Teaching Sous Vide

[asiebengartner]

This is my first posting on eGullet. I am planning to demonstrate my new Sous Vide Professional to a high school "chemistry of cooking" class and am curious whether any of you have in mind a good way to quickly demonstrate what sous vide can do for the kitchen. I will only have 45 minutes. I had been thinking of doing eggs, because they are quick and very obviously different at slightly different temperatures. I could bring in things I had prepared already, but it would be nice in the classroom to be able to use the unit. Any ideas?

[BadRabbit]

This is my first posting on eGullet. I am planning to demonstrate my new Sous Vide Professional to a high school "chemistry of cooking" class and am curious whether any of you have in mind a good way to quickly demonstrate what sous vide can do for the kitchen. I will only have 45 minutes. I had been thinking of doing eggs, because they are quick and very obviously different at slightly different temperatures. I could bring in things I had prepared already, but it would be nice in the classroom to be able to use the unit. Any ideas?

So you can't come in and set up well ahead of time?

If you can, I would suggest setting up a couple of hours in advance and do some steaks. I think they are the most informative thing to cook because you can visibly see the uniformity of the internal temperature and the look of a conventionally prepared mid-rare steak is something everybody knows. You could have them where they are ready shortly after people arrive. You could then remove them and demonstrate the effect as the eggs are cooking.

Otherwise you could do a cook and hold technique where you cooked SV to temp and then rapidly cooled. You could then bring the food back up to serving temp in the class.

Edited May 23, 2011 by BadRabbit (log)

[asiebengartner]

Steaks are a nice idea. You're right about the cross-section being a great visual for them. And I think I probably could set up in the room ahead of time.

If I were to do steaks, it would be nice also to include an example of a steak cooked to the right temperature, but for too much time, to show them the effect that time can have on texture, that temperature is not the only issue. How long does it take for this to happen, for a steak cooked, say, medium-rare, to begin really falling apart? A few hours? Longer?

Thanks again for that tip!

[BadRabbit]

Steaks are a nice idea. You're right about the cross-section being a great visual for them. And I think I probably could set up in the room ahead of time.

If I were to do steaks, it would be nice also to include an example of a steak cooked to the right temperature, but for too much time, to show them the effect that time can have on texture, that temperature is not the only issue. How long does it take for this to happen, for a steak cooked, say, medium-rare, to begin really falling apart? A few hours? Longer?

Thanks again for that tip!

To really cook a steak to mush takes a long time although it's considerably less time with a super tender cut like filet mignon. I think you would still need at least 4 hours to be able to see significant texture changes.

[OliverB]

I'd start that disaster steak a day before, I cook my steaks usually for about 4hrs plus minus two, all come out good. But with your time restrictions I think doing the chill and reheat is the way to go. I have not made veggies SV yet, but maybe that's an other good example? If you have two or three machines going that could be interesting. Serve some steak with SV asparagus and SV poached eggs?

[paulpegg]

SV asparagus would be a good example since it is easy to overcook, even at sv temperatures. Perfect sv asparagus takes 30 minutes at 83.9C. Leave it in for 90 minutes and you have pale green and mushy asparagus.

Bag it with a little salt, pepper and a pat of butter/24 stalks and you are on the way.

[asiebengartner]

Thanks, all, for your tips. One more question: what would you assign a high school senior, with a solid amount of chemistry, to read on sous vide? Is there a good, fairly basic introduction to the science of sous vide and how it has been used in the kitchen. It would be nice to see something that discusses what exactly are the differences between the cells that break down at different temperatures or only after different periods of time.

[asiebengartner]

I realize, or course, that Modernist Cuisine would be perfect. Alas, I don't have access to a copy.

[avaserfi]

You could probably pick and choose sections of A Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking by Douglas Baldwin for the students to read. It is a good introduction and available online free.

http://www.douglasbaldwin.com/sous-vide.html

[nickrey]

I wouldn't bother with a "disaster" steak. Instead, I'd cook and chill steaks cooked at different temperatures to show the uniformity of texture and differences in doneness between them (say 55C, 60C, and 65C). During the class you can reheat at the lowest temperature that you used. This will not impact on the doneness of any of the steaks so the demonstration will work well.

I'd also sear one and not sear another to show the difference that a Maillard reaction can have to the eating experience.

I'd also pre-cook some chicken breast (60C for over one hour) and reheat it in the same unit. The reason for this is to show the moisture and succulence of meat prepared using the technique compared to their normal experience of this meat which is typically overcooked.

[gfweb]

Thanks, all, for your tips. One more question: what would you assign a high school senior, with a solid amount of chemistry, to read on sous vide? Is there a good, fairly basic introduction to the science of sous vide and how it has been used in the kitchen. It would be nice to see something that discusses what exactly are the differences between the cells that break down at different temperatures or only after different periods of time.

McGee has some useful stuff on the idea of doneness, IIRC

[cbread]

It would be an interesting side line to show the students sous vide done without a circulator - just hot water in a foam insulated cooler.

A thin piece of boneless chicken breast would cook withing the class time and would demonstrate that expensive tools are not always necessary for sous vide. My first sous vide experiment was done with no new purchases, just a very well insulated foam shipping box.