What Is Sous Vide? Chefs Explain, and Reveal Whether It’s a Worthy Investment

[Sammie The Bull]

I kept hearing about this sous vide, so i finally went and researched it. After reading this article, this cooking method surly isn`t, for me. But i thought i would post this anyways for those who wondered about it the same as i did. The pros vs the cons is usually the deal breaker, for me.

What Is Sous Vide? Chefs Explain, and Reveal Whether It’s a Worthy Investment for Home Cooks

What is sous vide? It involves placing a food inside a vacuum-sealed bag before cooking it slow and low in a water bath. Our guide to sous vide cooking reveals the benefits of sous vide, the drawbacks of sous vide, and whether sous vide machines are worth it for home cooks.

www.bhg.com

This was the deal breaker for me. (the food safety risks)

 

[SmokinEdge]

In my experience, about half of your “drawbacks “ to SV cooking just isn’t so. SV is a fantastic tool in the kitchen. It does require a sear before plating on meats but it’s very delicious and handy.

 

[dr k]

.

 

[Steve H]

From a "Pro panel"? Sounds like an uninformed panel to me.

 

[chopsaw]

After reading this article, this cooking method surly isn`t, for me.

You're missing out . I have two and use them both .

From a "Pro panel"? Sounds like an uninformed panel to me.

No doubt about that .

 

[voyager 663rd]

Double post. Internet really slow at my end (for no reason==on DSL)

 

[jcam222]

Special equipment is $50 or less. Learning curve is darn near flat in my opinion. Regarding the lack of sear most people reverse sear if it's meats

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

I run my SV a decent amount… definitely during the summer months when no added heat in the house is needed from the oven and can only use the crockpot or IP so much… need a bit of diversity IMO.

I had my doubts at first… BUT when you look at PROVEN research on SV… it’s a very safe way to cook! Different way to cook?… Absolutely ! But those that state it’s not safe… is not true. If it were… me and my fam would be sick a lot… but as with any cooking method I do my research on proven information on a specific type of cooking as my fams health is my #1 priority when I am cooking. Just an old rednecks two cents…

 

[bill ace 350]

I have 2 units. Have done steaks prior to searing, and have used it to ferment sausages and to bring them to finished temp.

I use pasteurization charts for time, temp and diameter/thickness of product.

Totally safe as far as I'm concerned.

 

[JckDanls 07]

Funny this topic should come up.... I've tried SV a couple of times ( a few years ago) and never really was impressed... I've had a standing rib roast (around 2 lbs) in the freezer since Christmas... You know what... Let me try SV one more time... Just seasoned (SPOG) the roast and vac sealed and dropped in 130 degree tub for the night until dinner time tomorrow night (about 22 hrs)...

Pending how much it shrinks... I would like to cut them into 1"+ steaks (after the SV cook) and then sear them each on both sides in a screaming hot cast iron skillet (with duck fat).... If it's to small I will just sear the roast as whole and slice for dinner....

 

[SmokinEdge]

Funny this topic should come up.... I've tried SV a couple of times ( a few years ago) and never really was impressed... I've had a standing rib roast (around 2 lbs) in the freezer since Christmas... You know what... Let me try SV one more time... Just seasoned (SPOG) the roast and vac sealed and dropped in 130 degree tub for the night until dinner time tomorrow night (about 22 hrs)...

Pending how much it shrinks... I would like to cut them into 1"+ steaks (after the SV cook) and then sear them each on both sides in a screaming hot cast iron skillet (with duck fat).... If it's to small I will just sear the roast as whole and slice for dinner....

Seared in duck fat is big time good. Keep us posted.

 

[indaswamp]

Special equipment is $50 or less. Learning curve is darn near flat in my opinion. Regarding the lack of sear most people reverse sear if it's meats

True. I tend to double sear; meaning I sear the meat whole (like a venison backstrap) then sous vide. When plating, I will rest, then slice into steaks, sear the cut ends with a torch, then plate....

 

[Torch&Tone]

I don't understand the criticisms at all. They sound like someone was just grasping about for clickbait material or both-sides-ism. Newsflash, not bothering to understand or use your equipment properly may make things difficult or even (letting imagination run wild) dangerous! <gasp>

It's just another way to heat your food, but the edge-to-edge even cooking, flexibility on timing, and versatility (besides meat, it can be useful for tempering chocolate and making certain egg dishes, for example) won me over. Even the portability - I have used it with a cooler and a powerbank while glamping with friends - is a plus. Having a good reason to blowtorch some of my food for that finishing sear is just a nice bonus!

 

[Brokenhandle]

Let's not forget the advantage of some people using it to finish sausage! I don't use mine often enough... but at least I have it when I want to use it.

Ryan

 

[SmokinEdge]

Let's not forget the advantage of some people using it to finish sausage! I don't use mine often enough... but at least I have it when I want to use it.

Ryan

Agreed. SV actually has many uses. I actually bought one and gifted it to a good friend about 2 years ago. He still refuses to use it. Thinking he doesn’t want his meat “boiled” he just cannot grasp the concept. But meats, sausage and perfectly poached eggs in the shell are all only possible with SV. Wonderful kitchen tool.

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

Agreed. SV actually has many uses. I actually bought one and gifted it to a good friend about 2 years ago. He still refuses to use it. Thinking he doesn’t want his meat “boiled” he just cannot grasp the concept. But meats, sausage and perfectly poached eggs in the shell are all only possible with SV. Wonderful kitchen tool.

I admit Eric, SV was a bit of a hard sell initially to this old redneck. But once I understood the use and how it can really enhance some cooking methods… I was sold!

 

[dsk]

Baking... A cooking technique
Pan frying... A cooking technique
Deep Frying.,.. A cooking technique
Air Frying... A cooking technique
Grilling... A cooking technique
Smoking... A cooking technique
Boiling... A cooking technique
Broiling... A cooking technique
Roasting... A cooking technique
Panini press... A cooking technique
Waffle maker... A cooking technique
Griddling... A cooking technique
Steaming... A cooking technique
Stewing... A cooking technique
Simmering... A cooking technique
Blanching... A cooking technique
Stir Frying... A cooking technique

Sous Vide... A cooking technique

How many cooking techniques are you going to eschew, because you are afraid of something new.

 

[Sammie The Bull]

That's why there's the heating tables and pasteurization tables. So based on thickness in mm and water bath temp it gives the duration for frozen or fridge to heated or pasteurized. You clearly have no clue what you are talking about regarding safety because the so called Chef's in this article couldn't have addressed the two charts in Baldwin's: a simple guide to Sous Vide, everyone should read before opening their mouths. Read it! Then come back and qualify the Chef's that are idiots. When you follow the pasteurization tables for poultry, beef, lamb, pork and fish and put the vac sealed bag in a fridge of cold water to quickly cool and remove from the water after a couple hours and leave in the fridge so you have 28 days at 38 to determine when you want to eat it. The duration gets longer up to 90 days when you keep it lower than 38. You have seen this in supermarkets with a marinated vac bag of meat that has a month yet before the best by date. We do this at home. I never just heat a steak in a SV that most people here do at 128 for an hour because you can't pasteurize meat below 130. You're incubating it if it was tenderized mechanically, injected etc. no longer intact. The stupid muthas that are supposed Chef's need to take a class. So 130 on the pasteurizing table based on mm thickness gives the duration which maybe an hour longer than just heating and idiots here are only heating because they are stupid. And no the steak isn't mushy one hour longer to pasteurize it vs just heating. Stupids, get it together, get it down and get it right every time with SV pasterization tables . Not Heating tables. Read the free online Baldwin book and bookmark it vs posting pure shit misinformation. This is one of the reasons I SV to pull anything out of the fridge within a month and sear for service because it's F...ing pasteurized.

I didn`t write the article, so don`t take it so personal.

 

[in. pred]

sous vide or low n slow whats the difference? revers sear or not it cant be as good. this roast finished inside just like a sous cook. same rare all the way through. way more flavor because it was wrapped in mesquite smoke @ 180*, not plastic, and taken off heat at the rite time. lol

super tender for a bucks hind leg muscle too!

 

[bill ace 350]

sous vide or low n slow whats the difference? revers sear or not it cant be as good. this roast finished inside just like a sous cook. same rare all the way through. way more flavor because it was wrapped in mesquite smoke @ 180*, not plastic, and taken off heat at the rite time. lol
View attachment 721374
super tender for a bucks hind leg muscle too!

Looks great. The OP posted about the Pros/Cons of sous vide, and had determined it was a safety issue he didn't want to risk.

I don't think it was ever a "this technique is better than that techniue issue".



And believe it or not, you don’t need smoke for great tasting food.