This is a write-up I posted over in the BBQ (etc) section on Jeepforum of a cook I did for Thanksgiving last year. I did another for Christmas for the other side of the family. Both were very well received.
I've simply copy-n-pasted the post and repaired one image link. Sorry if this is any sort of violation... but here goes nothing. :cool:
I've been playing around with my Anova Sous vide immersion unit for about a year now. Before that I spent most of a year with a DIY digital controller & crock pot to figure out if Sous vide was for me, it is.
I think all that was leading to this cook. I've been known to "explore limits" in various aspects of my life over the years, so this shouldn't have come as a total surprise to anyone who knows me.
It started out like this. Nineteen pounds of boneless Rib Roast. This was Tuesday night. Seasoning was coarse sea salt, Garlic Lover's Garlic http://www.spiceman.com/catalog/small-spice-blends/garlic-lovers-garlic (great blend if you can find it), and black pepper.
The cooking setup was a fairly large ice chest, sourced at St. Vinnie's for the princely sum of $7.99. A 2 3/8" hole was cut in one of the drink recesses (cup holder) in the lid to allow the immersion unit to reach the interior. This immersion unit is probably only good for three or four gallons in a non-insulated container, in the ice chest it took a few hours to bring the water to cooking temp, but didn't vary even a little bit once there.
Wednesday evening, once the water was up to temp (133.5*) the roast was put in the water. I used a turkey brining bag simply because it is large enough for the roast.
Eighteen hours later...
It doesn't really look it, but it's been done (could have been served) for over 13 hours. This is one of the really awesome things about Sous vide for something like a family gathering. I was able to let the people present determine what time to serve, while with a conventional cooking method the meat decides what is the correct time. With the conventional cook, you pull it at ~122* or so, and let it rest for a half hour, allowing the center of the roast to reach 133*-134* (for medium-rare).
With the Sous vide, the entire roast is brought to the finish temp, then held there until it's convenient to brown & carve. This also has the secondary effect of leaving the oven available for other dishes until the very end. While the "buffet line" is getting set up, I'm turning the oven up to 500*.
It looks a little like a boiled rag at this point.
After ten minutes in a 500* oven, this is the result.
And, the money shot.
Notice the total lack of grey, overcooked meat. This is truly medium-rare from one edge to the other. A couple of folks preferred their meat slightly more done, so a few minutes in a hot pot of Ah Jus and their meat was ruined to their specific taste.
I'll admit there were some skeptics in the crowd. "You're cooking a prime rib in an ice chest?" seemed to be a common theme. The long cook time seemed to be troubling to a few of the folks also.
The verdict was unanimous, rave reviews were heard all 'round. Even a few "best prime rib ever" comments. High praise indeed.
If there is a simpler way to cook a world-class prime, I have yet to discover it.
I'm already thinking about browning glazes for future cooks. Something heavy with garlic (and maybe soy & pancake syrup...) >:)
I've simply copy-n-pasted the post and repaired one image link. Sorry if this is any sort of violation... but here goes nothing. :cool:
I've been playing around with my Anova Sous vide immersion unit for about a year now. Before that I spent most of a year with a DIY digital controller & crock pot to figure out if Sous vide was for me, it is.
I think all that was leading to this cook. I've been known to "explore limits" in various aspects of my life over the years, so this shouldn't have come as a total surprise to anyone who knows me.
It started out like this. Nineteen pounds of boneless Rib Roast. This was Tuesday night. Seasoning was coarse sea salt, Garlic Lover's Garlic http://www.spiceman.com/catalog/small-spice-blends/garlic-lovers-garlic (great blend if you can find it), and black pepper.
The cooking setup was a fairly large ice chest, sourced at St. Vinnie's for the princely sum of $7.99. A 2 3/8" hole was cut in one of the drink recesses (cup holder) in the lid to allow the immersion unit to reach the interior. This immersion unit is probably only good for three or four gallons in a non-insulated container, in the ice chest it took a few hours to bring the water to cooking temp, but didn't vary even a little bit once there.
Wednesday evening, once the water was up to temp (133.5*) the roast was put in the water. I used a turkey brining bag simply because it is large enough for the roast.
Eighteen hours later...
It doesn't really look it, but it's been done (could have been served) for over 13 hours. This is one of the really awesome things about Sous vide for something like a family gathering. I was able to let the people present determine what time to serve, while with a conventional cooking method the meat decides what is the correct time. With the conventional cook, you pull it at ~122* or so, and let it rest for a half hour, allowing the center of the roast to reach 133*-134* (for medium-rare).
With the Sous vide, the entire roast is brought to the finish temp, then held there until it's convenient to brown & carve. This also has the secondary effect of leaving the oven available for other dishes until the very end. While the "buffet line" is getting set up, I'm turning the oven up to 500*.
It looks a little like a boiled rag at this point.
After ten minutes in a 500* oven, this is the result.
And, the money shot.
Notice the total lack of grey, overcooked meat. This is truly medium-rare from one edge to the other. A couple of folks preferred their meat slightly more done, so a few minutes in a hot pot of Ah Jus and their meat was ruined to their specific taste.
I'll admit there were some skeptics in the crowd. "You're cooking a prime rib in an ice chest?" seemed to be a common theme. The long cook time seemed to be troubling to a few of the folks also.
The verdict was unanimous, rave reviews were heard all 'round. Even a few "best prime rib ever" comments. High praise indeed.
If there is a simpler way to cook a world-class prime, I have yet to discover it.
I'm already thinking about browning glazes for future cooks. Something heavy with garlic (and maybe soy & pancake syrup...) >:)
