Sous Vide Notes

This page is a repository for my notes of things I learn as I try out Sous Vide cooking.

Equipment

Miscellaneous tips

Keep a towel handy for removing the food from the circulator.

Food notes

Steak

David Shaw suggested butter, herbs, in the bag, cook for 1 hour at 135 F. I think I left it in a little longer, but it was perfectly cooked medium rare. Seared in a skillet and crackled the outside a bit with the torch. Came out nice, but the kids complained of a “burrnt’ flavor. I used some sirloin filets that were on sale, and they were a bit lean for my tastes, but all the adults who tried them liked them.

Chicken

I’ve really been off chicken of late, probably because it’s so often overcooked. So far this has been my favorite.

Following the excellent guide at The Food Lab website The-food-lab-complete-guide-to-sous-vide-chicken-breast:

  • Skinless breasts: 143F for 1.5 hours. Juicy, excellent texture.
    • I seared some of this, but a lot of it I shredded and mixed it with barbeque sauce. Yum!
  • Bone in skin-on breasts 145 for 1.5 hours

Vegetables

  • Asparagus: After reading that it was nearly impossible to overcook meat, I left my asparagus in for about 45 minutes while I went to a meeting. It was so overcooked, I was tempted to make soup, but ended up throwing it out. 5 Minutes at 184F was crunchy, but cooked enough to eliminate bitterness and didn’t taste raw. Perfect to my tastes, and I were to finish it in the pan, it would have enough crunch to survive. I wouldn’t go longer than about another minute.
  • Potatoes: cubed, 1.5 hours 190F for mashed potatoes.