Sous vide for a newbie?

[Shelby]

So, we had the SV wild Canadian goose legs last night for dinner.  I wouldn't have thought in 10 million years I'd have EVER eaten a wild goose leg for dinner and enjoyed it.  Ronnie and I couldn't stop raving about them.  They were like the most tender chicken leg you've ever had (and that is a HUGE compliment for a goose leg).  If only the hunters and hunting guides would start doing this.  The guides would be talked about for years if they made goose taste like this.  I just can't believe how good these things are.  

 

Dry brined in the "sweet" brine mentioned above over night.  Rinsed.  Vac packed with a good dollop of pork lard.  Into the bath at 179F for 11 hours.  I then took them out and threw them in the fridge.  A couple hours before dinner yesterday I put them back in at 179F to heat them up again.  So they went for a total of about 13 hours.

 

 

 

I wish I could give everyone a bite.  So tender.  Yes. I'm a raving lunatic now.  I want to shout it from the mountain tops lol.

[rotuts]

Shelby :

 

take a look here :

 

 

 

[rotuts]

"""    I then took them out and threw them in the fridge. """

 

be a bit careful here.  it takes a long time to chill down in a refrigerator  

 

Ice bath, with lots of ice in the long run is better

 

these days, snow in a container outside w water in it works great.

[Shelby]

1 minute ago, rotuts said:

"""    I then took them out and threw them in the fridge. """

 

be a bit careful here.  it takes a long time to chill down in a refrigerator  

 

Ice bath, with lots of ice in the long run is better

 

these days, snow in a container outside w water in it works great.

Thank you.  I have read about that.....I took a chance, I'm sure...but it was very late at night and I was tired.  

[KennethT]

@ShelbyHow much fat was left in the bag after the cooking was finished?  Do you think it was more than the initial amount of pork fat added?  If so, the next time, you don't need to add any fat.  Does Canada goose fat taste any different from other geese?  I had a roast goose in Hong Kong that I still dream about... If there is fat in the bag, you can drain it (along with all the drippings) into a mason jar, then cap it, and turn it upside down and put in the refrigerator.  Once solid, you can remove the jelly (that's now on top) and either discard it (it may be too salty) or use it to enrich a sauce.  But the fat is reusable...  Also, when reheating, you don't need to reheat to the original temperature - I find it best to reheat to 135F or so, so you don't cook any longer than you had originally planned.

[Shelby]

I'd say there was a bit more fat than what I started with.  However, wild geese have significantly less fat.  I couldn't really say if they taste different because I don't think I've had non-wild goose before......

 

Thanks for the tip on reheating.  I didn't worry about it in this instance because for these legs I think you could SV them for days and they would still be good.  

[rotuts]

your work with 'game' is invaluable.

 

id post some some of this info on Hunting sites

 

Ducks.Unlimited ?   etc

[Shelby]

I found some venison steaks from 2013 in the freezer--yes they were buried.  Anyway, I decided to thaw and SV them.  I know now why they were buried....they were cut kind of thin in order to make chicken fried venison.  I decided to forge ahead and use them.  Again, we raved about the SV way of cooking.  Since they were so thin and I knew that I would be searing them after the water batch, I used a temp. of 120F (we like them rare) and did them for about an hour and half.  Good stuff.

 

PS.  The cut was the end of the backstrap.

 

Edited January 21, 2016 by Shelby (log)

[kayb]

1 hour ago, Shelby said:

I found some venison steaks from 2013 in the freezer--yes they were buried.  Anyway, I decided to thaw and SV them.  I know now why they were buried....they were cut kind of thin in order to make chicken fried venison.  I decided to forge ahead and use them.  Again, we raved about the SV way of cooking.  Since they were so thin and I knew that I would be searing them after the water batch, I used a temp. of 120F (we like them rare) and did them for about an hour and half.  Good stuff.

 

PS.  The cut was the end of the backstrap.

 

 

I have had great success in the realm of chicken-fried steak by SV'ing beef round steak or sirloin tip, at about 125 for 4-5 hours, and then carrying on with breading and frying as usual. Really great way to prepare it -- fork tender, but still nice and juicy.

[rotuts]

""   

I have had great success in the realm of chicken-fried steak by SV'ing beef round steak or sirloin tip, at about 125 for 4-5 hours, and then carrying on with breading and frying as usual. Really great way to prepare it -- fork tender, but still nice and juicy.

"""

 

interesting ideas.  do you trim the steam into serving thickness pre-SV ?

 Like this

[kayb]

49 minutes ago, rotuts said:

""   

I have had great success in the realm of chicken-fried steak by SV'ing beef round steak or sirloin tip, at about 125 for 4-5 hours, and then carrying on with breading and frying as usual. Really great way to prepare it -- fork tender, but still nice and juicy.

"""

 

interesting ideas.  do you trim the steam into serving thickness pre-SV ?

 Like this

•  

Yes. If I'm going to pound it thinner, I do that, as well. I tend to leave it thicker if I'm going to SV it and then chicken-fry, since the pounding/thinness is mostly a tenderness thing anyway.

 

I haven't tried chicken cutlets, nor pork, but I'll bet both would be excellent that way as well. H'mmm. I may be seeing pork katsu in my future soon.....

 

[rotuts]

kayb

 

nice

 

very nice

 

consider Turkey, the generic  Fz  whole breasts   

 

os course, On Sale Only !!

 

they just have a bit more flavor   

 

but I see possibilities for the 7 Fz TurkBr's  in my freezer

 

if you SV  

 

after your remove the Dos tendons / side   ( that means you have the ' tender ' )

 

consider any stuffing   (  after a bit of pounding  ) 

 

then a tie up to keep it Just So in the bag.

 

delicious these are

 

if you add cheese, melting to not, the Cheese Stays In the Bag !!!

[kayb]

@rotuts, I used to quite often take chicken tenderloins, pound them flat, blot them dry, spread with a mixture of cream cheese and pesto, roll up and bake, before I got my SV. You can chill those, slice them, and layer them with fresh tomato and mozzarella and drizzle with a good olive oil and balsamic for a quite lovely little luncheon entree. It would be even easier with SV. Must put that on my list for next summer when it's caprese season.

 

[KennethT]

For something thin, like to be chicken fried, I think I'd precook, then chill.  Then bread and fry - during the fry, the interior will come up to temp and not overcook.

[rotuts]

the nice thing about SV  'stuffed' items  esp if you have a good vac sealer, but good enough Id guess with a Zip if you get rid of the air :

 

the stuffing stays put in the 'roll-up'

 

I tie the rolls first so that they keep their shape while inserted into the bags :

 

 

 

pre-bag

 

 

 

various CkBr pounded and stuffed   .  I use a wine bottle w the CkBr between plastic

 

 

Cooked.    not so delicious looking  but ......

 

Sur le Plate :

 

 

torched.   wonderful I must say

 

very nice w pounded sirloin 'tips', which I buy on sale and they the slap whole for me.

 

think  Braciole

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=braciole&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

 

I mass produce both, cook / freeze   and then re-therm.

 

Edited January 22, 2016 by rotuts (log)

[kayb]

4 minutes ago, KennethT said:

For something thin, like to be chicken fried, I think I'd precook, then chill.  Then bread and fry - during the fry, the interior will come up to temp and not overcook.

Yes. Exactly. And if I know I'm fixing that for a big crowd, I can even pre-bread, and chill or freeze on a baking sheet. If I freeze it, I can then re-bag it and keep it indefinitely, and just take them out and toss them in a hot skillet.

[haresfur]

8 hours ago, KennethT said:

For something thin, like to be chicken fried, I think I'd precook, then chill.  Then bread and fry - during the fry, the interior will come up to temp and not overcook.

 

I don't do the chill in my Search for the Perfect Parma. A sear in really hot rice bran oil seems to crisp the breading just fine without cooking the chicken further. Since I do the chicken at a 58 C, There is quite a bit of room for the surface to firm up a bit anyway.

[Shelby]

Boy, beef short rib times/temps are all over the place 

 

I'm on part 7 of the massive SV topic and have noted the following that people have used:

150F-36 hrs

131F-24 hrs

135F-48 hrs

141F-72 hrs

 

I started some last night.  I have them at 131F.  Trying to decide whether to eat them tonight.....or let them go until tomorrow night.....or let them go until Monday night......

 

Help?

[FauxPas]

Chef Steps has a nice overview of different cook times and temps:

 

https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/short-ribs-time-and-temp

 

Watch the short video and then scroll down for the details

I haven't tried this myself, though I keep meaning to. Got distracted with the Instant Pot and did some short ribs in it. 

Edited January 23, 2016 by FauxPas (log)

[KennethT]

@ShelbyIt depends on the result you're looking for.... 24h at 131 will give a medium rare, steak-like texture.  141 for 72hours will be more of a fork tender texture...  and then everything in between....

[Shelby]

Well, I held off for 48 hour beef ribs....they were probably more like 52 hour by the time we ate (after watching my AWESOME Broncos make it to the SUPERBOWL!!!!!)

 

Another hit.  SO good.   For what it's worth,  I was trying for 131F but my circulator kept flipping back and forth to 130F so I went up to 132F. I do want to try the 72 hour ones, too, but I don't know if I can keep my hands off the 48 hour ones lol.

 

I had Ronnie throw them on the electric smoker for about an hour and then I seasoned them with a rub that Santa brought it (typical beef rub).  I keep reading where people don't like to season their meat before SV'ing, but I haven't hit that point yet.  Here they are just out of the smoker (nice smokey smell)

 

 

Seasoned and bagged

 

 

Done

 

[rotuts]

you salted before SV ?  if so did you get any 'corned' flavors ?

 

were these 'fall off the bone' ?   that would be a reason to go to 72 H

 

I really like 130.1 for tough cuts  " to tenderness desired "

 

I tihnk there is much more flavor than braise, which is really as much about the sauce as the meats.

 

I think the SV market might enjoy a programable SV-er, as Im pretty lazy 'at times' that would do a

 

step-wise  SV a la PedroG  where each component in " meats " got denatured so that the " Whole Hunk " did not contract, what ever final temp

 

suited you.

 

one of my many projects that will remain a " thought exercise "

 

PS Shelby :

 

have you done IP'd ribs yet ?

Edited January 25, 2016 by rotuts (log)

[Shelby]

No, I didn't get any "corned" flavor.  Only BBQ and smoke.  The meat was very tender....not to where the bone would pull out, but tender.

 

(Yes, I've done pork ribs in the IP...also very good)

[Smithy]

So...I know Shelby has moved on to the 'regular' sous vide topics.  What about other 'newbies' who posted earlier, or who have been lurking along?  Has anyone bought a circulator and wished they'd gotten a different brand - say, bought a Gourmia and wished they'd held out for an Anova? Has anyone bought a circulator, played with it and then set it aside and wished they hadn't spent the money?

 

I have an Anova loaded in my Amazon cart, and haven't decided yet whether to pull the trigger, wait for a sale, or stick to my current bunch of toys.

[Martin Fisher]

I have three units, two Sous Vide Magics and an Anova One.

No regrets.

Will probably buy another one within the next year — either an Anova Wi-Fi or a Chefsteps Joule.

I'm guessing there will be some Anova sales coming up — maybe as soon as pre-Father's Day.