♨️ Sous Vide 101 - A quick tutorial (and good collection of links) ♨️
I've blogged a few times recently about Sous Vide cooking with the Anova Precision Cooker that I received as Christmas gift. You can check out this unit, along with many other options at this link on Amazon.
Please check out my earlier posts on cooking Sous Vide ♨️
To date I've prepared food in 36, 24, 2 and 1 hour intervals with success each time. There was very short prep times and then you can walk away while things cook.
Several people have asked questions about the cooking method so I thought a short tutorial might prove helpful. First stop, wikipedia (of course) Sous Vide. Wiki defines Sous Vide (pronounced sue veed) as:
a method of cooking in which food is sealed in a vacuum-sealed plastic pouch then placed in a water bath or in a temperature-controlled steam environment for longer than normal cooking times (usually 1 to 6 hours, up to 48 or more in some select cases) at an accurately regulated temperature much lower than normally used for cooking, typically around 55 to 60 °C (131 to 140 °F) for meat and higher for vegetables. The intent is to cook the item evenly, ensuring that the inside is properly cooked without overcooking the outside, and retain moisture.
What that means is you put the food in a vacuum or zipper type freezer bag, and cook it in a temperature controlled water bath. The sous vide cooker keeps the water at exact temperature for extended times, allowing even cooking throughout. You can get started with a simple cooker and a pot of water. I found it frustrating to be unable to see the food cooking so I purchased a couple of clear containers (also on Amazon) including this Rubbermaid Container and this Rubbermaid Cover. I cut a hole in the cover so I can set the cooker in the hole and avoid evaporation during longer cooking times. People have made sous vide cooking vessels out of beer coolers, as long as it holds water, it should work.
This is a larger container, I cooked brisket in this one!
I do have a vacuum sealer which is the recommended way to cook sous vide but you can easily use your standard freezer quality zipper bag. You'll need to put the food in the bag, partially close the zipper, and push the air out of the bag then close the bag . The cooking works best with little or no air in the bag and a solid seal. The absence of air keeps the food totally submerged, which is needed for the even cooking. Use some binder clips to hold the bags from sinking into the water. If you have trouble with the bag floating (say with lighter content like veggies) then you can put a weight in the bag with the food before sealing the bag. I've seen the suggestion to put a butter knife as a weight.
Vacuum sealed boneless chicken seasoned with garlic salt, fresh ground pepper and olive oil
Its hard to decide which sous vide unit to purchase. My husband did a lot of research before buying the Anova for me. One of the selling points was the wifi app which has proven helpful. Since he wasn't sure if we would like it, he wanted to keep the investment reasonable. Plus it gets good reviews overall. I found good information at these sites:
6 Best Sous Vide Cookers and Best Sous Vide Machines
There are others if you google "sous vide" of course.
I have found some very helpful websites with recipes and information on various cookers:
- ChefSteps Focus on the Joule Cooker
- Anova Culinary Focus on the Anova Cooker
- Serious Eats This site has a lot of sous vide plus a lot of every kind of cooking.
So consider taking the plunge (pun intended) and check out sous vide cooking. I think you will enjoy the freedom and the delicious results. Consistently cooked to your exact preference, never overcooked and never undercooked.
All Images @lrich Canon EOS Rebel T6i w/Tamron 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II LD Aspherical Macro Lens