Sous Vide Bag Juice

[dmruf]

One question: Do you guys use the bag juice to make sauce after cooking meat sous vide? I'm currently doing a 72h short rib and there is quite a  bit of juice accumulating in the bag. 

[gfweb]

I do. It can be a little albumin-y, the sort of stuff that would caramelize if the meat was cooked on a saute pan, which can make for a odd texture in the sauce.

 

I tend to boil it off to the point that it caramelizes on the pan, and then deglaze with whatever.

 

I've also just cooked it down a little and added starch or Wondra to make a gravy-like sauce that hides the bits of coagulated protein that appear when it is cooked.

Edited December 23, 2014 by gfweb (log)

[pbear]

A third strategy - which is the one I generally use - is to heat by microwave (or on the stove) until the the proteins coagulate, strain them out and stir the liquid into whatever sauce I'm making.

[mgaretz]

I do.

[o'rly]

Fluid Gel with agar to get rid of the protein ooey gooey. Or compound it with a bit more butter to even out the fat content and add a squeeze of acid to get rid of the tackyness texture.

[KennethT]

A third strategy - which is the one I generally use - is to heat by microwave (or on the stove) until the the proteins coagulate, strain them out and stir the liquid into whatever sauce I'm making.

Sometimes, if I have lots of time, I will do this, but reserve the liquid. I will then fry the coagulated proteins in a little oil until browned, then deglaze with the reserved liquid.

[FeChef]

Just a little trick to simulate a long roasting and deglaze effect........

 

Put all the sous vide bag juice in a stainless steel pot.

Place bag on flat surface and use a flat spatula to scrape the coagulated bits to the edge of the bag.

Put the coagulated bits into the pot.

Boil the juice and when the coagulated bits start to come to the surface take a blow torch and char them as it cooks down.

When almost all of the liquid has cooked out, scrape and deglaze with wine or stock of choice and put in container until ready for use to make your sauce.

[Kerry Beal]

I pour it into a bottle in the freezer and use it mostly for gravy.  I brown some flour in beef tallow, then a bit of vinegar and as much of the bag juice as I need for flavour.  I might add a little extra water if needed.  I don't bother to coagulate out the protein unless I'm going to use it in a clear sauce.

[paulraphael]

I use a combination of methods like the ones mentioned here, depending on how refined a sauce I'm going for and how much time I want to spend. 

 

The simplest / most rustic is just to deglaze the searing pan with the bag juices, and reduce all the way, until the goopy proteins dehydrate and turn a dark mahogany color. Then just deglaze with wine or stock (or even water), season however you like, and strain. 

 

The disadvantage to this method is you'll lose all the lighter aromatic flavors from the juices while you amplify the savory and roasted flavors.

[FeChef]

 

The disadvantage to this method is you'll lose all the lighter aromatic flavors from the juices while you amplify the savory and roasted flavors.

I use it like a no salt concentrated beef base. Or use it like a rub for a steak.

[weedy]

unless I am purposely cooking in a liquid in the bag, I don't generally use the liquid that just leeches out into the bag

[nickrey]

When you heat it gently, the solids precipitate out and you can easily pour/siphon off the osmazome (look this up e-Gullet for previous discussions). Don't boil it as the volatile flavours will dissipate.

 

I then heat the residual solids to mimic the maillard effect you get when cooking steaks conventionally.

 

Add some red wine to deglaze, salt and pepper and boil to desired thickness. Add the osmazome back in, heat and you will get a very passable reduction sauce. Add some Sherry vinegar before serving to give a complex acid edge to the sauce. Add green (raw, not in colour) peppercorns when you add the red wine and you will get a pepper sauce (mount the sauce with cream).

 

My preference is to make the sauce after having the meal and use the (frozen) sauce from the previous meal with the current one.

 

I'd never throw the juices away unless they were over seasoned.

Edited January 6, 2015 by nickrey (log)

[Anna N]

When you heat it gently, the solids precipitate out and you can easily pour/siphon off the osmazome (look this up e-Gullet for previous discussions). Don't boil it as the volatile flavours will dissipate.

 

I then heat the residual solids to mimic the maillard effect you get when cooking steaks conventionally.

 

Add some red wine to deglaze, salt and pepper and boil to desired thickness. Add the osmazome back in, heat and you will get a very passable reduction sauce. Add some Sherry vinegar before serving to give a complex acid edge to the sauce. Add green (raw, not in colour) peppercorns when you add the red wine and you will get a pepper sauce (mount the sauce with cream).

 

My preference is to make the sauce after having the meal and use the (frozen) sauce from the previous meal with the current one.

 

I'd never throw the juices away unless they were over seasoned.

nickrey,

I especially like your idea of making the sauce AFTER the meal and using previously frozen sauce. I intend to implement this. Thank you for a great idea.