Any proof that adding oil to meat cooked sous vide makes it "juicier"?

[Martin Fisher]

Make a couple batches of sous vide chicken leg 'confit'....one with water and one with fat...all else being equal...you'll quickly see what a difference cooking in fat makes in 'moisture' and texture.

[paulraphael]

Fish is just about the only thing I brine. Part of the reason that it keeps it from oozing slime in the s.v. bag. Oil in the bag looks like just another approach.

[gfweb]

Make a couple batches of sous vide chicken leg 'confit'....one with water and one with fat...all else being equal...you'll quickly see what a difference cooking in fat makes in 'moisture' and texture.

You need a third bag with neither water nor oil to tell. My bet is that the water would be worst and the other two equivalent

[torolover]

Make a couple batches of sous vide chicken leg 'confit'....one with water and one with fat...all else being equal...you'll quickly see what a difference cooking in fat makes in 'moisture' and texture.

You sure about that? If adding oil has no affect on moisture loss, why would water?

 

Modernist Cuisine has recipes where meat is sous vide with beef stock!  Why would they do that if water/stock would make it less moist? I understand stock may give it more flavor, but I'm only concerned with moisture loss at this point.

Edited December 12, 2014 by torolover (log)

[Martin Fisher]

Heck, I'm no scientist...all I know is it makes a difference. 

 

I think that gelatin leaching (or not) is part of it...if stock is high in gelatin will all the gelatin leach out of meat (unlikely) or will there be an equilibrium which maintains gelatin in the meat?

 

Inquiring minds want to know.

 

 

Kenji writes about cooking in fat rather than water and it's affect on "moisture' in the following link..... see "Watered Down"..... http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/07/the-food-lab-how-to-make-crisp-and-juicy-carnitas-without-a-bucket-of-lard.html

I'm not sure that he has the science right though.

Edited December 12, 2014 by DiggingDogFarm (log)

[rotuts]

very nice, re: Carnitas.  thanks for the ref.

[Volition]

As stated above. I too add oils to the packaging for sous vide, I was under the impression it was to aid thermal transfer. Any small air gaps are taken up by the oil. In doing a long slow sous vide with beef I add coconut oil for a Thai style/flavoured dish. In addition I think when searing post cook, it means I have an oil coating on the meat to also help searing. I match the oil to what I'm making. I've never heard that the oil is added to help moisture retention. Very minimal amounts are added.

Time to experiment with it. Parameters to test will have to be purely based on which I prefer in a blind test. I'll have to test one bag with and one bag without. Using a strong flavoured oil and test a neutral flavoured oil. On long cook and short cook. So another blind test to add to the list.

[Martin Fisher]

It won't make much if any difference during a short cook....the longer the cook the more difference it seems to make.

Edited December 14, 2014 by DiggingDogFarm (log)

[torolover]

As stated above. I too add oils to the packaging for sous vide, I was under the impression it was to aid thermal transfer. Any small air gaps are taken up by the oil. In doing a long slow sous vide with beef I add coconut oil for a Thai style/flavoured dish. In addition I think when searing post cook, it means I have an oil coating on the meat to also help searing. I match the oil to what I'm making. I've never heard that the oil is added to help moisture retention. Very minimal amounts are added.

Time to experiment with it. Parameters to test will have to be purely based on which I prefer in a blind test. I'll have to test one bag with and one bag without. Using a strong flavoured oil and test a neutral flavoured oil. On long cook and short cook. So another blind test to add to the list.

If you do a long cook for 24-48 hours with short ribs or duck legs, a lot of fat will render.  Those small air gaps you were talking about will be filled with rendered fat, and when you post sear, it will already be coated with it's natural fat.

 

While you are at it, perhaps you can do a third test with the meat covered with only plain water while you sous vide!

Edited December 14, 2014 by torolover (log)

[gfweb]

and a 4th with nothing added