What Are You Cooking Sous Vide Today? (Part 1)

[ojisan]

Am experimenting with chicken confit - two leg/thigh quarters @ 59¢/lb. Dry cured overnight w/ 2% salt (nothing else), rinsed, then sous vide for 8 hrs. @ 80º C. w/ a Tbl. of duck fat and no spices added in the bags. I have another hour to go before sampling....

[gfweb]

Am experimenting with chicken confit - two leg/thigh quarters @ 59¢/lb. Dry cured overnight w/ 2% salt (nothing else), rinsed, then sous vide for 8 hrs. @ 80º C. w/ a Tbl. of duck fat and no spices added in the bags. I have another hour to go before sampling....

I'm feeling a reduced balsamic glaze with this.

[KootenayCook]

do you feel you got some 'wine' flavor into those steaks ?

 

independent of the sauce ?

Not that I noticed.  They were salted overnight & rubbed with confit garlic before being bagged with the wine.  This was more about absorbing some of the steak juices into the wine and incidentally lowering the tendency for carcinogen formation when they were subsequently seared.  Trying a repeat tonight & will try to remember to take a pic.  Edit: we also happened to have an open bottle of wine that was a little too far gone.

Edited December 5, 2014 by KootenayCook (log)

[scubadoo97]

I have some Japanese sweet potatoes in the bath at 150f. Will end up roasting or mashing them from there

[Anna N]

Not often do I find cheap lamb. This one has been seasoned in store.

I washed off most of the seasoning and vacuum sealed it in plastic.

Into water at 55°C (The temperature dropped a little as I added the cold meat)

It will remain blanketed like this for 24 hours.

[rotuts]

Ids very much like to hear and see how that leg turns out.

 

Early On while learning SV I did some boned out leg of lamb.  It turned out mushy.  as the cost was relatively high, I never went back

 

to solving that problem

[KootenayCook]

Last week I sv'd some striploins with about 1/4 c. red wine added to the bags.  122F for about 2.5 hr. (They were over 1" thick).  The bag liquid was added to some demi-glaze (bought) to make a rich sauce.  Steaks were dried & seared at 1 min./side.  They were great, but probably 45 sec. would have sufficed.  No pix, sorry. 

[paulraphael]

It's pretty safe to sear things by eye. IME, there are too many variables (temperatures of the pan, of the food, dryness of the food, proteins and sugars available on the surface etc.) to be able to pinpoint a time that will always give the results you want.

 

One thing that can help is to prepare a concoction that accelerates the Maillard reactions. I used to make a solution in water, but find it's easier and probably better to just use dry powders. Mix 2:3 (by weight) baking soda and dextrose. Sprinkle a dusting onto the surfaces you'll sear. you can do this along with salting. Browning will take off much faster than without.

 

If you have a very high output range, and are able to sear with your pans at restaurant temperatures, this may lead to charred pan drippings. But I find it helpful most of the time on my typical home stove.

[rotuts]

KC :

 

Im pretty much bereft 

 

as that's not going to be My Dinner

 

but Im pleased It going to be yours.

 

Stunning  I might say.

 

even with the Hint of Green and the PoTot's and the garlic.

 

Well done !

[KootenayCook]

It's pretty safe to sear things by eye. IME, there are too many variables (temperatures of the pan, of the food, dryness of the food, proteins and sugars available on the surface etc.) to be able to pinpoint a time that will always give the results you want.

 

One thing that can help is to prepare a concoction that accelerates the Maillard reactions. I used to make a solution in water, but find it's easier and probably better to just use dry powders. Mix 2:3 (by weight) baking soda and dextrose. Sprinkle a dusting onto the surfaces you'll sear. you can do this along with salting. Browning will take off much faster than without.

 

If you have a very high output range, and are able to sear with your pans at restaurant temperatures, this may lead to charred pan drippings. But I find it helpful most of the time on my typical home stove.

 

Quite right.  That should have been a "note to self". Also, if I had thought about it beforehand, I would have had the torch handy to sear the edges (for sanitary reasons), but I was stuck holding a dishtowel in front of the stove so that the smoke didn't escape and set off the smoke alarm.

[Okanagancook]

Sous vide lamb loin.  Nathan recommended times from SV index:  131F for 2 hours.  "paulraphael-magic-baking soda/dextrose-browning-powder" applied to the left half of the loin in the pan.  Notice how much browner it is.  They were in the hot pan with grape seed oil for about a minute.  He is correct in warning that it can burn quickly.  The last photo shows that the lamb was medium rare.  We like it a smidgen less done so next time I will use 128 F for the sous vide time.

 

 

[Anna N]

But I surely would not send that lamb loin back to the kitchen. I can only hope that my boneless leg of lamb which I will be searing very shortly looks half as appetizing.

[rotuts]

Soooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

looking forward to 

 

AnnN

 

good or bad

 

its a point that Serious Students of SV\

 

will help them  forward there Studies   In Lamb

 

Complex  these studies were to me   back then

 

many thanks

[Anna N]

Soooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

looking forward to 

 

AnnN

 

good or bad

 

its a point that Serious Students of SV\

 

will help them  forward there Studies   In Lamb

 

Complex  these studies were to me   back then

 

many thanks

Charging up my iPhone. Hoping to remember a photo. Company coming so I tend to forget photos. Lamb out of fridge and about to go for a swim to warm it up before I sear it on the Griddler.

[Anna N]

Make time for one quick photo. The lamb was incredibly tender and tasty. I canvassed my guests and while they disagreed on the degree of doneness that they enjoyed they all agreed that it was tender and not at all mushy. It was a boneless leg of lamb cooked at 55°C for 24 hours.

[Okanagancook]

I am NOT sending that leg back either. Demonstrating the wonders of sous vide cookery....a difference of 22 hours cooking time resulting in essentially the same degree of 'done ness'. Although yours looks a little rarer than my loin. Wonder if that was because of the thickness of the meat.

[weedy]

I tend to find that about 134F (or very nearish) is the magic number for rendering mammalian fat.

 

 

And that's a thing I like.

I used to think I 'liked' things more rare; but cooking sous vide at various temps has convinced me that at about that temp beef tastes beefier, lab tastes lambier, goat tastes Gautier (<g>) etc.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Dashi tonight, Dave Arnold's method.  Except that I freeze distilled water before bagging it.

[pbear]

I am NOT sending that leg back either. Demonstrating the wonders of sous vide cookery....a difference of 22 hours cooking time resulting in essentially the same degree of 'done ness'. Although yours looks a little rarer than my loin. Wonder if that was because of the thickness of the meat.

 

More likely, it's a difference in the meat.

[ChocoMom]

So, I've read this thread with great interest. And, now I am curious to try it.  I have some vacuum-packed, venison backstraps in the freezer, and was wondering if anyone has successfully SV'd venison?  I didn't see it listed as something that's been done on this thread.  If anyone here might know what the appropriate temperature is, and the suggested length of time- I'd great appreciate it if you might share that with me.  It's a very lean cut, its quite tender- sometimes called referred to as the 'filet migon of deer.'   I assume I would thaw it first, then proceed? I'd really love to try this!

 

We also raise organic, grass-fed red and black Angus, and there is plenty in the freezer to experiment on now.  I think I see a new main-dish on the menu for Christmas dinner.      Rolled Rump or Sirloin Tip roasts come to mind.  Mmmmm.

 

I'd appreciate any responses/advice anyone is willing to lend. Thanks so much! 

Andrea

[rotuts]

Ive done sirloin tips  ( whole slab  cut down to say 2 pieces, 'Roast-like' id you get the idea )

 

6 hrs  130. left-overs, if any, make a stunning steak sandwich the next day later that same night !

 

 

also thinner cuts from the CSA 'said' to be sirloin steaks  also 130 6 hours. very nice.

 

if you are just starting out with SV consider keeping a note-book, as after a few years you will want to refer back to your

 

own data from time to time.

 

like to hear about the venison : Baldwin has 1/2 page on venison.

 

Im guessing that backstrap is the same cut that on beef would be called NY Strip or some-such ?

 

Google tells me its Primo and very tender:

 

so for Baldwin venison loin :  rare, unpasteurized 125 1 - 1 1/2 hrs

 

Medium rare, still unpasteurized  130 1 - 1/2 hrs

 

Medium rare, pasteurized  130 2 - 2 1/2 hrs.

 

venison shoulder, chuck, hip, leg take much longer 1 - 2 days 130   hip : 130 12 - 18 hours

 

lucky You !    

[torolover]

Following Modernist Cuisine, I just did a 72 hour short rib at 141F.  Came out dry!!  Anyone else have experience with this?  

 

When I test sous vide meats, I don't like to use any marinade or sauce.  This way I can really see if the meat is dry or juicy and not confuse the "juiciness" from a sauce.

 

I pan seared for about 30 seconds on each side after I sous vided the short rib and then added a little salt.

 

This short rib cost me $14 a pound from the "Best" butcher in Boston!  It is from a local cow and pasture raised.

 

If you look at the pic, you can see the meat is dry.  I chopped off the middle fat part before I ate it so I don't confuse juiciness with that large piece of fat.

Edited December 8, 2014 by torolover (log)

[rotuts]

""  "Best" butcher in Boston ""

 

i live in the area and have for quite some time

 

" Best " is a money maker in the area for various magazines and other none such.

 

you will have to go back to the original SV thread and work your way through there and then and only then

 

will you understand SR's

 

a learning experience Id say

 

SV excels at cheaper and meaner cuts

 

you " Best " saw you and and others coming

 

Id like to hear who this "Best" is

 

PM might work.

 

thanks for the report all the same.

 

"Just for Fun: "

 

was the local cow pastured on the Common ?  after all in NE that's what they were designed for

 

 

back then

Edited December 8, 2014 by rotuts (log)

[Okanagancook]

They do look dry.  I referenced the link to Chef Steps Beef Rib cookery above.  Have a look at that.  #8 is their longest cook at 72 hours but at a temperate of 129F and they certainly look juicy.  At your higher temperature, they tend to cook for 48 hours...closest is #6 at 144F which is the one we like.  Also, the meat quality, as Rotuts infers, has a lot to do with it.  Shame after you waited all that time for dinner

[weedy]

FWIW, although sous vide is terrific at making the most of "lesser cuts", that in no way means that prime, expensive cuts don't benefit from sous vide cooking.

 

anything that you want to really control the 'doneness' of with accuracy benefits.

 

I want an expensive rib eye to be perfectly med rare every time as well.