YvetteMT

This was my first shot at fish (spurred by the Arguments Against SV thread). I have no idea if increased time would help with a lower temp, hopefully I remember to try when I get the next package (of bigger fish) out to thaw.

There was a chart on SE for halibut- 120 = just starting to flake, tender, near - raw layers 130= very moist, tender and flaky 140= moist, flaky and firm, just at the cusp of tough. I split the difference on the last 2 temps. Partner doesnt want to question if the fish is cooked (and I dont want to HEAR the question!), and for him its textural. He was quite happy (after being quite skeptical) and it wasnt off-putting to me, I do prefer a more tender flake tho. The connective tissue/muscle fibers can be tougher on the bigger halibut and may need a higher temp to get them softer. (I'll deep fry the rest tonight. Halibut isnt my favorite but Im a big fan of it fried)

Next time I'll try 130F on the fish. Turned out fine, not as moist as I prefer. Partner was skeptical ("I like the usual way") but really liked it. Fwiw,2inch thick pieces of fillets. Inside-

Halibut (cooked sv), peas, pasta and lemon ricotta sauce. (There is nothing pretty about sv fish that's not seared)

Halibut(was 100lbs easy when it came out of the water), 135F, 90 minutes. Just started- butter and lemon pepper in the bag too

Oh that Key Lime Tart!!! Thank you for the beach shots, I am a sucker for angry water. Is it the resort that closes the beach when its rough?

@gulfporter holy cow that looks fantastic. Id have said "one of everything!" and had the meat sweats for days.

I've only been using sv for about 2 or 3 years and 95%of the time it's with wild game. I absolutely prefer it with venison roasts over braising traditionally. Same with venison steaks- i get a nicer steak from an older elk if I sv opposed to grilling or in a skillet only. Halibut was mentioned up thread and since that's on the menu this week, I'll be giving it a shot sv. I can cook fish quite well but having guests and "ready in 5 minutes" doesn't mean "get your butt to the table"to everyone, being able to hang out in the bath without loss of quality is a selling point!

A bf casserole that will serve well thru the week. Partner had a SaR call this morning so he ate oatmeal with blueberries before I was even up. Hashbrowns, onion, green chilies, eggs,smoked cheddar and bear bf sausage.

The formage fort sounds fabulous but the idea of *leftover* cheese is mind boggling!

Salad for dinner- romaine, radish, onion, green olives, hb egg, red pepper, deli ham and blue cheese dressing.

I admit to not being a scraper of commercial condiments. Jars of homemade things like jam, get scraped. Toothpaste tube gets a doo-hickey put on it that magically squishes the last vestiges out. When lotion gets difficult to get out, its tossed. Shower gel gets water added and then thrown in a bath. Protein is where I get a bit rabid about "every. last. bit." Meat is not thrown away. period. end of discussion. If it was cooked poorly, figure out a way to eat it. (my first pheasant was so dry that I choked it down with ranch dressing. 20 years later, I can cook pheasant just fine). I grew up on a small farm (butchered poultry quite young), hunted at an early age and knew that some animal died to feed me whether I personally took that life or not. I still wont waste meat, nothing to do with $ at this stage.

An in progress shot but, it'll be dinner tonight with a dollop of sour cream, biscuits if i get a wild hair.... Not quite white chili- northern beans (that I canned), leftover elk roast, onion, garlic, fire roasted chilis from 505.

Oh thats dangerous. "I do not need the Staub 7qt or 6.25 wide oval in french blue. I do not need the Staub 7qt or 6.25 wide oval in french blue"................

Charcuterie for dinner- blueberry goat cheese, Jarelsburg, horseradish chive and tomato basil for cheeses. Spicy baby dills, jalapeño garlic green olives, dill sauerkraut. Walla walla onion mustard. Smoked salmon, dried thuringer, dry salami, pepper salami, Calabrese, and prosciutto. Simple Mills almond flour crackers not pictured

@Norm Matthews you nailed that turkey. I was firmly in the "i dont like turkey" camp until I spatchcocked one and cooked on the Traeger (pellet smoker).

@gfweb and @lemniscate I appreciate the veg tips! I followed a Serious Eats recipe and it was 184F for an hour. I'll give 190 a shot.

The elk was great. The carrots.... I followed Serious Eats, 183F for an hour. Little butter and some honey (they called for sugar). The carrots came out crunchy (with the exception of TWO that were perfectly tender). And when left on the plate for 5 minutes got that weird, chalky, dry carrot look. They'd have been better streaming in the micro, most certainly not my best veg and while not the worst, they were close. (Worst goes to asparagus that i forgot on the grill and literally reduced to ash. My bff and I still laugh about it, 20 years later)

SV elk roast, mushrooms, onion gravy and SV carrots that were horrible.

Elk turned out well. 140 for 8, seared hard. Partner said the seasoning was far better. (I tossed his in the skillet after cutting, he's not a fan of red) The carrots however-184 for an hour- nearly the worst carrots I've ever made. They were still crunchy with the exception of 2 measly carrots. I dunno what the malfunction was but they were horrible.

Attempt 2 at an elk roast. Previously partner said it needed more seasoning so..... onion and A1 sauce this time. 140F for 8 hours. Will be served with SV carrots (why not. Be my first attempt at veg), onion gravey and mushrooms.

2 week long work trip means comfort food when I get home. Temperatures below 60 mean something is being roasted. Roast duck with carrots and onion. (Domestic duck, muscovy, and raised by my parents). Easily one of my favorite meals.

Freezing doesn't kill T.nativa or T-6, the Trich found in Canada/ Northern US. (These bears were from Alberta Canada). Freezing should render the Trich unable to attach to a human host. Should. I've knocked my temp down to 150 and am fine letting that go for half the day if need be. Unconcerned about drying out with contraction- these packages would ultimately be cooked in something else and not served as is. Soup, pasta sauce etc. Thanks @Okanagancook that's my next stop!!(and bookmark!)

Saturday night dinner- SV elk steak (medium rare) and mushrooms. Freezer mishap means similar will be had the next 2 nights at minimum

While this may look like a fun way to spend a Sunday, it's not. There's been a freezer mishap. This is 6 1lb packages of bear sausage and I need some guidance. Trichinae (in Northern climates) is hardier than its southern relatives and bear meat needs to hit 160F to ensure that Trichinae is killed. Easy enough when cooking, I temp constantly. I've decided to SV these and hopefully just toss them back into a freezer. I've got the temp set at 164 but am unsure about time. These are quart bags, 1lb of ground bear/pork. Any insight into time to ensure the centers hit 160? (Id rather not stab all the bags for temps and reseal.) Thanks!