and whoops no, I didn't mean to put the meme there

I did make the fish and it was perfectly cooked, I dropped each filet in a ziplock with a pat of butter, a few sprigs of thyme and about a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice. It was good but there was liquid in there I'm not sure was from the fish or if it got in so I'll switch to the ziplocks for the freezer until I can get a sealer. I also made rice with some fresh ginger and fresh garlic which was superb. This is fun so far.

I did an experiment tonight also, and learned a lesson about my vacuum sealer. I did sous vide bacon-wrapped scallops.

I had read in some recipe comments that a vacuum sealer can "squish" seafood. But of course, MY sealer has both a "moist" food type and a "gentle" mode, so I wasn't worried. I used both, and sure enough, I squished the scallops to the point that they became very difficult to wrap with bacon. (NEVER stand between a chef and his bacon!)

The other thing I learned is that I need to learn the searing part before I get too fancy for my skill level. Turns out my initial trial doing the scallops on the cooktop was a fluke, and I need to go back to school and get DW to show me how to do it.

The scallops were good (How can you mess up Old Bay seasoning, garlic butter, parm cheese, and bacon? You can't!), but the process needs a wee bit of refinement!

Honestly, something quick like scallops is best done on the cooktop. No need to overthink it.

 

[LuvOrlando]

So far the Instant Pot has been very enjoyable and I have more to try. The tips have been useful, having 2 items in a bag works fine & searing after cooking adds flavor, look and texture that is expected. Made thin 1/2 inch NY Strip steaks last night as a test and the family loved it. Cooked it in the Wegmans package at 140 for 30 min then seared it in a pan with butter and garlic, yum, I think this would be great with prime rib for a treat.

Today, I'm thinking chicken breast on salad for lunch and chicken cutlets later. Maybe I should Sous Vide for the breast and first try the Air Fryer technique for cutlets. Anyone have tips, should I try different settings?

 

[JimMIA]

Searing is the easy part, but I'm still struggling with searing. My problem is that our new cooktop exhaust just can't take care of searing several steaks and the whole kitchen area smells for hours. Also, the way the rooms are laid out, it's hard to open windows and get everything out.

I have seared on the gas BBQ, but that doesn't get hot enough to sear in a pan and I overcook the meat trying to sear it, and still don't get the presentation I want. Gotta figure that out. For a prime rib, I would do the searing in the oven, so that shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Skippy918]

Tried roast beef (top round was the cut) in the sous vide. Yum! Came out great! It’s an 18-24 hour sous vide.

 

[JimMIA]

Tried roast beef (top round was the cut) in the sous vide. Yum! Came out great! It’s an 18-24 hour sous vide.

Looks delicious!

 

[LuvOrlando]

Wow, that looks wonderful! I made steaks twice with it and was wondering about a roast, good to know it works. Can I ask what temp for the roast and how many pounds?

So far the only thing that didn't cook well was the boneless chicken breast, not sure if I cooked it too hot or too long, it was rubbery, but the thighs were good. Maybe I was wrong to put two in one bag? Should it be thinner? All I know is the only way to salvage it was to semi chop it in the Ninja with mayo and then mix in celery for deli chicken salad.

 

[Skippy918]

Wow, that looks wonderful! I made steaks twice with it and was wondering about a roast, good to know it works. Can I ask what temp for the roast and how many pounds?

So far the only thing that didn't cook well was the boneless chicken breast, not sure if I cooked it too hot or too long, it was rubbery, but the thighs were good. Maybe I was wrong to put two in one bag? Should it be thinner? All I know is the only way to salvage it was to semi chop it in the Ninja with mayo and then mix in celery for deli chicken salad.

My roast was at 133F. It was almost 3lb. Came out very tender. Made sandwiches with homemade onion rolls.

 

[SueInBoston]

Searing is the easy part, but I'm still struggling with searing. My problem is that our new cooktop exhaust just can't take care of searing several steaks and the whole kitchen area smells for hours. Also, the way the rooms are laid out, it's hard to open windows and get everything out.

I have seared on the gas BBQ, but that doesn't get hot enough to sear in a pan and I overcook the meat trying to sear it, and still don't get the presentation I want. Gotta figure that out. For a prime rib, I would do the searing in the oven, so that shouldn't be a problem.

I had the same problem about searing, and also found that the pan doesn't get hot enough on the grill. I ended up buying a outdoor propane gas burner and it has worked well.

 

[JoeA]

Searing is the easy part, but I'm still struggling with searing. My problem is that our new cooktop exhaust just can't take care of searing several steaks and the whole kitchen area smells for hours. Also, the way the rooms are laid out, it's hard to open windows and get everything out.

I have seared on the gas BBQ, but that doesn't get hot enough to sear in a pan and I overcook the meat trying to sear it, and still don't get the presentation I want. Gotta figure that out. For a prime rib, I would do the searing in the oven, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Look at a product called Grill Grates. This helps achieve higher temperature for searing. People swear by these things.

https://www.grillgrate.com/