Everything Sous Vide!

X2, have seen some pics of ribs done this way and were juicy but not sure how the crust would be done in an hour. Not in a hurry though and haven't researched it, fish is up next or at least soon. Actually Canadian Bacon that I just smoked today is up starting tomorrow night ready for Monday morning breakfast provided I rig my cooler with a hole for an overnight cook.

I figure the smoke ring on a butt wouldn't happen but got to have bark on my butt. Even if it is below zero like it was 2 weeks ago and takes 15 hours.

 

I've done a few types of smokers before I did it sous vide, and I have done it fantasticly and very poorly each way. What I like about sous vide is I couldnt have messed it up.

It was a great choice and I would do it again. At this point I'm only doing the smoker for this cut for the event of it all (few buddies, beer, and BBQ).

I've read you can finish it over the grill instead which is my next attempt.

Also there is Prague powder or some such thing to make a smoke ring but haven't tried it. The smoke ring is the big loss here.

Can't mess it up, and most hands off approach

Edit: just saw the other post, it was an hour and a half in the oven (not a huge difference). Honestly it wasn't a perfect crust but it was the first time I tried a shoulder so I have some tweaks to make. I have a few ideas I'm gonna try

 

Cool and experimentation is what I think makes a good cook. You loose a few, and win a few. Run with what works for YOU and what you like is my opinion and worth what you paid for it

Prague powder is pink #1 curing salt. There is a lot to that statement and I strongly recommend you look into it thoroughly before you dive in. Sounds like you are. It is pink so that you don't confuse it with regular salt. It can be dangerous in high enough levels but is important for the long term storage of meats especially pork. Some of the dangers are over blown, but not totally... I only use #1 curing salts, don't feel the need for #2's. And will not use them for just cosmetic changes I use it for storage and those temps between 40-140 that I worry about. But you should make your own opinions on that IME. Would have said IMO but that would have been recursive Happy cooking and thank you for sharing your experience!

 

I think I am going to make a few of those sous vide eggs that Starbucks has started selling today.

 

Breakfast for tomorrow!

In each jar:
2 eggs beaten with a dash of whole milk
Pepper and salt
Pinch of sharp cheddar

Close jars hand tight and cook at 173 for 90 minutes. I'll post the finished product tomorrow after a quick reheat.

 

Well they turned out great so far! They got a quick ice bath and put in the fridge for the night. I'll heat them up in the morning and give it a try.

 

I guess I was picturing you eating them out of the jars. Why didn't you just leave em in the jars after the ice bath and then put them in the fridge? Then you could reheat with lids off

 

I've always been told to never heat up cold glass. Plus the bag will take less time to heat.

 

Microwaved for 20-30 seconds to reheat since that's what I would normally do. Gotta say that I'll be doing this again. In the future I'll just store it in the jars and place it on a plate to microwave in the morning.

Ill be adding bacon or sausage, some bell peppers and mushrooms to the next batch to add more flavor. A bit of salsa on top of this one did the trick.

 

That is definitely on the radar...

Those English muffins Saturday smoked a pork loin after cure and seasoning for Canadian Bacon. With maple syrup of course


The one on the left I scored to provide more surface area for the maple syrup. Sliced it up yesterday after cooling and waiting to vacuum seal it until I try sous vide cooking it. After reading this at serious eats. Supposedly it turns it into almost butter. Been eating it almost every meal since I made it can't imagine it being even more tender but am willing to give it a shot. Have egg rings coming on Wednesday so I can do an egg McMuffin although I have never even eaten one LOL. Plan on doing the cook in the morning for ~12 hours at 145. Will post results.

Today received the 12 quart rubbermaid Carb X square food container and lid cut out for the Anova. However it will only take multiple 8" bags without crowding. All I have right now are 11" but more rolls and bags will be here on Wednesday. The idea behind the lid is to prevent evaporation for long cooks, like the Canadian Bacon.

Also coming on Wednesday is the Coleman 25 qt. party stacker cooler.



Like many coolers now several of the reviews are based around sous vide cooking. Being insulated this allows larger water volumes,and more food. Will see if the rib racks fit inside when it gets here. That way I can pack it more efficiently. Have a 2 3/8" hole saw to create the opening for the Anova. I might need yet another freezer before long at this rate.

 

whats the advantage of this vs fresh cooked scrambled eggs?

 

Make 7 of them at once and put them in the fridge for the week. You can have breakfast ready in under a minute if you are in a rush. Makes an easy quick snack at work/school or you can grab it on the way out the door if you are late.

I prefer good ol scrambled eggs but this was something different that could pack more flavor to liven up your morning. I try to find healthy alternatives for snacks throughout the day so having one of these in my backpack will keep me from eating a twix from the vending machine when I am hungry.

 

whats the consistency like?

 

that's how you get a nice little grease fire going, bud.

 

I thought they would be a bit rubbery but they turned out very tender and easy to chew. Like a well cooked omelet.

 

Been chipping ice for last 3 days so hard to get a chance to try the Canadian Bacon SV style. Finally did last night cooked for 12 hours at 145. The SV bacon was definitely moist, seems to be a trait with this type of cooking. Cooked on cast iron skillet with cast iron bacon press and butter. It was more tender than the non SV bacon that I cooked, not as much as I thought it would be though. It did however have more flavor. I will do this again, wasn't earth shattering but it was there.

Bacon on the left was cooked sous vide, on right same section of meat cooked identically without SV. Hard to tell the difference unless you eat them side by side.

 

So did it make it mushy? I like my Canadian bacon to have a little chew/bite to it. Not tough mind you just not mushy.

 

Ha same here, I was worried about going 12 hours with it. But not mushy at all, just a bit easier to chew with same texture. The article I read on it said to cook only one side down to have a contrast between a crispy crust and buttery smooth side. Couldn't bring myself to do it so browned both sides in hot butter. Still not sure why it had more flavor than the one I didn't SV. Exact opposite of doing SV steak on the charcoal grill for searing.

Thinking it through on the steak though a steak cooked on the gas grill is lacking a bit of the flavor that a steak cooked on charcoal from start to finish. Bet that is the difference. It is subtle but enough to tell.

 

Awesome that it's not soggy. As for the crust on both sides I'm right there with you on that one.

Ya I would agree it's the stuff you're burning that helps impart a lot of flavor. We used to have a gas grill only and my wife kept saying she missed the charcoal flavor (she bought me the gas grill lol) so I went out and bought a cheapo charcoal one to make sure she was good with the longer time it took to get it up and running. Once she was back onboard I went and bought a much nicer one. That has actually now given way to our Traeger which is how the steaks get done, nice smoke on them then crank it up to cook.

I wonder what would happen if the steak went on the smoker to impart some of that flavor and then you put it in the SV for the majority of the cook then once it's off sear it to build that crust.

I keep watching for the one to go on sale again so I can snag it and give this all a whirl.

 

So this sous vide business... does it help with frozen stuff, as in either cooking it or defrosting it?