Long Time/Low Temp Cooking in the Oven

[Norman Walsh]

I have been very interested reading about long slow cooking.

There was a piece on radio 4 where heston blumenthall brined belly pork then slow cooked it, the total time was 72hours.

Being an old timer this is a cut of pork I really like and would be very gratefull if someone could point me to a recipe on doing this.

Also when he brined it would this be just a salt and water brine?

Thanks for any help on this.

wallie

[Duncan]

I have been very interested reading about long slow cooking.

There was a piece on radio 4 where heston blumenthall brined belly pork then slow cooked it, the total time was 72hours.

Being an old timer this is a cut of pork I really like and would be very gratefull if someone could point me to a recipe on doing this.

Also when he brined it would this be just a salt and water brine?

Thanks for any help on this.

wallie

←

Google is your friend.

Here's the bbc page with a recording of how it tasted, and see this pdf for the complete recipe for the slow cooked pork as well as the accompanying truffle macaroni.

At least, I think its the same recipe: after 24 hours brining it only calls for 36 hours cooking at 60C so I hope you have a water bath handy. Maybe this is the 'fast food' version.

[slkinsey]

Norman, is this a dish that is baked for a long time at low temperature, which the bbc link provided by Duncan implies, or is it cooked sous vide for a long time, which is implied by the complete recipe linked to by Duncan?

If sous vide's what you're looking for, we have one of the best collections of information on the internet right here in the eG Forums. If you're wanting to cook something in an oven for 48 hours at, say, 60C -- I'm not sure this is possible without a specialty oven.

[Norman Walsh]

I am looking for the best method to slow cook in the oven.

I have checked my oven and found that I can keep it at a temperature between 50-55C.

This is the temperature used by Heston Blumenthall on TV to oven cook a forerib of beef.

So I suppose I could use the same method to cook a pork joint.

Thanks

wallie

[slkinsey]

You have an oven that can reliably maintain 50C/122F?! That's impressive. I don't think I even know of a home oven that has that setting. Most home ovens only have a temperature setting as low as around 90C/200F.

What do you perceive as the advantages of open air long cooking in the oven versus sous vide? I'd be a bit worried about drying and contamination.

[Norman Walsh]

My oven is a standard electric fan oven, I done a check last week leaving it on for 12hours during the day at its lowest setting using an oven thermometer with an outside display and it never went above 55C.

Heston said in TV series 'If you cannot get your oven down to this temperature just leave the oven door open a crack'

I thought the oven method would be a lot easier than the sous vide for which I would need vacuum equipment etc. But I must admit I was very interested in the forum discussion you pointed me to.

Regarding advantage none, I just like trying different methods.

But after reading your reply when you mention contamination I might give this one a miss, I am ony 79 too young to die of food poisining!

Many thanks

wallie

[Duncan]

My oven is a standard electric fan oven, I done a check last week leaving it on for 12hours during the day at its lowest setting using an oven thermometer with an outside display and it never went above 55C.

If you have a digital oven thermometer with an outside display then please tell me where you got it. I've got a probe thermometer with a display outside the oven, but I haven't seen any digital oven thermometers. My analogue thermometer seems to show my oven has no problem maintaining a temperature about 70C but I haven't tried for lower.

I reckon that if you use the basic technique (brining in a mix of salt and spices then slow cooking) you can't go far wrong. I'd probably try a slightly higher temperature say the 70ish I use for things like beef combined with a shorter time (maybe 6-8 hours). It may not give an identical result but I reckon it should come out pretty nice. Not so sure about the best technique for the reheating: again maybe you'd be safest to go for a slightly higher temperature.

On the other hand, you do want to be careful as the pork belly was one of the dishes which initially gave food standards inspectors concern. As the Telegraph reported:

Further council tests on the pork belly, slow-cooked for 36 hours, took place last July and concluded that the dish complied with the council's safety standards.

Please, if you do try it, report back how it goes.

[Shalmanese]

You have an oven that can reliably maintain 50C/122F?!  That's impressive.  I don't think I even know of a home oven that has that setting.  Most home ovens only have a temperature setting as low as around 90C/200F.

What do you perceive as the advantages of open air long cooking in the oven versus sous vide?  I'd be a bit worried about drying and contamination.

←

My old oven in Sydney could stay rock solid at 50C. Generic Braun model but it was great at LTLT cooking.

[Lapin d'Argent]

You have an oven that can reliably maintain 50C/122F?!  That's impressive.  I don't think I even know of a home oven that has that setting.  Most home ovens only have a temperature setting as low as around 90C/200F.

←

My 1963 Westinghouse double wall oven goes down to 140F/60C.

But wait, there's more: stainless steel, side-opening doors.

Go ahead, make me an offer.

- L.

[Norman Walsh]

I bought my oven/food thermometer in Toronto a couple of year ago.

I think I have seen one very similar on the HeadCook website for Candy/Roast/Oven.

www.headcook.co.uk

wallie

[ermintrude]

Have a look at the AEG KB8920E built in oven can do.

Conventional

Fan

Bottom heat only (pizza)

Rotitherm - Fan then combination

Drying (from 30C up)

Low Temp (Starts out high then drops the temp)

Temperature probe - stops when the tempiture probe (inserted into meat) reaches the set temperature.

Steam

Interval Steam

Grill

Got one and it's great to use. Only issue I have is it's a single oven, so when I do need an extra oven I have to use the combi,microwave. It's not cheap and don't know if it's available outside of Europe.

Edited January 5, 2007 by ermintrude (log)