Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

Any of you all done the smoke it till done, vacuum seal it and then use a Sous Vide to bring it back up to temp? I haven't but a couple of pretty popular BBQ places around me seem to do it that way. Though all using commercial grade equipment.

 

I haven't done sous vide, but I AM tempted to try it now.

I HAVE used an instant pot, throw some water in, DON'T submerge whatever the goal to reheat is. I can't remember how long to set it for, I think it was only 2-3 minutes at pressure, let it come back down naturally and it's not bad.

The bags I have can do sous vide. Might have to give that one a whack actually.

edit - reheating pulled pork says 45 minutes. I ain't got time for that, maybe for different cuts, but, no thanks.

 

my smoked mexican street corn dip i made on saturday. This stuff was absolutely amazing, not a drop leftover!

 

Let me know how it goes. I've been tempted to pick one up.

 

I don't Sous Vide, but I do vacuum seal and freeze.
I take a package out and put it into a large pot a cover with water. I bring the water to a boil and it not only thaws, but reheats.. may have to let it boil a few minutes... but from start to finish is usually 15 minutes (the water takes 10 to 12 minutes to come to a boil) and the meats do not lose any of the juices or anything.

 

Ya I thought about the boiling also, was thinking the sous vide simply because it would take it to temp without me going over lol

 

I got a sous vide circulator as a wedding present and it's really, really nice to have in the arsenal. If we're cooking steaks odds are we're doing them sous vide and then just finishing them off on a screaming hot grill for the sear marks. It's nice on tougher meats, as it'll break down all the connective tissues over time without ever overcooking. We've done a decent amount of tri tips in it, for instance. It's also weird, because you can do like chicken safely at 155 or even lower and it'll be perfectly safe. I see it as another tool in the tool box, but it'll never replace any of my other kitchen gadgetry.

 

According to the Joule app, 147 is the magic number. It is a little disconcerting the first few times but I've never gotten sick so it must work. And they're super juicy.

 

If that chicken even comes close to not looking cooked then my wife and daughter won't go near it. No matter what I tell them lol

 

Good read from the sous vide lord Kenji on it: https://www.seriouseats.com/the-food-lab-complete-guide-to-sous-vide-chicken-breast

Basically 165 is the instant pasteurization temperature, it can be safe below that but just takes time to do, and the way they right the rules is for stupid people to understand so they just say "it must be 165" normally. Sous vide with the long cook times can get around it pretty easily.

 

Just be careful with that - not all bags are good with sous vide, even less into that temp range. Just a heads up.

Hmm....I might have to be looking at one.

That's why you can't get raw "ham" in the US. Way too many people don't know how to do it.

 

I respectfully disagree.

 

Heckin' sweet. No idea if my bags are boilable. They can sous vide according to the title of the product on Amazon - but not all bags are built the same, so just "in general" know what you're getting.

I might see if mine are rated for boiling and try that before I go for a sous vide....

 

Ziploc Freezer bags can be used in boiling water to make perfectly cooked omelettes.

Made hundreds of them in our turkey fryers over the years for football parties. They have to be the freezer bags and not regular ones.

 

Wooooow mine are even dishwasher safe!



10¢ a bag, I won't reuse them, but hey, I might try the boil technique and see how it goes. I'm thinking I might try it with some low-ticket items first to try it out...

 

I'm looking at Sous Vide on Amazon right now. Trying to figure out which one I want to order lol

 

The Anovas are usually pretty well regarded. I have one and it's been rock solid. I think mine is only 750w, you can go higher for sure but it really only affects how quickly the water gets to temp. I have a 2 gallon container I use and it's great for that, but if you ever want to do like, a large cooler full of stuff, then go bigger.

 

I've heard great things about the Anovas too... and that would be the brand I choose if I ever expand

This might help you guys

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/everything-sous-vide.469994/

 

Ya Anova is what I had heard about previously and actually what I'm looking at right now. Wish they were a little cheaper lol.

 

I had actually been part of that thread. I just never pulled the trigger, I was worried about mushy meat lol. I may do it for this reheating though.