Sous vide for a newbie?

[haresfur]

14 hours ago, Shelby said:

Yes, thank you @KitchenQueen for starting this topic and letting me crash it

 

Ok, so, I have a pork tenderloin that is 2 lbs. (it's actually 2 that were in the package).   I've seasoned and vac. packed them yesterday.  I've gotten some help from Kayb and I don't wanna bug her again lol.  So, I've seen every where from an 40 mins to an hour to 3 hours.....mostly I've read to use a temp of 140.  Can I leave it in there for 3 hours?  I want a nice, flavorful, tender loin.  Also, I know I've already sealed them up, but what about stuffing them?  Can I do that?  Like some onions, mushrooms and spinach and then sous vide?  I will take it out and sear it after it's done.

 

60 C (140 F), 1 hour 

 

Actually, I usually do 59 C (138 F) and maybe a bit shorter time. Not much difference, really.

[rotuts]

with SV, trim work on the meat before the SV is very beneficial and worth all your time and effort.

 

Ive mentioned the tendons on Ck/Turkey breasts.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=porlloin&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiNx6Ox35zKAhVIWj4KHSq4Aw4Q7AkIKw&biw=1113&bih=1066&dpr=1.2#tbm=isch&q=pork+loin

 

on pork loin there is a thin lawyer of 'silverskin'  ( thin tendon ) on one side and fat on the other  note the pic on the second line

 

on the far left, and then the fat cap one more line down. also note the various preps w rolled and stuffed

 

these stuffed versions do very well SV.   make more, not less as they are out standing sliced thin in sandwiches over the next few days.

 

I remove both. you can do something w the fat if you like if there is no tendon w the fat.

 

this improves SV when properly SV'd I think.

Edited January 9, 2016 by rotuts (log)

[kayb]

14 hours ago, Shelby said:

OH!  

 

Another question. 

 

After meat is done in the water, do you rest it before searing?  I assume it's good to rest it after searing?

 

13 hours ago, Chris Hennes said:

No, with sous vide there is no point in resting, the meat is already at a uniform temperature throughout. Resting is counterproductive.

UNLESS, in my case,  you tend to then overcook your meat (especially steaks) while searing. I find it works well to SV, refrigerate in the bag, then sear later.

 

13 hours ago, IndyRob said:

I wouldn't rest it so much as let it cool a bit.  In the traditional sense, a rest shouldn't be necessary.  But you spent a long time a long time getting it to the perfect temp.  Don't take it over the optimum temp while searing.

Yep. This may not be an issue for those who are more proficient and/or have better tools for searing than I do. 

 

12 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

I have found no use for the bag juices.  I pitch them.

 

If you have a dog (or probably a cat, either), they'll love you for drizzling bag juices over their food.

 

I failed to pick up Chris's final comment, that a properly-done sear affects only the outer layer of the meat. That is very likely true, BUT, for those like me who either (a) aren't as proficient at searing, or (b) don't have the best equipment for it, it's a useful alternative. It's also a timesaver if you want to cook, say, steaks ahead of time, and just sear at the last minute.

[rotuts]

"""   a properly-done sear affects only the outer layer of the meat """

 

completely true.

 

the issue is how thick that layer eventually becomes.

[Shelby]

I'm loving all of the advice

 

I'm also over the moon about my pork tenderloin ( @blue_dolphin how cool, we were twins last night  ) .  I've never had a loin--or a pork chop for that matter-- that I couldn't get enough of.  I seriously wished I had two stomachs lol.  I did it at 140 for 2 1/2 hours.  Seemed perfect to us but I'll try it for less time to see if that makes a difference.  It didn't have that "cured" taste--I was worried because I had salted it.  I could have done a lot better on the searing part, but we didn't care --the meat was too good to care. 

 

Seriously, I'm so impressed.  Why didn't I do this sooner lol????????

 

 Thanks to everyone again for all your help.  I'm doing venison steaks next.

 

 

 

[rotuts]

As SV provides you with tenderness once you understand times/temps, 

 

no need for tenderloin, a less flavorful cut than the larger loin.

 

and a few more $$$$$

 

glad you've Seen the Light !

 

BTW  'less time'  in the SV world should only refer to 'mealy-ness'  not 'done-ness'

 

once your 'bag' gets to its iso-thernal state, additional time in The Bath is for connective tissue breakdown

 

I personally am of the 'Target-Temp' school of SV, not the 'Initial-Overshoot' school, where your water bath is a few degrees above 

 

your target temp.  but to each their own.

 

looking forward to your Venison Studies.

Edited January 9, 2016 by rotuts (log)

[rotuts]

Shelby :

 

next time w the tenderloin try 135.      3 hours  

 

if it looks ' too pink '  for your ' tastes '

 

you could wear some sunglasses while you eat 

 

you will only need to do that once, if at all

 

 

 

[gfweb]

Looks fabulous, Shelby!

[gfweb]

In an earlier post I suggested SV at 130 for pork T loin. That was a mistake.

 

130 is the stove-top/oven temp to pull a pork T-loin after which it rests and comes up to around 135.

 

I find that I like the texture of my beef steak when it is cooked SV a little higher than the broiler target temp. I think this is because broiled/roasted steaks have a rim of well-done meat around a core of MR. SV gives you the whole thing at MR and the texture is mushier than my mouth is ready for even with searing. So if I want MR tasting strip steak I'll SV it to 135 when I would roast it to 125 or so (followed by a rest)

Edited January 9, 2016 by gfweb (log)

[KitchenQueen]

I'm going to get a cooler, as the only I own is styrofoam.   Is this way too honking big?  I have no idea how to judge the size. I just liked the split lid.

What would be a good size?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Rubbermaid-45-Qt-Blue-Wheeled-Cooler-FG2A9102MODBL/202315032

 

I have to get busy. I started this thread and ordered mine before Shelby.   She then ordered hers. got it and is cooking  like wild.   I've been swamped at work and mine is still in the box.   She's leaving me in the dust! 

 

 

[dscheidt]

 

43 minutes ago, KitchenQueen said:

I'm going to get a cooler, as the only I own is styrofoam.   Is this way too honking big?  I have no idea how to judge the size. I just liked the split lid.

What would be a good size?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Rubbermaid-45-Qt-Blue-Wheeled-Cooler-FG2A9102MODBL/202315032

 

I have to get busy. I started this thread and ordered mine before Shelby.   She then ordered hers. got it and is cooking  like wild.   I've been swamped at work and mine is still in the box.   She's leaving me in the dust! 

 

 

 

The claimed water capacity of the various models (I forget which one you bought) average around 5 gallons, 20 quarts.  In a cooler, you'll be able to do more than that, but probably not twice as much.  And you don't need a cooler.  You can use any container you can clip your circulator to.  I do most of my cooks in a 20 quart enameled steel stock pot, because I have it.  Works fine, and with a piece of plastic wrap as a cover, it doesn't lose much to evaporation. 

 

[blue_dolphin]

45qts seems pretty big to me, but I'm a single person household and don't need that much capacity.  I am using a 10 qt Igloo that I already had.  Like @dscheidt said, you don't NEED a cooler, although it would make very long cooking times easier on the instrument and more energy efficient.  You can just clip the Gourmia on to a good sized pot.

 

If you do want a cooler, you might want to check one out locally so you can see whether the thickness of the walls is going to be a good fit for your unit. The wall thickness isn't specified in a lot of online listings.  I have a cooler similar in size to the one that you linked to and the walls are about 2 1/2 inches thick with just a short 1 inch section at the very top.  I checked and I can fasten my Anova to that top section if I really want to try something massive, but I don't think it's likely.

[Smithy]

Those of you who use a steel (or aluminum) stockpot: do you insulate it somehow?  If not, do you have a feel for how much heat you lose to the room and how it affects your time/temperature?

[gfweb]

With a pot heat is lost, but the circulator keeps up easily. In long hot cooks, water evaporation is the issue so I keep the pot covered with foil and throw a towel on top of that. I also have a big Cambro with a lid that I cut an Anova-sized hole in.

[dscheidt]

10 minutes ago, Smithy said:

Those of you who use a steel (or aluminum) stockpot: do you insulate it somehow?  If not, do you have a feel for how much heat you lose to the room and how it affects your time/temperature?

 

I've watched the power use of my Anova with a kill-a-watt a few times.  (it's a pain, I don't have enough outlets in my kitchen.  Sigh.)  I did a 48 hour cook this summer, at about 140 F, in the above mentioned pot, with a plastic wrap cover.  Average power was 50W.  Just the pump is about 15.  Higher temperatures (and lower ambient kitchen temperatures, it was hot) will have higher power draws.  185 F was about 150w recently, if I remember right. 

 

The things are designed to cope with heat loss, and maintain the proper temp.  on the kill-a-watt, you can see the heater come on for a few seconds, then off for a few, and come back on, etc.   The biggest source of heat loss is evaporation, so a simple cover takes care of that. 

 

AT 150 W, it costs me about 1.25 cents an hour to run; if a cooler saved 2/3 of that, it would take a long time to pay for a cooler!  (Something like 3000 hours to pay for the cooler linked above)   1.25 cents is rather less than it costs to run my oven, or a stove burner, so I'm not terribly worried about it. 

[KennethT]

Exactly - I can measure power output of my PID controller... I use a large stockpot... at low temperatures, covering it is not a big deal - and once you reach temps, you basically only use about 100W - less if covered... at higher temps (like 180F+) you really need to keep it covered or you'll lose a lot of water to evaporation plus you'll use a lot more power...  with the stockpot, at 180F, covered, my unit uses about 150-175W, uncovered is like 400W

[JoNorvelleWalker]

1 hour ago, Smithy said:

Those of you who use a steel (or aluminum) stockpot: do you insulate it somehow?  If not, do you have a feel for how much heat you lose to the room and how it affects your time/temperature?

 

I use a steel stockpot with my anova.  For a short cook, say a couple of hours, I don't worry about evaporation.  For anything overnight or longer, I put plastic wrap over it.

[lesliec]

On 10/01/2016 at 3:25 PM, gfweb said:

With a pot heat is lost, but the circulator keeps up easily. In long hot cooks, water evaporation is the issue so I keep the pot covered with foil and throw a towel on top of that. I also have a big Cambro with a lid that I cut an Anova-sized hole in.

 

On 10/01/2016 at 4:59 PM, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

I use a steel stockpot with my anova.  For a short cook, say a couple of hours, I don't worry about evaporation.  For anything overnight or longer, I put plastic wrap over it.

 

I third the motion of a steel stock pot.  I cover mine with foil and evaporation hasn't really been an issue, even on long cooks (but I still check).

 

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is insulating the bottom of the pot.  This may not be of concern to many, but I don't fancy using my three-metre granite benchtop as a giant heat sink, so I sit my pot on a wooden chopping board.

 

I also have a larger cooler (with an Anova-shaped hole in the lid) for really large or long cooks, but I haven't used it since the Anova 2 (Bluetooth version) arrived, mainly because the new Anova is so much quieter than the original.

[rotuts]

remember, coolers keep things cool, 

 

the top is not insulated..    

 

it is a good idea to 'test' the coolers w your anova or what ever locally first.

 

for long cooks I seal the edges w packing tape, then put some synthetic blankets on top

 

Im not so much trying to save money but  less on/off of the heating element of the ci9rculator

 

and of course, coolers are way bigger than any pot I have.

 

I like bulk SV ---   Chillll  ----  freeze

[kayb]

Quick SV question, and as I came to this thread more quickly than any other SV thread --

 

I'm going to make beef stroganoff tomorrow night. I've laid out a couple of top sirloin steaks, about 1.5 lbs total; they're cut about 3/4 inch thick. They're from my grassfed, farm-raised steer, so they tend toward being a little tough, so I thought I'd SV them for a while before searing them and going ahead with the regular SV prep. Suggestions on temp and time? I will have plenty of time I can SV and then chill, or SV and take them straight out of the bath and add to the skillet, either one. I'd thought of 125 to keep it rare to start out with, and count on the pan cook to raise it to medium rare. Too high? Too low? Suggestions? Had also thought in the neighborhood of two hours to break down connective tissue and make the meat good and tender. Yes? No? Longer? Shorter?

 

All assistance appreciated!

 

 

[rotuts]

""  beef stroganoff ""

 

to me thats a fairly thin strip of very tender meat in a Stroganoff sauce

 

pick your final thickness, and make the cuts you have just that.

 

after you get your cut, Id go with 130.1 for 6 hours

 

I would not even think of browning, as stroganoff is about very tender tasty meat

 

in the S.Sauce

 

pay more attention to the sauce, forget the browning for this dish

 

please report what ever you do.

 

Beef Stroganoff is a 'chafing dish' sort  of thing

 

to me not a browning sort of thing.

[kayb]

58 minutes ago, rotuts said:

""  beef stroganoff ""

 

to me thats a fairly thin strip of very tender meat in a Stroganoff sauce

 

pick your final thickness, and make the cuts you have just that.

 

after you get your cut, Id go with 130.1 for 6 hours

 

I would not even think of browning, as stroganoff is about very tender tasty meat

 

in the S.Sauce

 

pay more attention to the sauce, forget the browning for this dish

 

please report what ever you do.

 

Beef Stroganoff is a 'chafing dish' sort  of thing

 

to me not a browning sort of thing.

Thanks! I'll put it on earlier than I'd planned.

[lesliec]

5 hours ago, rotuts said:

after you get your cut, Id go with 130.1 for 6 hours

 

That seems a long time, Rotuts.  The meat isn't very thick.  I won't dispute your temp recommendation, though - that's exactly what I'd go for.

 

Kay, the time will partly depend on whether your two steaks are in the bag 'side by side' or stacked, which of course would double the thickness.  But either way I wouldn't go much beyond three hours, since you're then going to cook them again with the sauce.  But in principle the 'double cooking' technique is a great use of SV.  I've done it several times and it takes away one whole variable, since when you come to finish the dish your meat is already cooked and you can concentrate on other aspects, like the sauce as Rotuts says, without worrying if the meat is going to be ready at the same time as everything else

 

We expect reports and pictures, naturally.  Have fun.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

On 10/01/2016 at 6:54 PM, lesliec said:

 

 

I third the motion of a steel stock pot.  I cover mine with foil and evaporation hasn't really been an issue, even on long cooks (but I still check).

 

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is insulating the bottom of the pot.  This may not be of concern to many, but I don't fancy using my three-metre granite benchtop as a giant heat sink, so I sit my pot on a wooden chopping board.

 

I also have a larger cooler (with an Anova-shaped hole in the lid) for really large or long cooks, but I haven't used it since the Anova 2 (Bluetooth version) arrived, mainly because the new Anova is so much quieter than the original.

 

I set my stock pot on a Le Creuset silicone trivet.  If my anova were any quieter I couldn't tell that it was on.  Seriously, almost no sound.

 

[Shelby]

I really wish the index was working for the sous vide sections.  I see goose listed, but can't find it anywhere doing a search.

 

Does anyone have any experience doing goose breasts?  (wild, Canadian)

Edited January 11, 2016 by Shelby (log)