Momofuku vs. MC short rib technique

[Mayur]

So, I've got a batch of short ribs ready to get vac-packed and thrown in a water bath, and a quart full of David Chang's Momofuku Cookbook marinade. What I'm concerned about is optimal cooking temperature. The book says 60 C for 48 hours, but all the short rib cooking on the old eGullet Sous Vide thread and the tables in MC seem to suggest that 56 C is a better approximate temperature. Does anyone have experience adapting the Momofuku recipe to different times/temps, or a strong informed opinion either way?

[Twyst]

I have made the momofuku recipe several times and learned on the first attempt that 60 is too high for my personal tastes. I dropped the temp down to 56 and was much happier with the results.

This is what they looked like at 60

and That was a little over for me.

Edited December 20, 2011 by Twyst (log)

[ScottyBoy]

One more vote for 56C over here.

[olicollett]

Dave Arnold has covered this a few times on the cooking issues podcast.

Essentially it comes down to personal taste - the higher temperature will give a more traditional braised short rib texture, whereas the lower temperature will give it the kind of texture you would expect from a sous-vide piece of meat, i.e. v tender but you probably won't have so much breakdown of the connective tissue that you will get at 48hrs - which is why he prefers 60C:

http://www.cookingissues.com/2010/02/12/sous-vide-and-low-temp-primer-part-i/

Maybe try 58C as a comprimise?

[Mayur]

Thanks for the replies!

To those of you leaning to 56 C: Do you still do 48 hours or lengthen the cooking time?

Twyst: I must say those look gorgeous at 60 C! Your 56 C results must have been truly epic.

Edited December 20, 2011 by Mayur (log)

[Chris Amirault]

IIRC, there were several similar questions in re temps in the Momofuku cookbook, somewhere around here.... 60C seems way too high for beef in just about every application I can think of.

[Paul Bacino]

This was 58.333/137 to me 60 is way to high.

[Mayur]

Okay; looks like I'll shoot for 56. My feeling is that I can pull one of the pieces and check it before pulling the others and shocking them (I'm pulling them out of the bath Christmas eve, serving Christmas dinner) so if they seem "underdone," I can try rendering/finishing conventionally even if that does compromise the sous vide texture.

[torolover]

Dave Arnold has covered this a few times on the cooking issues podcast.

Essentially it comes down to personal taste - the higher temperature will give a more traditional braised short rib texture, whereas the lower temperature will give it the kind of texture you would expect from a sous-vide piece of meat, i.e. v tender but you probably won't have so much breakdown of the connective tissue that you will get at 48hrs - which is why he prefers 60C:

http://www.cookingis...-primer-part-i/

Maybe try 58C as a comprimise?

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..

[Baselerd]

On this topic, I have had SV short rib two ways - one of which I don't know how to make (having only had it at restaurants). I've made short ribs plenty of times SV a la MC reccomendations (140F/60C for 72 hr). This is delicious, but gives a more tender texture, almost like slow smoked brisket, where the meat falls apart very easily and can be shredded with a fork.

I've also had it at restaurants, and it had an almost steak-like quality. It was much firmer, but still tender. All the information I gathered from the restaurant was 72 hour water bath. So, is this the texture you get at 133 F / 56C?

[Okanagancook]

We want a medium-rare steak-like short rib. 72 hours at 133F/56C gets us this result. To finish the pan is smoking hot with a good layer of grape seed oil to get a nice thick crust. We've done this 5 or 6 times and it works perfect for our tastes.

[nickrey]

Let me throw in another variable here which I'm not sure we've talked about on eGullet but fits with my experience. The colour will depend on the cooking temperature. The texture is a combination of temperature, cooking time, and also the structure of the individual meat that you use. Even the same cuts will vary in their response to cooking depending on the type of cow, how it was fed, raised, housed, and slaughtered. To butcher a quote from 'Animal Farm' some meats are more equal than others.

[coz]

Chang's recipe has a marinade in the bag too and MC has nothing I believe too.

[scubadoo97]

Here's 58C for 65 hrs. with boneless short ribs. Just a hint of pink but left overs were pinker when cut

Edited January 29, 2013 by scubadoo97 (log)

[Baselerd]

Another few data points to contribute:

I have prepared the MC short rib (from the plated dish recipes, book 5) which was at 140F for 72 hours with some white beef stock. The result was good, but a little softer than I prefer (being very picky here)- had almost the same texture as traditional braised short ribs.

I recently tried the recommended 133 F / 72 hour combination with the meat only (trimmed off most fat, silver skin, removed bones) - this produced the perfect texture. The result was firmer, almost steak-like, but still very tender. Definitely my go to combination now (below)

Edited January 29, 2013 by Baselerd (log)