What Are You Cooking Sous Vide Today? (Part 3)

[scubadoo97]

I just pulled duck legs from the fridge that had been salted in a dry brine of salt with a little sugar, orange peel and thyme then pressed for 2 days.  I guess I’ll follow the Anova rec of 12 hrs at 170f and SV in reserved duck fat.  I’ll get this started this evening so it will be ready in the morning

[kayb]

That makes me think. I have duck fat in the fridge. Duck season opens here either this weekend or next (though it's been warm enough I haven't seen any ducks, yet). Most hunters will take only the breasts of their game birds. I'm thinking about putting out a call to my duck-hunting buddies for duck legs. Wonder how wild duck confit would taste? 

 

With any luck, I can get a couple of breasts and try wild duck breast pastrami.

 

[Anna N]

17 minutes ago, kayb said:

That makes me think. I have duck fat in the fridge. Duck season opens here either this weekend or next (though it's been warm enough I haven't seen any ducks, yet). Most hunters will take only the breasts of their game birds. I'm thinking about putting out a call to my duck-hunting buddies for duck legs. Wonder how wild duck confit would taste? 

 

With any luck, I can get a couple of breasts and try wild duck breast pastrami.

 

 You might find this  worth a read. 

[kayb]

Thanks, @Anna N. I will be getting in touch with my duck hunters.

 

[boilsover]

3 hours ago, kayb said:

Thanks, @Anna N. I will be getting in touch with my duck hunters.

 

 

5 hours ago, Anna N said:

Wonder how wild duck confit would taste? 

 

It's like some fish--it depends what they eat.  IME, migratory birds taste better (less fishy) than resident ducks.  Where I live, the flyers have more orange feet, whereas the residents tend to have yellower.

 

Wild duck legs are pretty small and sinewy.  Legs on wigeon and teal can be tiny.  Fat mallards with their gullets full of grain--that's what you want, IMO.

 

Maybe you should invest in a duck press?  Christofle makes a nice one!

Edited November 18, 2017 by boilsover (log)

[boilsover]

8 hours ago, Anna N said:

I am wondering how much is dependent upon the sous vide rig you are using. Since the app is designed to account for different rigs which I’m assuming heat at different Rates although they all reach the same final destination, Is the time and temperature different for Anova vs a Joule.  Although I think you have the ANOVA. Did you download the app or are you on an android?Did you download the app or are you on an android?

Hmmm, all I did was set the temp, wait for the bath to come up to 77C, and put in the 2 eggs for 14:00 as suggested.  All manual, no app, BT, etc.  This was in an insulated cooler with 9Q of water, so the temp drop at the dump was <0.5C and only for about 20 seconds.  Eggs were at 5C to start.  The water was circulating well, moving the eggs constantly.

 

I've checked the bath temp serveral times in these attempts, and the Anova's been spot on.

[Anna N]

5 hours ago, boilsover said:

Hmmm, all I did was set the temp, wait for the bath to come up to 77C, and put in the 2 eggs for 14:00 as suggested.  All manual, no app, BT, etc.  This was in an insulated cooler with 9Q of water, so the temp drop at the dump was <0.5C and only for about 20 seconds.  Eggs were at 5C to start.  The water was circulating well, moving the eggs constantly.

 

I've checked the bath temp serveral times in these attempts, and the Anova's been spot on.

 I think I failed to express myself as well as I should have. I was wondering if it was dependent on the temperature curve.  But the screenshot of the app shows that they are using an Anova as are you.  I am at a loss. I will repeat the experiment today or tomorrow myself to see if I get any different results.  I might even break out the ANOVA to do it. 

[Anna N]

 I needed two eggs today so I took their temperature directly out of the refrigerator and it was bang on 5°C.  That’s one variable down!

Edited November 18, 2017 by Anna N (log)

[blue_dolphin]

I cooked my first sous vide steak yesterday and was pleased with the results.  I'm not much of a meat eater but have been enjoying more if it recently and kept thinking of some delicious steaks some friends fed me last time I visited them. 

Yesterday, I saw a ~1.75" thick, 1.2 lb rib eye marked down from $15.99/lb to $8.47/lb and deemed it a good size for me to play with.

2 hrs @ 130°F followed by a sear in a cast iron skillet.

 

I believe I can improve on the sear and slicing (photo in the Dinner thread) but I enjoyed consuming the results of my little experiment.

[rotuts]

@blue_dolphin 

 

if you have any leftovers of that steak

 

there is a Steak Sandwich waiting to talk to you .

[Smithy]

1 hour ago, rotuts said:

@blue_dolphin 

 

if you have any leftovers of that steak

 

there is a Steak Sandwich waiting to talk to you .

 

That, or a steak salad. 

[blue_dolphin]

1 hour ago, rotuts said:

@blue_dolphin 

if you have any leftovers of that steak

there is a Steak Sandwich waiting to talk to you .

 

I do have leftovers and have been planning it all morning.  Gotta check my horseradish and make sure it still has some tingle left in it !

 

15 minutes ago, Smithy said:

That, or a steak salad. 

 

There may be enough for both!

[rotuts]

If there is fresh bread w good crumb =>  the swadwich

 

however , to add a wrinkle , that same bread would make superb croutons for the Salad.

 

 

win - win

[Anna N]

35 minutes ago, rotuts said:

If there is fresh bread w good crumb =>  the swadwich

 

however , to add a wrinkle , that same bread would make superb croutons for the Salad.

 

 

win - win

And if none of these seem as if they are going to work I can send you my snail mail address. Oh wait maybe I don’t want my cooked steak aged. 

[robirdstx]

 

New Zealand Frenched Rack Of Lamb Chops ~ Seasoned with olive oil, salt, black pepper and fresh thyme; cooked at 135F for 2 hours and 45 minutes, then seared over the ceramic element on our gas grill

[Anna N]

I know I promised to repeat the experiment with the 70 something degrees egg but this morning I just needed breakfast and didn’t want to mess about poaching eggs. These are the 90° 8 minute eggs and I couldn’t ask for a better result based on my expectations.

 

 

 This is my set up which is in my stainless steel sink so you can get an idea of how shallow the  pan is.  I don’t have to worry about protecting my counter or about any spills when I do it this way. 

 

 

 

[rotuts]

were the eggs plopped in the hot water directly from the frig ?

 

Generic Store eggs ?

 

looks very nice.

[Anna N]

38 minutes ago, rotuts said:

were the eggs plopped in the hot water directly from the frig ?

 

Generic Store eggs ?

 

looks very nice.

 Thank you. Generic supermarket “Longlegs”  directly from fridge into hot water. I took their temperature the other day and they are at 5°C in my fridge. They are graded large   

[boilsover]

10 hours ago, Anna N said:

I know I promised to repeat the experiment with the 70 something degrees egg but this morning I just needed breakfast and didn’t want to mess about poaching eggs. These are the 90° 8 minute eggs and I couldn’t ask for a better result based on my expectations.

 

 

 This is my set up which is in my stainless steel sink so you can get an idea of how shallow the  pan is.  I don’t have to worry about protecting my counter or about any spills when I do it this way. 

 

 

 

These are close to what I like.  Still, 90C for 8 minutes versus 95 C for 4-5 minutes (aka simmering water, non SV)?

 

Can someone please explain the practical advantage of doing these SV?  The temps are high enough that timing seems just as critical.  What am I missing?

[Anna N]

4 minutes ago, boilsover said:

These are close to what I like.  Still, 90C for 8 minutes versus 95 C for 4-5 minutes (aka simmering water, non SV)?

 

Can someone please explain the practical advantage of doing these SV?  The temps are high enough that timing seems just as critical.  What am I missing?

 If you can get the same results (especially the texture of that egg yolk), then you’re not missing anything.  Life is too short to sweat the small stuff. I don’t think there is a practical advantage if by that you mean is it more efficient. 

[boilsover]

53 minutes ago, Anna N said:

 If you can get the same results (especially the texture of that egg yolk), then you’re not missing anything.  Life is too short to sweat the small stuff. I don’t think there is a practical advantage if by that you mean is it more efficient. 

Thank you.  I was fearful there was some secret priesthood or decoder ring that I was unwitting to.

 

Thing is, I've run into many people lately (e.g., poring over the Prime beef or $$ fish offerings) who--with no bidding at all--volunteer that "I'm doing this sous vide!" with some supercillious intonation that suggests superiority.  I just now thinking: How difficult, really, is it to cook $24/lb black cod without a CV circulator?

 

Just checking emperors for clothes.  One of my many character flaws. Sorry.

[weedy]

I run into 10 dismissive "you're boiling in a bag" culinary luddites for every "supercilious... superior" sous vider.

 

I'm not a fan of SV fish generally (re your black cod... which is sable anyway), but the prime beef? 

Yes, I think odds are it's going to be much better treated SV unless you have a restaurant quality broiler, and even then it's a very different result that's not my preference.

 

Birds of any description? better SV 95% of the time.

 

Pork or lamb? Odds are in the SV favour.

 

[Anna N]

5 hours ago, boilsover said:

Thank you.  I was fearful there was some secret priesthood or decoder ring that I was unwitting to.

 

Thing is, I've run into many people lately (e.g., poring over the Prime beef or $$ fish offerings) who--with no bidding at all--volunteer that "I'm doing this sous vide!" with some supercillious intonation that suggests superiority.  I just now thinking: How difficult, really, is it to cook $24/lb black cod without a CV circulator?

 

Just checking emperors for clothes.  One of my many character flaws. Sorry.

 Please do not apologize. There are many ways to skin a cat as they say although I would NOT like to try anyone of them   If we all did everything the same way and all agreed that it was the only way,  what would be the point of this forum ?    

[boilsover]

15 hours ago, weedy said:

I run into 10 dismissive "you're boiling in a bag" culinary luddites for every "supercilious... superior" sous vider.

 

Well, I'll offer that one well-schooled culinary Luddite is preferable to 10 newb culinary fashionistas/fanboys.

 

A problem here is that SV circulators are at their apogee in terms of mass market sales.  There's very little pushback or even balanced discussion about what SV can't do, the intrinsic complications that puncture the "precision" and "perfection" ideas, and the efficiencies/duplicative steps involved.  Technophillia being what it is, it's pretty easy to dismiss cynics, doubters, and even the judicious as Luddites--while avoiding debate.

 

I see a parallel with induction appliances.   It took, what, 20+ years to debunk the claim that induction is more efficient than coil electric?  Or for people to "scorchprint" to show how uneven many of the induction coils are?  There was (and still is) a certain irrationality afoot about what is gained and what is given up (God Rest Sitram Catering!) in the name and hedonic feedback loop of Modernity.  To even question the induction mode made one, at best, a reprobate.

 

Besides, be careful of what you think you know about the Luddites' cause.  They actually liked machines.  See, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/what-the-luddites-really-fought-against-264412/

 

 

[weedy]

It’s argued, not “debunked”... re induction

 

but in any event, 

you’re making a loaded argument. 

 

Who says the luddite is well schooled but the modernist is not?

that tends to be the opposite. 

 

Many more sub average cooks who imagine they “know how to” roast a chicken than people who are interested enough, and invested in food enough, to jump into SV but can’t be bothered to learn to do it properly. 

 

It’s one thing to prefer a steak cooked with a gradient. That’s obviously some people’s preference and it doesn’t require my agreement to validate it. 

But a lot of people DON’T really prefer that, especially given the CHOICE or having the opportunity to actually taste the steak cooked consistently through. 

And that’s part of why so many restaurants are cooking steaks and chicken that way whether they announce it or not. 

 

I’m not dismissing anyone’s choice to cook under a broiler if they know they prefer that. 

Otoh, anyone who dismisses the preference for the result cooked SV as “fanboy” ( also sexist by the way) Or “fashionista” is just being foolish. 

 

I know how to roast and broil and braise. 

Well. 

I’m learning my way round pressure cooking to see what that gives me. 

If you  really KNOW your way round SV cooking then you’re in a position to decide whether it’s “better” or not. For YOU, in a given circ. 

 

Until then it’s just feels like a war of defensive words. 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 20, 2017 by weedy (log)