New Sous Vide cooker

[golfpro2301]

Just bought myself an early Xmas gift. An Anova blue tooth Sous Vide cooker. Did a 2lb ribeye and OMG was it perfect. Did a nice sear after on a cast iron skillet. For those that use these are there any good recipes worth trying?

 

[SmokinAl]

I just bought one too!

Only thing I've done so far is eggs, just to try it out.

But I'm thinking surf & turf next.

I have some nice lobster tails & ribeyes in the freezer.

It's nice to have a new toy to play with!

Good luck with yours!

Al

 

[wild west]

I got mine a couple weeks ago and have done walleye ,eggs and chicken so far. I didn't follow any recipes just cook Temps and times for each type of protien. Textures and flavours were fantastic on everything so far. My only complaint so far is that cooking everything to such low finish Temps it cools to Luke warm almost instantly on the plate. I'm looking forward to trying some thicker pieces of meat where I can sear for a finish.

 

[jfsjazz]

Made boneless pork chops this past weekend. Two hours in the sous vide, quick sear on my grill and I had the best chops I've ever tasted. Highly recommend if you like chops.

 

[dls1]

GolfPro - Congrats on your early Xmas gift. A good call on your part.

I've had an Anova immersion circulator for nearly 3 years now, the touch pad model, and like you, the first thing I did was a ribeye. That's the only way I've done them, or any other steak, or for that matter, roasts, chops, etc., since. The unit rapidly went from being a kitchen toy or gadget to an indispensable kitchen tool that we use multiple times weekly.

As far as recipes are concerned, there are tons of them on the internet, but you have to sift through the various recommended times and temperatures as they are often all over the place. There are a couple websites that are pretty reliable that you should check out. One site, known as amazingfoodmadeeasy.com, is particularly good for those new to sous vide cooking. Another, chefsteps.com is more advanced, but quite comprehensive and easy to follow.

SmokinAl - I did surf & turf with ribeyes and lobster tails for the first time a couple months ago, and it was outstanding. You should try it soon. In the bag with the steaks I added my usual mix of S&P, a couple thyme sprigs, and a couple dashes each of Worcestershire and soy sauce. For the lobster tails, I first blanched them for a minute then into ice water to cool. Dried them and bagged them with some beurre monté, along with fresh tarragon and thyme. I set the circulator at 122F for 2 hours and added the steaks. When they were nearly finished, I added the tails and cooked for 15 minutes. Finished both with a quick hot sear on the grill and they were a perfect combo. 

 

[johnmeyer]

I've done a few ribeyes, and I just use the times and temperatures that I find from various Google searches. The recipes and temperatures are all pretty much the same.

As to whether the resulting steak was significantly better than a steak grilled on my Weber, I'm not sure. It most definitely was cooked to the exact doneness I wanted. I think this is the main benefit of sous vide for the home cook when used for steak.

Which brings me to a point that is worthwhile remembering: sous vide was invented for commercial kitchens because it lets them cook food ahead of time and keep it for several hours at, or near, the finish temperature. This works because, up to a point, it doesn't matter if the food stays in the hot water for an extra few hours (although, eventually, it will get mushy).

BTW, if you are looking for a recipe where the final product is significantly different than anything you could do with traditional cooking, I highly recommend cooking chicken breasts. Here is one of several web pages that I read before I proceeded:

http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/07/the-food-lab-complete-guide-to-sous-vide-chicken-breast.html

Note that the chicken is cooked to what sounds like a very unappetizing and possibly dangerous final temperature of between 140 and 145 degrees. However, as the site explains (and which I have confirmed directly on the USDA web site), chicken can be made safe at temperatures much lower than the normal 160-165 recommended temperatures, but only if held at those lower temperatures for 20+ minutes (the actual time required depends on the exact temperature).

But won't the chicken be pink and tough and awful? Well, that is the surprising part. The chicken looks absolutely normal, and what's more important: it tastes completely different than chicken cooked normally. It has more juice, and has a completely different texture than any other chicken I've tasted.

I use sous vide chicken, cooked to 143 degrees F, in chicken salad, tacos, and any other recipe which calls for cooked, diced chicken.

 

[tucsonbill]

Here is a recipe for a Smoked Brisket using the Sous Vide Circulator.  Only way I fix brisket now.  http://www.tucsonbill.net/index.php?content=show_recipe&id=500

Bill

 

[crankybuzzard]

 
Here is a recipe for a Smoked Brisket using the Sous Vide Circulator.  Only way I fix brisket now.  http://www.tucsonbill.net/index.php?content=show_recipe&id=500

Bill

Smoke flavored brisket...

Sous vide has it's place, but I wouldn't mistreat a brisket like that.  

 

[youngbuck]

I got one a few weeks back and have only done pork chops and bone in skin on chicken thighs. Best chicken thighs I have ever had. I did them for 2hrs @1600E  seasoned with butter, yard bird, and a garlic seasoning. I seared them off in cast iron.

 

[tucsonbill]

You really ought to try it.  Best brisket I have had in years and I have been KCBS Certified Judge for a lot of years!

Bill

 

[SmokinAl]

 
GolfPro - Congrats on your early Xmas gift. A good call on your part.

I've had an Anova immersion circulator for nearly 3 years now, the touch pad model, and like you, the first thing I did was a ribeye. That's the only way I've done them, or any other steak, or for that matter, roasts, chops, etc., since. The unit rapidly went from being a kitchen toy or gadget to an indispensable kitchen tool that we use multiple times weekly.

As far as recipes are concerned, there are tons of them on the internet, but you have to sift through the various recommended times and temperatures as they are often all over the place. There are a couple websites that are pretty reliable that you should check out. One site, known as amazingfoodmadeeasy.com, is particularly good for those new to sous vide cooking. Another, chefsteps.com is more advanced, but quite comprehensive and easy to follow.

SmokinAl - I did surf & turf with ribeyes and lobster tails for the first time a couple months ago, and it was outstanding. You should try it soon. In the bag with the steaks I added my usual mix of S&P, a couple thyme sprigs, and a couple dashes each of Worcestershire and soy sauce. For the lobster tails, I first blanched them for a minute then into ice water to cool. Dried them and bagged them with some beurre monté, along with fresh tarragon and thyme. I set the circulator at 122F for 2 hours and added the steaks. When they were nearly finished, I added the tails and cooked for 15 minutes. Finished both with a quick hot sear on the grill and they were a perfect combo. 

Did you take the tail meat out of the shell first?

Al

 

[mowin]

I've only done two porterhouse steaks, a venison roast, and chicken legs so far, but I'm impressed with this thing. I've reheated vac sealed PR and brisket with fantastic results.

 

[skooter]

I Smoked/Sous Vide a 15 lb Brisket a month ago and it turned out amazing.

I prepared and smoked it as usual for six hours in the smoker at 250 degrees.

Then vacuum bagged it and placed it in the water bath at 185 for 30 hours.

Opened it up, saved all the delicious juices, and put the brisket back in the smoker to bring it up to the final IT temp of 200.

Best Brisket I ever had!

 

[bikerchef]

I'm starting to wonder if I'm missing out not doing Sous Vide or am I just skipping the latest fade.

All your stories make it intriguing  but like my steak a bit char'd over a wood flame.

I think it has its place but not for everything. On a different forum they talked about Sous Vide "BBQ" ribs.

They went through quite the effort to simulate BBQ.

First cold smoke the ribs. Then sous vide for 20 hours, Then glaze in oven. They claim they are very juicy. 

And they likely are but I would take my ribs off the smoker instead.

 

[dls1]

 
Did you take the tail meat out of the shell first?

Al

Al,

No, I didn't remove the meat from the shell, though there's no reason that you couldn't or shouldn't, do that.

I simply put a couple wooden skewers through the meat close to the shell, flash-blanched them for a minute, followed by a ice water bath for a few minutes to cool. Dried them off a bit, bagged them with the beurre monté, herbs, and a couple smashed garlic cloves, then into the water bath.

A couple thoughts. First, I don't know the size of the tails you have, but mine were on the larger side, 10 oz.-11 oz. each. With somewhat smaller ones, I'd probably cut the time down a bit to around 12 minutes. Bear in mind that I do not like seafood, especially shellfish, overcooked. Your tastes may vary. You can always check them to see if they're cooked to your level of satisfaction, and if not, return them to the water bath.

Second, I put the tails in a Ziploc bag and removed the air using the dispersion method. If you intend to vacuum seal, and cook in the shell, trim off any sharp parts that might puncture the bag when sealing.

 

[SmokinAl]

 
I'm starting to wonder if I'm missing out not doing Sous Vide or am I just skipping the latest fade.

All your stories make it intriguing  but like my steak a bit char'd over a wood flame.

I think it has its place but not for everything. On a different forum they talked about Sous Vide "BBQ" ribs.

They went through quite the effort to simulate BBQ.

First cold smoke the ribs. Then sous vide for 20 hours, Then glaze in oven. They claim they are very juicy. 

And they likely are but I would take my ribs off the smoker instead.

It's just another tool to use for cooking. I don't think it will replace a smoker, but what the heck. I'm willing to give it a try.

I have a corned beef ready to turn into pastrami & I'm going to smoke & sous vide it, just to see how it turns out.

Al

 

[remsr]

What does one look like and how much do they cost and where can I get one?

 

[youngbuck]

A few styles and brands are available. I have an ANOVA brand. There were usually 179. I bought mine black Friday on Amazon for 99$. Right now they are selling for 129 for the 800w Bluetooth model. I believe the wifi and Bluetooth model is 900w and more spendy.

 

[skooter]

Here are a few pictures of my Hybrid Brisket and altered cooler that I use for large pcs of meat.
Finished product

IMG_1114.JPG

• skooter
• Dec 18, 2016

SousVide cooler

IMG_1104.JPG

• skooter
• Dec 16, 2016

Brisket before being vacuum bagged.

IMG_1106.JPG

• skooter
• Dec 16, 2016

Vacuum bagged.

IMG_1107.JPG

• skooter
• Dec 18, 2016

 

[remsr]

Has anyone tried using one of these things to heat up pre smoked, cooked vacuum packed meats. I am always looking for good ways to heat up my vacuum packed meats without over cooking and drying them out.

Randy,