torolover

Wow, this is just what I'm looking for! Thanks!

I understand salt can travel through the meat, but this article shows that marinating meat only penetrates the meat a few millimeters. They did a taste test with chicken that was marinated vs non marinated. They cut off a few millimeters on the surface of the cooked marinated chicken, and the panel could not tell the difference in taste between the marinated cooked chicken and non marinated cooked chicken! https://www.splendidtable.org/story/2017/06/02/food-myths-busted-by-americas-test-kitchen-marinating-basting-and-boiling This is why I'm taking it one step further and thinking that braising in stock vs braising in water will make no difference as long as you pour sauce on the meat after its cooked.

If I braise in water, let's say theoretically 30 grams of chicken juice leech into the water (I just made up a number to simplify). If I braise in chicken stock, wouldn't 30 grams of chicken juice also leech out and go into the chicken stock? I thought it was heat and time that determines how much chicken juice is lost, not what's surrounding the chicken? If marinades can only penetrate a few millimeters into the chicken, doesn't that also mean chicken stock can only penetrate a few millimeters into the chicken? and if chicken stock can only penetrate a few millimeters into the chicken, doesn't that mean water can only penetrate a few millimeters into the chicken?

Traditionally you braise tough meats like pork shoulder or short ribs in stock and aromatics at low heat for 4-8 hours. Then you let it sit overnight in fridge, and the next day you can reheat the meat and reduce the stock to make a sauce. What if I braised the meat with just water? Will the water penetrate the meat and make the meat more "watery" tasting? I read that marinades don't penetrate meat more than a few millimeters no matter how long the meat has been marinading. If that's true, then doesn't that mean water can't penetrate the meat by more than a few millimeters while I'm braising? My idea is to braise meat with simply water. While it's braising, I can make a separate concentrated sauce. After the meat has been fully braised, I can take the meat out from the water and place it it in a new container. Then I can pour some of my concentrated sauce over the meat. The next morning I can reheat the meat with the sauce. Will the interior of this meat taste more watery compared to a traditional braised meat?

So I did another test. I braised my short ribs in a 250F oven. After 1 hour I checked the temp of the braising liquid and it was 210-212F! I braised my short ribs in a 200F oven. After 1 hour, I checked the temp of the braising liquid and it was 195F. After 3 hours, the temp of the braising liquid was still 195F. So if you really want to braise low and slow, it needs to be done at 200F oven or lower. Otherwise braising in a 250F oven is the same slow boiling the short ribs on a stovetop. Please note, this is assuming that the ribs are completely submerged in stock/braising liquid, and you get the stock to a boil, before you put into the oven.

Thanks for the tips gfweb! I'm still confused why some recipes ask for 275F or some ask for 350F. Let's assume the recipes ask for the meat to be completely covered with liquid/stock. Get the pot to reach a boil on the stove, and then put into the oven. If I use a 275F oven the liquid reaches 210F or closet to boiling point. If I use a 350F oven, the liquid will also reach 210F or close to boiling point. In both cases the meat should cook about the same time, since the meat is being cooked at the same 210F liquid. Am I missing something?

I know some recipes braise short ribs in a 350F oven, and some recipes braise in a 275F oven. I understand that some recipes recommend 275F so the liquid and meat will cook at a lower temp. This way the meat will stay juicier, although it will take longer to braise. I tried braising the short ribs with veggies and water at 275F. I checked the temp of the liquid after 1 hour, and I noticed it was about 210F! This is almost boiling. Is this normal? I thought the point of cooking at 275F instead of 350F is to keep the liquid at a lower temperature than boiling. Does 210F seems too hot? Also some recipes ask to cover the pot with lid, some with no lid, and some with parchment paper with a hole in the middle. I know the reason for adding the lid is to prevent the water from evaporating too much, but doesn't the lid also make the water too hot?

I have a Sous Vide Supreme. I was thinking of "Sous Vide" the meats without bags in the Sous Vide Supreme with just water. The Sous Vide Supreme has a cover, though it's not perfectly air tight. I would do Chicken Breasts at 141F for 2 hours, Chicken thighs at 165F for 2 hours, and Pork Shoulder at 156F for 24 hours. Then I would freeze them for future use. Do you think this is dangerous? Thanks for all the helpful thoughts everyone!

From Bonappetit: "The reason they're not necessarily “good” plastics is because a 2011 study found that when some were heated, these plastics —in fact, most plastics on the market, including those advertised as BPA free—release non-BPA chemicals that disrupt hormone activity. The amount of chemicals released, however, is unknown. There currently aren’t any published studies specifically focused on the migration of chemicals in sous vide conditions, so you should sous vide only if you’re comfortable with the gray area surrounding the effect of chemicals in non-BPA plastics."

Hi everyone, I have been eating Sous Vide meats (mostly chicken) almost every day for about 10 years. Now that I'm getting older, I've been thinking about the safety of the Ziplock freezer bags. Is the plastic in the Ziplock freezer bags safe for Sous Vide? I usually portion out 6 pounds of meat, Sous Vide them in Ziplock bags, and then freeze them. I usually Sous Vide chicken 165F for 1-2 hours. I also Sous Vide pork shoulder and pork ribs for 24 hours. I understand once in a while it may not be a big deal, but I eat Sous Vide meats almost every day! Perhaps to be safe I should just Sous Vide in water? What are your thoughts?

I'm thinking of making Korean Spicy Chicken but sous vide all the ingredients in 1 ziplock. I will put chicken thigh, onions, garlic, soy sauce, Kochujung, sugar, and potatoes and Sous vide for 165 for 1 hour. I know the chicken thigh will be good, but will the onions and potatoes give an off flavor? I'm guessing 165F is too low for onion and potatoes. Any thoughts? Thanks!

Do clay pots or even la creuset cast iron pots really add "flavor" to food? or is this a myth? Can't Sous Vide make the same flavor? For example I know Sous Vide Duck "Confit" has the same flavor as Duck Confit cooked the traditional way. Thanks!

I use a Ziplock, and use the under water displacement method. I believe it's quite common? Thanks!

Let's say I sous vide chicken thighs at 165F for 3 hours in 3 different ways. #1 Sous vide with nothing in the pouch. (I use Ziplock and the underwater displacement method). #2 Sous Vide with Chicken stock (no salt) in the pouch #3 Sous Vide with Water in the pouch Would # 1 chicken loose less moisture then #2 or #3 because it has less liquids to dilute the chicken? Would # 2 loose less moisture then #3 because chicken stock has some chicken "juice" which can go back into the chicken? or Would all three chicken samples loose the same moisture, because whatever surrounds the chicken doesn't affect moisture loss.

I plan to Sous Vide Short Ribs for 48 hours at 140F, rapidly chill it, and put it in the fridge. I plan to reheat it to 140F and serve it for Christmas Dinner. If I have leftovers, can I simply put the short ribs back in the fridge? Then can I reheat it the next day, or even 2 days later and eat it safely? I read that C. botulinum grows between 50F and 118F and can only grow in the absence of oxygen. Since I opened the bag before dinner, does that mean I don't have to worry about Botulinum growing anymore? The whole Botulinum growth is confusing. Thanks!