Sous Vide: Recipes, Techniques & Equipment (Part 9)

[rotuts]

Sooooo ...

what sort of containers are those?

nice red tops ! they might need a place at My Place.

how do you churn? back in the day I had and still have the Donvier:

http://www.amazon.com/Donvier-837409W-1-Quart-Cream-Maker/dp/B00006484E

used to make ice PureCream where the double cream came from a local dairy in Upstate NY. to die for.

literally.

this was well before Statins showed up.

Edited December 5, 2013 by rotuts (log)

[Anna N]

Sooooo ...

what sort of containers are those?

nice red tops ! they might need a place at My Place.

how do you churn? back in the day I had and still have the Donvier:

http://www.amazon.com/Donvier-837409W-1-Quart-Cream-Maker/dp/B00006484E

used to make ice PureCream where the double cream came from a local dairy in Upstate NY. to die for.

literally.

this was well before Statins showed up.

Just Rubbermaid containers and I have a Cuisinart ice cream maker of the type that uses a frozen container.

[bhsimon]

I've been quite happy using an Iwatani butane torch head to brown steaks after sous vide cooking.

However, I'm always experimenting and would like to try a quick deep fry for the browning step to see how that works out.

Unlike the modernist kitchen, I don't have access to liquid nitrogen, so I won't be doing the cryo-frying route.

So my thoughts/questions

I have tried heating 1/2 gallon of peanut oil in an all clad stock pot atop an Avantco 1800 watt induction burner.

Unfortunately, the high temperature shutoff switch kicks in before the oil gets to 380 degrees.

I've only tried this once today, but I've had similar shutoff happen when trying to use a cast iron grill pan... evidently a common thing with induction burners when the cooking vehicle retains a lot of hear.

I've used dedicated tabletop deep fryers before (not for steak), and mine is currently dead. However it never reached 375 degrees, so I was never really happy with it. I've looked at getting another unit, but I'd rather explore the induction unit / pot approach before going for a dedicated fryer, especially considering that I'm not sure that I'll like the deep fried results compared to a flame based browning.

• So, for those of you who have tried browning with a quick deep fry... what temperature did you find worked best?
• Are any of you using induction? I'd rather not have the oil over an open flame if I can help it.

Is this post any help?

Edited December 12, 2013 by bhsimon (log)

[Robenco15]

I've deep fried a completely frozen 1 inch thick new york strip in a pot of oil at 390F for approximately 30 seconds, SV to a core of 55C (still frozen when it went it so I made sure to check the temperature, took 75 minutes), took it out of the bag, dried it off, put it on a paper plate and put it in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes, then deep fried it again at 390F for 15 seconds or so (just look at it and you'll see it brown and know when to take it out). Season and enjoy.

I thought it worked perfectly and I didn't use any liquid nitrogen. The freezer definitely helped, obviously not as much as liquid nitrogen, and I have been meaning to do that with all of my steaks regardless if I sear them in a pan or deep fry. The deep fried sear was great and pre-searing a completely frozen steak I'm sure helped it along.

Use a large pot to avoid splattering (I used an 8 qt stock pot) and I used my electric stovetop coils so unfortunately I can't help you in terms of an induction cooktop.

Hope some of this helped!

Edited December 12, 2013 by Robenco15 (log)

[bhsimon]

...

Are any of you using induction? I'd rather not have the oil over an open flame if I can help it.

...

I also meant to comment on this. Yes, I use induction when I'm deep frying. It is actually a very good tool for the job. My induction is far quicker at bringing water to boil than any other method and, similarly, it is good for holding the temperature of oil when I'm deep frying. I think you could easily go as high as 220C with peanut oil and thereby keep the time in the oil to a minimum; perhaps 25 seconds.

I currently use a clip-on sugar thermometer attached to the pot to monitor the temperature. This is the reason I was only using 205C oil; my thermometer stopped at 210C. I'm looking for a good high-temp probe that goes up to 240C so I can get the heat up to 220C for deep fry browning.

[Spetsnaz47]

Hello everyone.

I am excited to join you in the sous vide journey.

I made a simple sous vide setup.

The bubbler (not on the picture) is not built in. Heater is meant to be used in washing machines. Lime that's visible on the heating element comes from testing.

Water bath is 3 gallons, however since the heater is 1800 W it will easily handle more if need be.

The temperature stays within 0.1 Celsius of the set value.

Today I shall try cooking chicken. I will try to be more coherent then :-)

[rotuts]

Spetsnaz47

congratulations

consider the Baldwin book

keep track of each SV as they are after all experiments

you will learn a lot that suits you over time

[Spetsnaz47]

Do you know if it's avaiable to buy as an ebook? The paper book plus the shipping costs would equal to what I spent on my SV setup .

[Okanagancook]

Spetsnaz47, you can download his 'Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking" for free here: http://www.douglasbaldwin.com/sous-vide.html. It is a good start and has guidelines for cooking various types of meat.

[lordratner]

I've deep fried a completely frozen 1 inch thick new york strip in a pot of oil at 390F for approximately 30 seconds, SV to a core of 55C (still frozen when it went it so I made sure to check the temperature, took 75 minutes), took it out of the bag, dried it off, put it on a paper plate and put it in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes, then deep fried it again at 390F for 15 seconds or so (just look at it and you'll see it brown and know when to take it out). Season and enjoy.

I thought it worked perfectly and I didn't use any liquid nitrogen. The freezer definitely helped, obviously not as much as liquid nitrogen, and I have been meaning to do that with all of my steaks regardless if I sear them in a pan or deep fry. The deep fried sear was great and pre-searing a completely frozen steak I'm sure helped it along.

Use a large pot to avoid splattering (I used an 8 qt stock pot) and I used my electric stovetop coils so unfortunately I can't help you in terms of an induction cooktop.

Hope some of this helped!

Have you tried it without all the extra steps? I cook the steaks sous vide (to whatever temp is appropriate for the cut), pat dry, then drop in the deep fryer for 30-45 seconds. Salt right after sticks to the residual oil. The steak cooks from the oil to a depth of 1/8 - 1/4 inch. Since I generally try to keep my steaks at 1 1/2 inches or greater (then cut them in half for more realistic servings), thats not too deep to affect the overall quality of the sous vide steak.

I'd be interested to see how much of a difference there is. I usually torch my steaks, but when I'm cooking to impress or for a special occasion, nothing makes a better maillard crust than the deep fry.

[lordratner]

Hello everyone.

I am excited to join you in the sous vide journey.

I made a simple sous vide setup.

The bubbler (not on the picture) is not built in. Heater is meant to be used in washing machines. Lime that's visible on the heating element comes from testing.

Water bath is 3 gallons, however since the heater is 1800 W it will easily handle more if need be.

The temperature stays within 0.1 Celsius of the set value.

Today I shall try cooking chicken. I will try to be more coherent then :-)

FYI, I fill up my tank (I built my sous vide with an inegrated bath) with 10 - 25% vinegar and all that lime goes away. I'm also using a heating element from a household appliance (RV hot water tank), and the lime buildup can get out of control.

Edited December 14, 2013 by lordratner (log)

[lordratner]

Just churned Douglas Baldwin vanilla ice cream ready to go into the freezer. Don't know why I took so long to make custard sous vide. So easy, so few dishes, so little chance of scrambled eggs.

I tried making Creme Brulee the Baldwin way forever, and it never came out right, always just a bit grainy, not that amazing creaminess that makes it such a great dessert. But MCAH calls for using the sous vide bath as a bain marie, and it works amazing. The custard isn't churned from being in a bag, but by setting the water to 82 or 83 celsius, it still cant overcook and curdle.

Its an interesing hybrid between the "old" way and sous vide, but it's really just taking the entire concept behind a bain marie and going to the logical extreme.

[Anna N]

Just churned Douglas Baldwin vanilla ice cream ready to go into the freezer. Don't know why I took so long to make custard sous vide. So easy, so few dishes, so little chance of scrambled eggs.

I tried making Creme Brulee the Baldwin way forever, and it never came out right, always just a bit grainy, not that amazing creaminess that makes it such a great dessert. But MCAH calls for using the sous vide bath as a bain marie, and it works amazing. The custard isn't churned from being in a bag, but by setting the water to 82 or 83 celsius, it still cant overcook and curdle.

Its an interesing hybrid between the "old" way and sous vide, but it's really just taking the entire concept behind a bain marie and going to the logical extreme.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I might explore it one day though I'm not much of a dessert person.

Edited because I can't spell sharing!

Edited December 14, 2013 by Anna N (log)

[Spetsnaz47]

Hello everyone.

I am excited to join you in the sous vide journey.

I made a simple sous vide setup.

The bubbler (not on the picture) is not built in. Heater is meant to be used in washing machines. Lime that's visible on the heating element comes from testing.

Water bath is 3 gallons, however since the heater is 1800 W it will easily handle more if need be.

The temperature stays within 0.1 Celsius of the set value.

Today I shall try cooking chicken. I will try to be more coherent then :-)

FYI, I fill up my tank (I built my sous vide with an inegrated bath) with 10 - 25% vinegar and all that lime goes away. I'm also using a heating element from a household appliance (RV hot water tank), and the lime buildup can get out of control.

Thanks for the tip!

I will perhaps try it with a less smelly acid. The SV bath is in the same room as I am.

[rotuts]

Help w SV of a Smoked Country Ham:

My sister sent me a whole smoked country ham from Benton's :

http://bentonscountryhams2.com/

it is 18.5 lbs and 17 months old.

I have it in the refrig and my current plans include a variant of the Corned Beef I did last St.P's day:

I eventually will cut the ham into manageable chunks, to fit my larger SV bags.

Ill do a 12 - 24 hour desalting in very cold water w a water change or two

then bag up and SV at about 142.5 or so for 22 - 24 hours as i did w the corned beef.

then chill / freeze. Ill use the meat for

1) sandwiches thin cut 2) ingredients in casseroles/ green veg etc

any thoughts on the above? I do want to remove as much of the salt as possible with the first step and have a fork tender

but slice-able ( cold ) ham for sandwiches etc.

many thanks

Edited December 16, 2013 by rotuts (log)

[gfweb]

Does it need cooking?

[rotuts]

yes.

Ive had 'county hams' before and very good ones. just not from Benton's

their cooking instructions on hams:

" We do not advise baking our hams as then tend to turn out salty and tough, rather we encourage our customers

to saute thin slices ( 3/16 ") for a couple of minutes on each side. 1/3 C of coffee can be added to the skillet along with

about 2 T of brown sugar ..... "

of interest they only sell hams and bacon. nothing else.

they must have had recent publicity as there is now > 5 week wait for anything.

Ill of course try some paper thin as in Prosciutto, before I commit to the above methods.

as ive cut down my exogenous salt (Na) on purpose Im sure id be unable to eat and enjoy this with out removing as much of the salt as possible.

after desalting ill taste some for 'smokey - ness' if it need it the pieces will be the Weber 130 fruit would smoke after SV and rebagging.

I like the idea of all the bags comfortably in my freezer for what I hope to be stellar sandwiches all spring and summer.

They will sit next to the St. P's day desalted and SV'd and smoked corned beef i also plan to add when the St. P's days sales show up.

Edited December 16, 2013 by rotuts (log)

[pbear]

rotuts, don't know whether my experience is typical, but I've had rather poor success desalting country-style hams by soaking whole in cold water. No matter how much water I use or how many changes, the hams remain unrepentant salt bombs. Cooking one sous vide has never occurred to me, but what I'd do is this. Cut across the grain into thick slabs (you'll need a hacksaw to get through the bone). Pack in bags with an equal amount by weight of water. Cook 24 hours at 140F or so, as you suggest. This will both cook the ham and, I think, gently draw out about half the salt.

To be clear, that's not tried-and-true. Just thinking aloud. But it's what I'd try.

[ishkabibble]

rotuts, don't know whether my experience is typical, but I've had rather poor success desalting country-style hams by soaking whole in cold water. No matter how much water I use or how many changes, the hams remain unrepentant salt bombs. Cooking one sous vide has never occurred to me, but what I'd do is this. Cut across the grain into thick slabs (you'll need a hacksaw to get through the bone). Pack in bags with an equal amount by weight of water. Cook 24 hours at 140F or so, as you suggest. This will both cook the ham and, I think, gently draw out about half the salt.

To be clear, that's not tried-and-true. Just thinking aloud. But it's what I'd try.

I'm with you. I would however make an unsalted pork stock, freeze it in cubes and then bag it with the slices. I'd also look into going as low as possible with the temp. When I cook thin slices of country ham for biscuits, I just want them hot. If I let them get too hot, they turn to leather. I've also included stock when doing pork shoulder or beef brisket with much better results. The next time I sous vide turkey legs, some turkey stock is going in the bags.

[KennethT]

I've also been including stock and getting better results. I do a hainanese chicken rice by making a very concentrated chicken stock with shallot, garlic and ginger as aromatics. Stock goes in the bag with chicken breast - meat comes out great... then the stock for cooking gets recombined with the master batch of stock of which some is used to cook the rice. The stock gets more and more chicken-y as time goes on, so once in a while I'll refresh the aromatics and top up with a bit of water.

[rotuts]

interesting ideas many thanks

re turkey legs: at the temps I use for dark meat you do get some jus from the legs. at the lower temps for the white meat, very little.

[ishkabibble]

interesting ideas many thanks

re turkey legs: at the temps I use for dark meat you do get some jus from the legs. at the lower temps for the white meat, very little.

My results with turkey legs have been uneven. I've used Baldwin's and Mod. Cuis. At Home's recipes. I think it's been due to the quality of the legs. Adding stock is the next experiment. The breasts we had at T'giving were the best I've ever eaten. I used Mod. Cuis. At Home's recipe with the apple juice and milk brine at 133ºF. I usually pass up turkey breast, but not this time.

[rotuts]

good points Ive made a note of them.

[cookalong]

Quick food safety question. I was cooking a pretty thick piece of ribeye. Basically I put it in tepid water for an hour. I set the bath to 60C and planned to take it out once it reached 52C. For some reason, the circulator didn't start properly. I noticed this an hour later. At this point the water was at 36C, and the core temperature of the meat was 26C (from 4C in the fridge). Will it still be okay to bring it up to 52C, sear it, and eat? Is there any real risk of botulism? It was a pretty large and expensive piece, so I really don't wanna throw it away.

Edited December 21, 2013 by cookalong (log)

[Shalmanese]

If it was only an hour, then basically, it was the same as putting the meat on a warm counter for an hour and bringing it to room temp which is still within acceptable food safety guidelines. I'd find a way to sterilize the outsides before re-sous videing it though. Either a quick sear or a dip in boiling water.