On 12/29/2016 at 0:07 AM, paulraphael said:
It cooks with numerical precision and absolute consistency...
Perhaps, but the product itself may not be consistent to begin with. Any vegetable/protein is sure to vary from one to another by virtue of season/location/manner in which it was raised,etc...
SV has its merits (hams, galantines, large roasts), but it is difficult to check, poke, taste, probe or baste what is inside the bag and any applications that run on for 2 days take some of the joy out of analog cooking With a boneless leg of lamb, sure. Shanks not so much, less so when I don’t get any sauce.
I simmer (low, controlled heat) stovetop often (shanks/pig head), with a thermometer and the variance of a few degrees is negligible over 5-6 hours. I'd be remiss if I relied on numbers for doneness/tenderness rather than tangible touching. Hearts & tongues I’ll gladly SV since the sizes are generally similar, don’t have the sinew/tendons of shanks, don't have any collagen for aspic and I dice them up anyway.
I get satisfaction and joy from the entire process of a traditional braise; the aromas that draft from the oven, rotating them so they brown evenly, testing for doneness, playing with the temperature, building a sauce and being pleased with the results. It is validation and the sum of attention, senses, discipline and skill. I don’t get that from SV. The end product of SV may be close to subjective perfection, but the journey isn’t scenic and analog nuances aren’t a bad thing, like in live music, hand-blown glasses and a craftsman’s woodwork.
What bothers me to no end is that the bags end up in a landfill. If someone can develop biodegradable no-cook vacuum bags and/or reusable bags, they'd do humanity a favor.
