Just going to show off my quick and dirty homemade sous vide cooker. made with a 5 gallon bucket, a range top element, pid temperature controller and contactor. cooked up a tri tip tonight, came out real tender but could have been juicier but I have some family that doesn't like any pink in their meat.
Sous Vide
- Thread starter 2004LB7
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yeah, red meat seems to work best at higher temps to break down the fat and connective tissue. unfortunately it causes moisture loss that isn't always made up for with the dissolved fat. I have done a few briskets in it and I can say they are definitely worth it. haven't tried anything else yet
like NC said, a water bath to place the meat in to cook. it allows you to cook for extended times without over cooking the meat. it also allows you to hit an exact or precise temperature or doneness.
once you finish it in the water you can throw it on the BBQ or pan to quickly sear it or put it in the freezer for later. it opens up a number of possibilities that where more difficult to obtain before. think brisket, no more watching the BBQ or smoker all day watching the internal temperature and putting additional coals in. with this, it frees you up to do other things. you put it in ans go to work or sleep, etc. it takes care of the temperatures and you come back after however long you want and sear it. makes the best juiciest tender meats you will ever have
once you finish it in the water you can throw it on the BBQ or pan to quickly sear it or put it in the freezer for later. it opens up a number of possibilities that where more difficult to obtain before. think brisket, no more watching the BBQ or smoker all day watching the internal temperature and putting additional coals in. with this, it frees you up to do other things. you put it in ans go to work or sleep, etc. it takes care of the temperatures and you come back after however long you want and sear it. makes the best juiciest tender meats you will ever have
In Texas standing in front of the pit drinking beer is the best part of cooking. It’s almost like a art forum. I get it if you just want some good food, but seems to take away the fun.
So you're boiling meat. I can understand doing that with chicken, but not beef or pork. But hey, if it works for you, have at it....
technically it's not "boiling" the meat because the meat is not in contact with the water but instead in a sealed bag. some vacuum pack them, I use zip lock bags. the meat only cooks in its own juices, marinade or seasonings you put in the bag. since it's sealed little moisture is lost.
the water is only used to provide the exact temperature control. you can use vegetables oil, dish soap or even ATF as long as you don't let it contact the food. water is used for the obvious reason of availability, price, safety and ease of cleanup. one can in theory do this dry like in an oven but they normally have horrible temperature swings and bad accuracy at the temps we need for an extended cook
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I think it’s a cool idea that I had never heard of before. I love trying new ways to cook things. So it’s basically an in directing cooking source that lets you have complete control of cooking temperature.
I get it now.
We do this type of cooking while camping. Ours is called an omelet in a bag. You figure out how many eggs you want, put them in the bag, shake it up till mixed, put in your fixin's in the bag and then drop into a non-boiling pot of hot water. About 10-15 minutes later your ready to chow.
I have heard of, and tried sous vide, but never thought of doing eggs while camping like that.
I'll have to try that one time.
It became a staple in our house after we started doing it to make camping easier. We vacuum seal everything and cook all our meat before a trip. The meat is fully cooked once it's done, but most things need a good sear on a hot pan. So while camping we take it out of the cooler/fridge a few hours before we want to eat. That way it's room temp and you can quickly sear it without cooking it any further. Last trip we took 36 pork chops and I was done searing them all in under 10 mins.
Oh now that’s a great idea for camping. Stopping to setup camp and then spending an hour cooking a nice meal was a little time consuming.