ChiefsPlanet - Food and Drink New cooking methods ... sous vide

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New cooking methods ... sous vide (https://chiefsplanet.com/BB/showthread.php?t=243228)

We'll see how long that $7 aquarium pump holds up. I'm thinking about running to the fish store on Vivion next time I'm in KC and picking up a used Vortech or something; it should survive better. I suspect I can do 130 on it all day but if I want to get nearer 150/160, that might burn it up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut (Post 11509561)

About $90. The solid state relay made it a little more expensive. I also had some of the stuff we needed sitting round (spare acrylic for the bracket, for instance).

Really, the reason I made this is that my buddy and I are tinkerers so we wanted to try to make them and I have a shitload of cuts of meat from that cow that I just don't like. Just buying the new wand style one is probably the way to go, but building this was just a fun project for a Saturday. I have some massive sirloins in my freezer from my annual cow purchase. Sirloin blows. Badly. But I have 10 lbs of it so I need a method to make it well. I fully expect your experience to be proven correct - everyone raves about sous vide sirloin. I was bummed to see your experience with roast was a poor one. I am hoping to find a way to make one of these round/chuck roasts into something vaguely resembling a poor man's standing rib roast. They take up a ton of freezer space and frankly I just don't like pot roast.

I also learned that minimalist is likely the way to go. I made a very complicated Carne Asada marinade that was way WAY too strong but also another packet in a simple lime/soy/garlic mix that was damn near perfect. I've always fought marinades anyway so that will be my biggest hurdle to clear.

I don't generally like sirloin either, but I've never topped it. Good stuff in sous vide.

I don't think I gave the roast long enough, and I haven't ever tried since then. And I think I used a rump or round, which I don't really care for anyway. I love chuck roast, though, so one of these days I'll give that a try.

I also put 1.5 times the amount of salt on my steak with this method. I think the butter/liquid when finishing it off reduces the amount of dry rub.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Great Expectations (Post 11509580)

I also put 1.5 times the amount of salt on my steak with this method. I think the butter/liquid when finishing it off reduces the amount of dry rub.

I season normally when it goes in the bag and lightly re-season before I sear. Works for me. I also typically don't bag right before I sous vide. I'll season, bag, and sear the night before so the salt can penetrate into the flesh.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy! (Post 11509591)

So you prefer the pre-sear method? I've read both ways.

My first thought is that I'd just take it out of the bat, salt/pepper a little as needed and then sear it. But if you've had better luck otherwise, I'd be interested to hear why you believe that to be the case.

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Originally Posted by DJ's left nut (Post 11509612)

I always mean to pre-sear, but never do. I've never even tried it.

I do think seasoning before it goes in the bath is needed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Great Expectations (Post 11509580)

I also put 1.5 times the amount of salt on my steak with this method. I think the butter/liquid when finishing it off reduces the amount of dry rub.

When will you go into full production, and do you take PayPal?

Quote:

Originally Posted by GloryDayz (Post 11509629)

When will you go into full production, and do you take PayPal?

Yes

Sous Vide to me is highly overrated. Give me a cast iron seared steak, cooked in the oven and not in hot water.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inmem58 (Post 11510074)

Sous Vide to me is highly overrated. Give me a cast iron seared steak, cooked in the oven and not in hot water.

In my limited usage with sous vide I've found that it is a very consistent way to cook steak, but the real payoff is with pork and poultry.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inmem58 (Post 11510074)

Sous Vide to me is highly overrated. Give me a cast iron seared steak, cooked in the oven and not in hot water.

This is ignorant. You're not cooking in hot water. You're using hot water as the heat source, but water never touches the food. And I sear in cast iron 95 percent of the time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Great Expectations (Post 11510093)

In my limited usage with sous vide I've found that it is a very consistent way to cook steak, but the real payoff is with pork and poultry.

I agree.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Great Expectations (Post 11510041)

Yes

OK, LMK, I want my fish-tank steak cooker..

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inmem58 (Post 11510074)

Sous Vide to me is highly overrated. Give me a cast iron seared steak, cooked in the oven and not in hot water.

As I understand it, it gets to that awesome pan right after the water does the hard work (and takes the guess-work out of the center temp).

Quote:

Originally Posted by GloryDayz (Post 11510316)

OK, LMK, I want my fish-tank steak cooker..

Ha. That's exactly what I'm going to use for most applications - one of the spare 10 gallon fish tanks I have in the basement.