JohnnySpice

Hi DiggingDogFarm, This video was actually the thing that convinced me of the benefits of presearing. In addition to disinfecting the surface as scubadoo97 suggested, it also means that, as the meat is cold beforehand, less of the meat is overcooked as a result of searing when the meat is hot. I'm going to run with this for a while and provide updates on my progress. I guess the only outstanding question I have is regarding freezing in the first place. Although something needing to be cooked for a number of days may be cooked in advance and then refrigerated/frozen. I see no reason to do this for, say a filet steak, other than convenience. Presearing upon returning from the store, then packing, prevents the need for me to try and sear the meat from frozen and repackage later on. I guess I could freeze the meat straight from the store, sear from frozen when I need to, then sous vide in a zip lock bag (of which I have about a billion). Thoughts? Kind regards, John

Hi All, One of the features of sous vide that interests me is the ability to cook and rapidly chill food for later reheating and serving. While this is great for storing your 72 hour-cooked short ribs, I'd like to learn more about strategies to adopt when coming home from the store with freezer-destined meat including steaks, chicken, salmon etc. One option I am considering is the following: Sear > Seal > Cook > Chill > Freeze > Reheat (1 degree lower) > Sear > Serve The other is: Sear > Seal > Chill > Freeze > Cook > Sear > Serve The questions I have are the following: 1) Does cooking from frozen (in any scenario) result in measurably less-favourable results than simply refrigerating? 2) If not, then would there be a preferred option? 3) Does this vary depending upon the protein/vegetable? If so, how? Any help here would be greatly appreciated. Kind regards, John

Hi Rob, Thanks for responding. I think I agree with you with regards to freezing in the context you said. My concern is whether I should be buying fresh and 'then' freezing, or should I be changing some of my shopping and menu planning habits in order to eat from fresh as much as possible? Also, to complicate matters further, when I freeze my meats I vacuum pack them with the intention of cooking them sous vide later. Would anyone notice any discernible difference between a freshly cooked steak cooked sous vide, vs a freshly frozen vacuum-packed steak cooked the same way? My logic is that freezing dries out meats, but the combination of the vacuum and the low cooking temperature should negate this. Would the ice crystals damage the meat? Kind regards, John

Hi There, My name is John. I'm an enthusiastic home cook who is also new to the forum. One of the questions I have been asking myself recently centres around the buying habits of a lot of accomplished/professional cooks. You see, I come from a typical northern UK family whose food was prepared around what we called 'The Big Shop'. This would essentially involve a rather large shopping spree at a supermarket every Saturday morning, souring everything from fruit, vegetables, dairy and meat. The meat would more often than not be frozen to be used as and when needed and bought in the next 'big shop' when we'd run out. Since living alone, 100% of my meals at home have been cooked from scratch. in addition to this, I've been keeping a keen eye on the quality of the food I buy. I believe the next thing for me to consider is the following: When should I buy my food? - Is the once per week 'big shop' an acceptable routine, or is there a more elegant approach that you guys might be able to suggest? (shopping twice per week, buying meats after leaving work etc.)What ingredients would you recommend freezing (without compromising taste)?With regard to the first question, I must start by saying that I'd look to transition my protein and veg shopping from supermarkets to local butchers and veg markets.a The last question regarding freezing was brought to my attention during a marathon session of Gordon Ramsay shows (one of my vices). During these shows, he tends to fly off the handle when restaurants cook defrosted seafood and various meats. I'd like to know if there are any foods that I can freeze without compromising, or should I be using my freezer for storing leftovers, stocks etc.? Any advice you could give me would be appreciated. It would be interesting to get some info on your own buying and storing habits as I think it could be eye opening.