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

[TdeV]

On 3/6/2025 at 6:49 AM, TdeV said:

@rotuts, I've just discovered they overcharged me $20 on $91 meat, so I'm going to take them back for adjustment (and not unwrap them). Will let show you soon.

 

@rotuts, I went back. I elected to take the difference in meat. They ended up giving me about $30 worth of meat!

[TdeV]

Defrosting a 4.2lb whole chicken in the fridge at the moment.

 

I'm interested in cooking the whole chicken sous vide in the Anova oven, unbagged. All recipes online* mention preparations for bagging before immersion. And none* mention whole chickens. So not a lot of help to be found.

 

Anyone have time/temp recommendations?

 

Now that I think about it, I roast (Romertopf) whole duck but first remove the breast (which is sous vided at a lower temperature later). Maybe I should listen. 🙃

 

 

* from my several hour perusal of google, eGullet, Anova recipes, Judy Rogers, Heston Blumenthal at home, etc.

 

 

Edited to add:

I found this https://anovaculinary.com/pages/sous-vide-chicken-guide

 

 

Edited May 7 by TdeV (log)

[Steve Irby]

The last two stuffed porkchops from the freezer.  I cooked them last October in my sous vide circulator and seared them off today in a smoking hot steel pan.   

 

 

Edited May 8 by Steve Irby (log)

[ElsieD]

2 hours ago, Steve Irby said:

The last two stuffed porkchops from the freezer.  I cooked them last October in my sous vide circulator and seared them off today in a smoking hot steel pan.   

 

 

They look good.  What are they stuffed with?

[Steve Irby]

On 5/8/2025 at 4:03 PM, ElsieD said:

They look good.  What are they stuffed with?

I stuffed them with a fresh Spanish sausage that I have been making for years.  http://lpoli.50webs.com/index_files/Longaniza-Spanish-fresh.pdf .  The stuffing was bulk sausage leftover from the linking up process.  Next time I'll add some bread crumbs to bind the mixture and give it a better  mouth feel.

[YvetteMT]

Wondering if anyone had advice on SV of wild turkey breasts?

 

Deboned and I plan on smoking them as well. 

These are not the giant butterballs of the world. Quite flat actually. 

 

My current plan (quite changeable!) is to SV 6 hours at 142.5F and then smoke for 2 hours post cool down.

 

Bird in question- (Merriam and a young Tom from last year)

 

 

[Dr. Teeth]

8h @ 140 is what I have used with good results.   Not sure how to adjust for the smoke.   What smoke temp are you using?   
 

Beautiful bird btw.

[gfweb]

Those temps are fine.  Longer times (like 6H) make sense for a potentially tough bird.

[YvetteMT]

27 minutes ago, Dr. Teeth said:

8h @ 140 is what I have used with good results.   Not sure how to adjust for the smoke.   What smoke temp are you using?   
 

Beautiful bird btw.

I have a Traeger,180 is the lowest setting. Or, i can use a smoke tube for a true cold smoke experience.  I'm open to either option.

[rotuts]

@YvetteMT

 

I agree w your temp , Id rapid chill in ice water

 

6 should be OK .  if not , next time 8 .  Id not go lower ( 140 F ) nor higher ( 145 f   more jus in bag , less in bird )

 

and cold smoke w the Tube , but not more than an hour.

[YvetteMT]

1 hour ago, rotuts said:

@YvetteMT

 

I agree w your temp , Id rapid chill in ice water

 

6 should be OK .  if not , next time 8 .  Id not go lower ( 140 F ) nor higher ( 145 f   more jus in bag , less in bird )

 

and cold smoke w the Tube , but not more than an hour.

Appreciate it. 

Opinion on cold smoking before or after the bath?

[gfweb]

14 minutes ago, YvetteMT said:

Appreciate it. 

Opinion on cold smoking before or after the bath?

 

I smoke first and am happy with the results.

[KennethT]

I also smoke first - I find it makes a rounder smoke flavor as some of the smoke winds up in the bath water.

[rotuts]

I smoke after , as the items are ice cold , but fully cooked.

 

try both and report back !

[gfweb]

Home corned beef 5 days with a dry rub and then SV at 140F for 36 hours.  Pretty perfect!

 

[rotuts]

@gfweb

 

I can taste it through the screen.

 

Kudos your way.

[Smithy]

20 minutes ago, gfweb said:

Home corned beef 5 days with a dry rub and then SV at 140F for 36 hours.  Pretty perfect!

 

 

That looks excellent. I have a few corned beef briskets squirreled away from sale times. Although it can't be the same as yours, since mine is already corned, I'll try your time and temperature when I get to it. Am I looking at a flat cut here? (I have both flat and point cuts.)

[rotuts]

@Smithy

 

I think the difference between 140 F @  36 H vs 48 H might be slightly noticeable 

 

if you had them side by side ,  but I'd pick the time that was most convenient 

 

and just slice the 36 H a bit thinner.

 

hopefully you froze the commercial CB ?

[Smithy]

5 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@Smithy

 

I think the difference between 140 F @  36 H vs 48 H might be slightly noticeable 

 

if you had them side by side ,  but I'd pick the time that was most convenient 

 

and just slice the 36 H a bit thinner.

 

hopefully you froze the commercial CB ?

 

You think the 48 hours would produce a slightly better result?

 

Two of the commercial CB's are frozen. One is not, but has been kept chilled very cold in its original package since I purchased it.

[rotuts]

@Smithy

 

I like the temp 140 F for commercial CB.  I like the way it turns out @ 48 H .

 

its not pull apart tender like pulled pork ,  but a 1/4 inch slice , when hot can be inhaled after ' cutting ' w a fork.

 

the difference in time will only give you a slightly different tenderness.  if you are looking forward to a 

 

thicker slice , hot , fork tender  then 48 H     you would get that @ 36 H , with a thinner slice.

 

if your main goal is sandwiches , wont matter a bit , just slice to your desired thickness , for both versions.

 

BTW :  Id cook the Fz CB , right after you Vac'd them , and they will be fine.

 

the refrigerated CB , Id partition into several pieces , and still use 140 F , but check a portion

 

@ 12 H , if not 8 H , and if tough , re-bag and continue.

 

you might get a nice chew @ 1`2 Hrs .  but @ 48 H , it might be mush.  mine from the refig for quite some time were.

 

that's way back on the SV or CB thread.

 

 

[gfweb]

As @rotuts said. 

 

I like a little texture to my CB which I slice thin or fry as a hash.  36H is great.  I also think I've got a better piece of meat than the  ones they sell already cured that need papain. 

 

As an aside, I've seen the papain -treated ones turn into mush at 140 and 36 h.

[Smithy]

@rotuts and @gfweb, thanks for your input. The truth is, my darling and I were always pleased with a commercial CB that we'd boiled, with potatoes. Got a good dinner or two that way, then used the rest with sandwiches. I think I'll do that, at least with the one that hasn't been frozen. Reubens are calling me rather insistently.

 

Trying the sous vide treatment on one of the frozen ones, now, that still sounds like a fine experiment. But I'll keep the time short. Mush isn't what I want.

[rotuts]

@gfweb and @Smithy :

 

the papain treated CB's do not turn to mush , if  you SV'd them promptly after purchase.

 

and in the case of S&S  ,  its St.P's sale was probably brought into the store relatively ' fresh ' after

 

processing.   the last points are pure guesswork.

 

the the 6 CB's that I worked with  , either the same day of purchase , or the next day after subsequent purchases  

 

had not been sitting in the meat cooler very long :  they weren't there the previous day :

 

there was a 2 CB limit on that sale.

 

on the other hand , years and  years ago , at a similar sale , I kept several in the refig  ( 40 F or so )

 

very close to the ' best buy date ' , which was several months ( refrigerated )

 

those did not enjoy the SV 48 H bath.

 

and Im sure the Beef @gfweb put his effort into , from fresh , easily might have been of better quality .

 

I think a Fz CB , Fz close to purchase date , will do fine SV for either length of time.

[Smithy]

49 minutes ago, rotuts said:

I think a Fz CB , Fz close to purchase date , will do fine SV for either length of time.

 

These are months from purchase date...so I won't be taking any chances with it. As it happens, I've never tried freezing a prepared corned beef. You Enablers (I'm looking at you especially, @rotuts) tipped me into buying meat that I simply couldn't resist although I didn't need it. 😉

 

If I do anything of a sous vide nature with one of the corned beef packages, I'll report here. Otherwise, I'll bow out but continue reading with interest.