You have me drooling even before any pictures...
I had done my reading and had heard everyone say how amazing the difference in texture is on a cut of meat like a flank steak but have to admit it exceeded my expectations by a substantial amount. The meat was so tender and juicy it was hard to get the whole slices to stay on a serving fork. It was probably the most perfectly cooked steak I have ever had with the meat cooked with uniformity from edge to edge. This was a cheap, historically tough cut of meat and one of the comments on the steak was that it was like a perfectly cooked prime rib texture and flavor wise. After 24ish hours in the Sous Vide Supreme at 134 degrees I seared the outside for roughly 30 seconds per side on a cast iron pan that was probably around 450 degrees or so based on the temperature of the grillI saved some of the marinade to the side(obviously before it was in contact with raw meat) and brushed it onto the steak before searing it, which gave the outside some nice carmelization and the texture and flavor of the beef combined perfectly with it. The SVS isn't a cheap kitchen gadget but this one meal has affirmed that it is worth every penny in my mind. Simply amazing. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Tonight I hauled the SVS over to my parents house and made a miso marinated sea bass. The marinade is one I have used before but I have always broiled the fish. This was is better. My only complaint is that there is usually a nice browning and carmelization on the edges and the top of the fish and it was far too delicate to transfer multiple times. It was difficult not to break it simply removing it from the bags. Next time I will grab a creme brulee torch to get the texture I want on the outside. Internally, the texture and flavor was simply amazing. Another win for the SVS. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Sous Vide seems like a great new way to cook, I'm a bit confused, when you cook in the bags, wouldn't the chemicals in the bag be harmful to the food. A while back, I saw people cooking omelets in Ziploc bags. Is there a special bag to cook the food in?
You need to use food grade bags and you won't have any issues with chemicals. I can't speak for any other type of bag.
Food porn...Love it. Where do you buy food grade bags? Also, do you cook vegetables in the SVS? I'm starting to look at the molecular gastronomy trend a little more open now. Would love to find seaweed powder and CO2 canisters.
The 200f is if you dont have an immersion heater... in Switzerland we used this method back in the late 80's and early 90's.... I worked in the kitchens for a 3 star Michelin restaurant - Freddy Giradet... we used to do a lot of lamb and veal... also did rabbit loin that way with morels and black truffle.
Well, I finally decided to take the plunge. I'm buying this: https://freshmealssolutions.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage-ask.tpl&product_id=39&category_id=15&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=31 I spent a few days going back and forth between the SVS anotherguy bought, and doing the temperature controller with a rice cooker, and then I stumbled upon this. This is basically the same temperature controller sold by Auber and could be used with a cooker. The other piece of this kit is a heating element that is custom made to include a "bubbler" like a fish tank that will circulate the water. You can put this heating element in any pot you want. The only thing I didn't like about the SVS, or even the rice cooker, is that you are limited in size. Since you supply your own pot, you can go up to 50 liters. This "kit" come with a neat looking 18 liter polycarbonate pot.
My FreshMealMagic kit arrived today and I couldn't wait to try it out. Picked up some 1.75" thick Strip Steaks, about 20 oz. each. Sealed them in along with some garlic, shallot and a sprig of thyme, salt and pepper. I couldn't decide what temperature I wanted - there seems to be such a range for medium-rare and medium. I wanted inbetween, so I picked 137 degrees. Should have probably went for 133 or 132. Cooked just a bit more than I wanted. Cooked for 3 hours then seared for about 30 seconds on each side on the grill as hot as I could get it. Sliced and served with some baby vegetables and some sautéed Cremini mushrooms. Yeah, too done - but it was probably a perfect medium. The texture of the steak is like nothing I've ever had. Melted in your mouth - you could have cut it with a toothpick. It was so good it didn't matter that it was a bit too done. Can't wait to pick up a hanger or flatiron - and try some eggs and chicken. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
134 is what I have been using for steak and it has been working very well for me. This has a pretty good overview of Sous Vide steak. http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/03/how-to-sous-vide-steak.html You definitely want to get a hanger steak. I actually made hanger steak fajitas last weekend using the SVS. They were outstanding.
I'm coming over. Did you poach the eggs in SV system? Not SV, but I picked up a book at Williams-Sonoma called Tools & Techniques. (http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/tools-and-techniques-cookbook/?pkey=x|4|1||4|tools%20and%20techniques||0&cm_src=SCH) Along with my Professional Cooking book from the Le Cordon Bleu academy, they are two phenomenal "bibles" for me.
Yes. You just place the egg in the shell into the water bath. I am still working on finding the right temperature for my texture sensibilities. You can get the whites and yolk to almost the same consistency and in the above picture the whites were a touch to runny for my taste. Going to have to check them both out. My mainstay is "The Professional Chef" which is the textbook from the Culinary Institute of America. I picked up a very lightly used copy on Amazon for $40 awhile back which is a steal considering it is a 1300 page full color book.
That's where I graduated from... CIA is a good school, the Professional Chef is a good basic book... I also recommend Jaques Pepin's La Technique and La Methode... for learning good basic technique... good cooking is all about mastering the basic techniques... recepies are just a guideline... the technique is what makes the meal.
I'm jealous. That school has always been my dream of "if I could afford to really throw myself into a passion and not worry about work" dream. Did you go to Greystone or Hyde Park?
If you haven't read it, check out the book Heat by Bill Buford. He lived the dream in a big way and had a truly remarkable experience.
I'm trying to learn as much as I can about flavors, ingredients (produce, seafood, spices, meats, ect.-what they look like, how they are best used taste like, where they come from, ect.), tools, techniques. Any book suggestions for those things?
