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

[Duvel]

Here on HK rabbitnis almost impossible to source, but when we were still living in Germany we had rabbit rather often. My wife - as all Catalans - is very fond of rabbits in their cooked form and I do enjoy it as well. Usually I chopped the whole bunny (or two) up in four pieces, sprinkled with olive oil and salt & pepper (and maybe some Pimenton de la vera) and throw it into a preheated convection oven at full whack. About 5-10 min in it gets golden on the surface, by which time I properly covered the deep oven tray with some tin foil and switched the oven off and left the rabbit in. The pieces cooked in the residual heat for maybe 1h or so and came out nice and juicy every single time. Also here, that was before I discovered SV. Am curious now how Shelby’s SV treatment and deep-fry would work out on it ...

[EatingBen]

I’m attempting to make a Moroccan dish normally cooked in a targine. 

 

I browned the lamb, I Sous Vide potatoes, carrots and onions at 85c for 90 minutes, added dates, blanched almonds and chicken stock and then into a hoist frying pan with a touch of oil I threw in a bunch of spices. It all went into a bag and into the water bath at 75c 

 

I’ve never done a long cook at higher temps with vegetables so I’m wondering if they will hold up for the 18 hours I intended on cooking it for. But it’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while so how’s the time to fine out and then refine!

[Kim Shook]

On 3/23/2019 at 10:18 AM, Shelby said:

Sous vide and then fried chicken.

 

Brined the chicken in some salt water overnight.  Or maybe it was more like 2 days. 

 

All ready to go in the water bath at 147F for a couple of hours.

 

 

After--some nice broth in there to make gravy out of

 

 

Resting in some buttermilk with a beaten egg

Then plopped in a bag full of flour seasoned with a bit of garlic, Lawry's salt and lots of black pepper and fried

 

 

 

That looks great, @Shelby!  I want to try that technique!

[ElsieD]

On 3/23/2019 at 10:18 AM, Shelby said:

Sous vide and then fried chicken.

 

Brined the chicken in some salt water overnight.  Or maybe it was more like 2 days. 

 

All ready to go in the water bath at 147F for a couple of hours.

 

 

After--some nice broth in there to make gravy out of

 

 

Resting in some buttermilk with a beaten egg

Then plopped in a bag full of flour seasoned with a bit of garlic, Lawry's salt and lots of black pepper and fried

 

 

 

 

That's brilliant.  I have some jumbo chicken wings.  Think that technique would work with wings?

[Shelby]

25 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

 

That's brilliant.  I have some jumbo chicken wings.  Think that technique would work with wings?

Most definitely!

[blue_dolphin]

On 3/23/2019 at 11:10 AM, rotuts said:

the rabbit i bought , at the time

 

came from a high-end meat market in the area I grew up in

 

I used to see frozen rabbit from Pel-Freez Foods in grocery stores. I haven't seen it since their animal welfare concerns but they are apparently still in business. 

The name always caught my eye as we used to have Pel-Freez prepare custom antibodies when I worked in the lab.    I always wondered if they used the same rabbits to make antibodies and then sold the meat.

[rotuts]

interesting.

 

Ive also done immune work with with rabbits.

 

Id bet  ...................

 

 

Edited March 24, 2019 by rotuts (log)

[gfweb]

13 hours ago, EatingBen said:

I’m attempting to make a Moroccan dish normally cooked in a targine. 

 

I browned the lamb, I Sous Vide potatoes, carrots and onions at 85c for 90 minutes, added dates, blanched almonds and chicken stock and then into a hoist frying pan with a touch of oil I threw in a bunch of spices. It all went into a bag and into the water bath at 75c 

 

I’ve never done a long cook at higher temps with vegetables so I’m wondering if they will hold up for the 18 hours I intended on cooking it for. But it’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while so how’s the time to fine out and then refine!

 

Evaporation will be an issue if the vessel is uncovered

[EatingBen]

53 minutes ago, gfweb said:

 

Evaporation will be an issue if the vessel is uncovered

Fully covered cambro container except where the poly science water circulator cutout is but I’ve done three day cooks and haven’t had to top it up. 

[TdeV]

16 hours ago, EatingBen said:

I’m attempting to make a Moroccan dish normally cooked in a tagine. 

 

I'm very curious how this turns out. My long practise is to SV the lamb at low temperature for multiple days and then, a couple hours before dinner, to cook the rest of the tagine on the stovetop with a little pre-made stock.

Edited March 25, 2019 by TdeV
Clarity (log)

[EatingBen]

35 minutes ago, TdeV said:

 

I'm very curious how this turns out. My long practise is to SV the lamb at low temperature for multiple days and then, a couple hours before dinner, to cook the rest of the tagine on the stovetop with a little pre-made stock.

 

I’ll have a detailed answer for you tomorrow night, its in the fridge chilling but I can’t try it today because I’ve a wedding to go too. 

 

It looks appropriate to tagine I’ve had in the past the lamb feels tender when pressed and I’m hoping it’s taken on a lovely braised texture. The vegetables aren’t mushy which I was concerned about and there is some liquid in the bag but not large amounts of it. 

 

I am quietly excited about it but I know full well it could end up being a disaster! 

[Bernie]

Interested to see what you think of the spices. I do a  a lamb shanks with Moroccan spices and found the spices didn't combine well in the SV so I precooked them on the stove top, let them cool and then did the SV. Will be also interested if the spices penetrated into the potatoes and other veges.

Love those spuds you cook in a stew for hours, firm but slightly mushy on the outside and full of stew flavor.....

We need more experimentation like this!

 

[EatingBen]

4 hours ago, Bernie said:

Interested to see what you think of the spices. I do a  a lamb shanks with Moroccan spices and found the spices didn't combine well in the SV so I precooked them on the stove top, let them cool and then did the SV. Will be also interested if the spices penetrated into the potatoes and other veges.

Love those spuds you cook in a stew for hours, firm but slightly mushy on the outside and full of stew flavor.....

We need more experimentation like this!

 

Years ago I picked up a tip to fry spices in a fry pan with some oil before using them in anything like slow cooker, or for long slow cooks makes the spices taste better and gives the chance for the flavours to combine a bit. For Sous Vide I rarely ever use anything more then salt and occasionally BBQ sauce for pork and chicken. So we will see how it turns out, I fried the spices first before adding it and they smelt amazing but I don’t know if I used to much or not enough. 

 

I am looking forward to tomorrow nights dinner though and already have the cous cous planned

[Shelby]

Decided to experiment with frog legs --sous vide, then fried.

 

Bagged and ready to go in the bath at 135F for about 45 mins.

 

After

 

 

They got really tender--some fell apart.  I might reduce the time down to 30 mins. when make these again.

 

I did a beer batter--equal parts flour and cornstarch with enough beer to make it a bit runny but still thick enough that it leaves a trail when you drag a fork through it. I also decided to dip each leg into a bit of cornstarch before dipping in the batter.  Not sure that was needed, but wanted to make sure the batter stuck.  And it did.

 

 

Overall, I call this a success  

 

 

[rotuts]

@Shelby

 

Im pretty much dying here w the above

 

are the FG's  tough when you've cooked them before ?

 

Ive only had them a few times , and Tasty they are.

 

rather than reduce the time , but you might

 

lower the temp to 130.1

 

30  min or so

 

then try again.

 

were these Fz ?    who know where the FG's came from when I had them

 

in the USA Im betting Fz

 

in FR can't say

 

I sought in FR there are Frog Commercial Industries that rival Tyson

 

who knows ?

 

Im betting w there  various Birds you get , and fly and work for their dinner

 

the Legs  SV  then Fried might be a true Hit.

[Shelby]

11 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@Shelby

 

Im pretty much dying here w the above

 

are the FG's  tough when you've cooked them before ?

 

Ive only had them a few times , and Tasty they are.

 

rather than reduce the time , but you might

 

lower the temp to 130.1

 

30  min or so

 

then try again.

 

were these Fz ?    who know where the FG's came from when I had them

 

in the USA Im betting Fz

 

in FR can't say

 

I sought in FR there are Frog Commercial Industries that rival Tyson

 

who knows ?

 

Im betting w there  various Birds you get , and fly and work for their dinner

 

the Legs  SV  then Fried might be a true Hit.

Ok, thanks.  Good idea.  I'll reduce the temp too.

 

Yes, these are frozen legs that I bought from Cajun Grocer online a while back.  I'm not sure where they get them, though.  

 

Frog legs are tricky for me.  If I fry them a smidge too long, they are tough--and I seem to always fry them a smidge too long lol.  So, like the chicken, having them already cooked and then frying to the perfect color and texture seemed easier for me.

 

I'll be doing pheasant breasts next....and then, when hunting season comes back around, I'll do some thighs and legs (unless I have some in the freezer....which I might....)

[rotuts]

@Shelby

 

thanks

 

I have Big Ideas for you

 

"""  croquettes ""

 

why ?

 

consider :

 

Turkey C's

 

after Thanks Giving   w the left overs  ?

 

w a bit kof stuffing in the C 'sa

 

more later

 

as you deep fry 

 

2 Kodos your  way\

 

the CR's   after SV at 130 are interesting

 

more later

[EatingBen]

On 3/24/2019 at 7:04 PM, EatingBen said:

I’m attempting to make a Moroccan dish normally cooked in a targine. 

 

I browned the lamb, I Sous Vide potatoes, carrots and onions at 85c for 90 minutes, added dates, blanched almonds and chicken stock and then into a hoist frying pan with a touch of oil I threw in a bunch of spices. It all went into a bag and into the water bath at 75c 

 

I’ve never done a long cook at higher temps with vegetables so I’m wondering if they will hold up for the 18 hours I intended on cooking it for. But it’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while so how’s the time to fine out and then refine!

So this worked well. Actually surprisingly well for a first attempt. 

 

Things that went well, the spices which where fried off in a pan first was absolutely spot on and had a fantastic balance, The almonds end up fantastically but are nicely poached with a nice soft crunch. The lamb had the perfect texture which is exactly what I wanted, same with the carrots and onions. 

 

Things that didn’t go as planned. The lamb was a little dry, next time I’ll cook for less time. Needed more liquids, more chicken stock for next time. The potatoes are texturally ruining the dish so I’m picking them out they weren’t cooked enough next time I’ll either leave them out or get them nicely cooked. Needed more sweetness more dates next time. 

 

Since there is about 6 meals the first time I had it as it, the second time I added more stock and removed the potatoes. Adding stock reduced the thickness of the sauce but I’ll add ultra tex 4 to hopefully give it more mouth coating without affecting the flavours too much. 

 

All in all this is a success that I’m going to build on. 

[rotuts]

@EatingBen

 

thank you for reporting on your lamb dish

 

for me , dryness 9n meat SV is related to temp  not so much time.  but time is of course a factor.

 

higher temps squeeze juice out of meat , thus dryness.   

 

same principle applies to traditional braises;  they are better the next day possibly because juice reenters meat.

 

consider a temp of no more than 145 F for the lam , indeed 140  maybe.   ( 62.5 C and 60 C )

 

at those temps you might need to add some time for the tenderness you are looking for.

 

lower temps for meat squeeze out less meat juices , but need more time for tenderness if the meat is not already tender.

 

browning for some before SV is problematic for some , so consider this.

 

" braise " via SV probably needs mrs than one step.

 

good ;uck and keep track of things some way so you can refer back to them

[Okanagancook]

I agree with @rotuts about the temperature for cooking the meat.

 

Edited March 27, 2019 by Okanagancook (log)

[weedy]

Agreed.

 

also, there is a push in some circles to 'rename' Sous Vide as 'low temperature cooking'.

 

Which I think might be over simplistic (which by the way isn't a synonym for "simple", and it drives me up a tree how often I hear it used that way, but...) but at least makes the point that SV cooking is most useful for its ability to maintain accurate, controlled low temperatures over time.

 

But the time you're cooking at !80F or so, you might as well be braising in an oven or on the stove top.

 

 

[EatingBen]

On 3/27/2019 at 10:01 PM, rotuts said:

@EatingBen

 

thank you for reporting on your lamb dish

 

for me , dryness 9n meat SV is related to temp  not so much time.  but time is of course a factor.

 

higher temps squeeze juice out of meat , thus dryness.   

 

same principle applies to traditional braises;  they are better the next day possibly because juice reenters meat.

 

consider a temp of no more than 145 F for the lam , indeed 140  maybe.   ( 62.5 C and 60 C )

 

at those temps you might need to add some time for the tenderness you are looking for.

 

lower temps for meat squeeze out less meat juices , but need more time for tenderness if the meat is not already tender.

 

browning for some before SV is problematic for some , so consider this.

 

" braise " via SV probably needs mrs than one step.

 

good ;uck and keep track of things some way so you can refer back to them

Going backwards a bit from your reply. 

 

I've found browning before to be problematic especially with Australian lamb, depending on where you get it you get different types and ages. I had assumed the lamb I had gotten was older and tougher, but it wasn't. I tried cooking a new portion at the same temp but for only 6 hours and it had the texture I wanted, it was much less dry and much closer to what I was wanting. When I say dry as well I do not mean that clawing unpalatable dryness that is common with overcooked meat more I missed the mark with time and temp in sous vide and the average person would think that meat was excellent but I would consider it sub par to what I'm used too. 

 

I will however give a lower temp a go, for lamb I love the braised texture especially in stews and pies so I'll keep trying for that but the lamb is younger then I wanted so it hopefully will work and I have a lot of it in my freezer. 

 

Overall I'm happy with a but, so I'll keep working on that! 

[EatingBen]

20 hours ago, weedy said:

Agreed.

 

also, there is a push in some circles to 'rename' Sous Vide as 'low temperature cooking'.

 

Which I think might be over simplistic (which by the way isn't a synonym for "simple", and it drives me up a tree how often I hear it used that way, but...) but at least makes the point that SV cooking is most useful for its ability to maintain accurate, controlled low temperatures over time.

 

But the time you're cooking at !80F or so, you might as well be braising in an oven or on the stove top.

 

 

Sous Side is precision cooking, not necessarily "low temperature" 

 

I hate slow cookers, all of them. Everyone has their own idea of the right temp and everyone I've used requires massive portions and those that are smaller end up being so hot they are useless. With sous vide I can do slow cooking at the temp I want in a bag and have my own temperature that I choose and know is safe as well. 

 

I think Sous Vide is a tool like any other, Why limit myself to just a stove top or an oven for a certain style of cooking that would require me to be present and active during the cooking. I can throw it all into a bag and seal then come back when ever I'm meant to or later and it'll still be good. Trying doing that on a stove top or oven. 

 

Don't get me wrong, I love making long slow braised legs of meat in the oven and doing the whole roasted vegetables and making gravy and everything else that goes with making a meal of that nature but it's not something I long to do on weekends very often and never for just myself. 

 

Sous Vide is just a vessel of water, heated with precision and the person is left to their own devices to figure out how to do whatever they want to do. So I use it. 

[TdeV]

@EatingBen, once I had had lamb leg/shoulder done at 143F (62C) for 48 hours, I was hooked. Lately I've been using 131F (55C) for 24 hours following something Douglas Baldwin wrote about on an eGullet thread. Finish with a broiler or a blow torch.

 

Divine, I tell you, divine!

[haresfur]

20 hours ago, weedy said:

Agreed.

 

also, there is a push in some circles to 'rename' Sous Vide as 'low temperature cooking'.

 

Which I think might be over simplistic (which by the way isn't a synonym for "simple", and it drives me up a tree how often I hear it used that way, but...) but at least makes the point that SV cooking is most useful for its ability to maintain accurate, controlled low temperatures over time.

 

But the time you're cooking at !80F or so, you might as well be braising in an oven or on the stove top.

 

 

 

Cat's out of the bag on the name. I bought some dodgy frozen meat pies that advertised "Sous Vide cooked beef". Even if people don't know what it means, they know it is gourmet.