torolover

Wow you are dedicated. I pretty much gave up after two attempts @ 48 hours each time and $40 dollars waisted. I just dont have the time or money to waste on this dish. My chuck roasts turn out amazing and cost a fraction of what short ribs cost. I want to keep you guys updated on my experiments. I'm pretty close to finding and temp/time for traditional falling apart short ribs that are still moist and not stringy!! 160F at 24 hours- still not falling apart or fork tender 160F at 38 hours- falling apart, fork tender, still moist 160F at 42 hours- even more falling apart, need no knife, still moist I'm going to try 180F at 6 hours and 8 hours next!! Thanks for the tips guys!!

I don't think it's the ribs, since I got them at Whole Foods and they have lots of marbling in them. My goal is to get short ribs that are almost falling apart so I don't need a knife, but still moist and not stringy or tough. I have tried the low temps so far, but have not succeeded. I have tried: 134F for 48 hours and 72 hours- great, but not what I'm looking for. Still need a knife and it's not falling apart. 140F for 48 hours and 72 hours- great, a little more flaky, but still need a knife 150F for 24 hours- not great, tough to chew and still need a knife 150F for 48 hours- not great, still tough to chew and need a knife 191F for 7 hours- OK, yes, falling apart, don't need a knife, BUT tough to chew on, and dry I will try 160F at 24 hours next, and then at 36 hours. Anyone else have good temp or times for moist, traditional falling apart short ribs?

Thanks Scuba, but in my original post I've tried 134F at 48 and 72 hours. It is great, but more like a steak, and not falling apart tender. I'm looking more for a traditional braised short ribs, but still moist, and not dry. Anyone have suggestions for time and temp for a traditional braised short rib, but keeping it moist?

Anyone have a good time and temperature for Sous Vide short ribs that are meltingly tender, (no knife needed) but still moist? 134 or 140F at 72 hours is good, but more like a steak, (not falling apart). Modernist Cuisine suggests 149F at 24 hours, but it was still very tough. I tried 191F at 7 hours, but still not meltingly tender, and dry. Anyone have some good experiences?

Anyone try the sous vide coffee creme brulee? I found the texture too thick. How do I make it more silky? What is the purpose of heating the bath to 180F and taking out the ramkins when the custard is 176F? Why not just heat the bath to 177F so you don't overheat the custard?

Which Maggi sauce do you recommend for Thai/Vietnamese cooking? I saw one that is imported from Europe, and another one from Asia. Thanks!

MC has in BOLD that they prefer temperature of short ribs at 140F at 72 hours. In the NEW MC at home for some reason they prefer short ribs at temperatures of 144F and 149F for 72 hours. Seems most of you prefer lower temps and only 48 hours. Has anyone tried 140F or the higher temps and also at 72 hours instead of the 48 hours? Perhaps the 72 hours will also make a difference? I'm wondering if the New MC at home is a missprint..

So why would the new MC at Home recommend 144F and even 149F for 72 hours?! This is higher then the old MC of 140F at 72 hours.

According to MC they put in Bold or "ideal" numbers for short ribs 140F for 72 Hours. In MC at Home they put in Bold 144F for 72 hours and 149F for 72 hours! Is this a missprint? This seems too hot and will dry out the meat, but I'm sure MC has done a lot of research on it. What is your preference for temp and times for short ribs?

Merkinz, One thing that I like to do for all braises, in general, is to let them cool over night in their cooking liquid. Also, I recommend reducing the cooking liquid separate from the meat. This ensures that the lovely braised meat is not boiling away its moisture after pressure cooking. Hope that helps. Johnny Hi Johnny, Perhaps you can explain why letting the meat cool in the braising liquid makes the meat "juicier"? Is it because the meat absorbs the the braising liquid? Merkinz, One thing I do with pork belly is cut off the part of the meat furthest away from the fat. This part of the meat seems to have less collagen so it can get tough even with long braising or Sous Vide. Merkinz, That's correct. When the meat is removed from the braising liquid to cool, the moisture evaporates through steam, and even more liquid migrates out as the meat contracts from the cold. When the meat is allowed to cool in the braising liquid, the steam tends to evaporate off the surface of the liquid instead of the meat, and as the meat contracts it draws in more of the liquid. Johnny Merkinz, One thing that I like to do for all braises, in general, is to let them cool over night in their cooking liquid. Also, I recommend reducing the cooking liquid separate from the meat. This ensures that the lovely braised meat is not boiling away its moisture after pressure cooking. Hope that helps. Johnny Hi Johnny, Perhaps you can explain why letting the meat cool in the braising liquid makes the meat "juicier"? Is it because the meat absorbs the the braising liquid? Merkinz, One thing I do with pork belly is cut off the part of the meat furthest away from the fat. This part of the meat seems to have less collagen so it can get tough even with long braising or Sous Vide. Merkinz, That's correct. When the meat is removed from the braising liquid to cool, the moisture evaporates through steam, and even more liquid migrates out as the meat contracts from the cold. When the meat is allowed to cool in the braising liquid, the steam tends to evaporate off the surface of the liquid instead of the meat, and as the meat contracts it draws in more of the liquid. Johnny Hi Johhny, Now how about sous vide Pork Belly or short ribs? After I Sous Vide them in their sealed bags, is it better to ice them and leave them in the braising liquid overnight? or is it better not to ice them and let them naturally cool down? Will the meat reabsorb the braising liquid and be "juicier"?

Merkinz, One thing that I like to do for all braises, in general, is to let them cool over night in their cooking liquid. Also, I recommend reducing the cooking liquid separate from the meat. This ensures that the lovely braised meat is not boiling away its moisture after pressure cooking. Hope that helps. Johnny Hi Johnny, Perhaps you can explain why letting the meat cool in the braising liquid makes the meat "juicier"? Is it because the meat absorbs the the braising liquid? Merkinz, One thing I do with pork belly is cut off the part of the meat furthest away from the fat. This part of the meat seems to have less collagen so it can get tough even with long braising or Sous Vide.

What exactly does "boiling" do? Is it the pysical bubbles that emulsify the fat? How about emulsify the fat with a blender?

Accoring to Serious Eats, pressure cooking tokatsu broth is not as good as boiling it. Not sure why. Anyone try this? http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/02/how-to-make-tonkotsu-ramen-broth-at-home-recipe.html?ref=search

Any thoughts about making Sous Vide Ramen Broth or chicken broth? I would think the Sous Vide would make Ramen Broth a lot easier so you don't have to watch it for 12 hours. It should be great to turn the pork bones and collagen into gelatin. Also you could sous vide the veggies/broth separately with the pork/broth to get a more clean or complex taste?

What kind of small or portable electric burner do you recommend for cooking with high heat? I want to be able to cook steaks on my small deck, so it needs to be small and electric, and I have to be able to use a cast iron pan on it. A brand or model number would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!

Is it OK to Sous Vide a whole Boston Butt with bone? Wouldn't it take a long time before the center reaches 60C and therefore be in the danger zone?

What is the best brand of Sake, Mirin, and Fish sauce to use for cooking Asian cuisine? I read that using good Sake is not good for cooking. I also read most Mirin, is not really good Mirin. Thanks everyone!

OK I'm still confused. There seems to be different opinions. If I compare a sous vide 2 inch thick, 4 x 4 inch pork belly with a 1/2 inch thick 2 x 1 inch slice of pork belly. Shouldn't the big slab of pork belly keep more moisture then the small slice of pork belly? On another note for reheating meat, isn't it always better to sous vide a slab of meat rather then small slices of meat?

Wow Mark! This kind of experiment is what I was looking for! I have done the Momofuku Bo Saam which roasts the 5 pound Boston Butt for 6 hours at 300F. Then you add brown sugar on top and blast it at 500 to get the fatty top caramalized and crispy. It has always came out amazing with a crisp fatty sweet surface and moist succulent interior. I think what makes it great is that there are some parts that are tender but with some bite, and some parts that are falling apart tender and fatty. I was hoping to replicate it using a smaller portion with Sous Vide, but I guess after your experiment I should expect the Sous vide version to be less complex and just soft. Now I'm curious about if it's better to roast a 4 pound pork Belly VS Sous Vide Pork Belly. Any experiments with the pork belly?

Anyone try using a hair dryer to dry out the surface of meat before searing? After I Sous Vide a piece of meat, it's difficult to really dry up chicken or duck skin with paper towels before searing in a hot pan. Do you think using a hair dryer would do a good job to dry out the skin to get a good sear?

I've always assumed roasting a large cut of meat like a Boston Pork Butt would be juicier then roasting a small cut of Boston Pork Butt, because the thickness of the large cut would help the juices stay in the meat. I always slow roast a 5 pound Boston Pork Butt Momofuku style instead of 1 pound Pork Butt. Am I making a wrong assumption? Now I'm thinking of Sous Viding the Boston Pork Butt. I know Sous Vide at low temperatures won't dry out the meat as much as an oven, and it's more convenient to portion off 4 ounces of meat then roasting a 5 pounder. Even with Sous Vide, don't the smaller portions of meat (less then 4 ounces) still dry out more then a large cut of meat (more then 2 pounds)?

Thanks for the input guys! That's the point I felt Modernista Cuisine was making, but I just wanted to make sure what I read was correct. Good to see replies from some fellow Bostonians! Time to hit Savenors and cook some pork chops medium rare!

The FDA saids an internal temperature of pork of 145F is safe. Modernista Cuisine saids "convincing chefs that pork has no special cooking requirements compared with those for beef or other meat can be a difficult feat." So does this mean I can cook pork medium rare like a steak? I want to cook a pork chop to 130F and want to make sure it is OK. Any thoughts or experiences?

Douglas Baldwin claims "The amount of liquid in the bag does not just depend on temperature but also on time: at 140F/60C, beef cooked for 24 hours loses about 31% of its weight while beef cooked for only one hour loses only about 7% of its weight (Bouton and Harris, 1981)." While I realize cooking for 24 hours makes the meat more fall apart tender, losing 31% of juice makes it dry doesn't it? The sauce is just covering up the lack of juice. Is there a better time/temperature combination? I'm especially curious for the best times for Short ribs. I know 140F for 24 hours is common, but I find the meat "mealy" and the texture dry.

Let's keep this "stir" cookbook thread alive! I've tried the Seared Scallops with celery root. Amazing!! What else have people tried?