Cooking With Sous Vide

Sous vide differs from conventional cooking methods in that first, the raw food is vacuum sealed in plastic pouches and next, the food is cooked using precisely controlled heating.

Vacuum packaging prevents evaporative loss of flavor and moisture during cooking. It also inhibits off-flavors from oxidation which results in especially flavorful and nutritious food. Vacuum sealing also reduces aerobic bacterial growth and allows for the transfer of heat energy from the water (or steam) to the food.

Sous vide is also great to use because it can extend the shelf-life of food products.

To start: You will need either a water bath or a convection steam oven.

To prepare: Season or marinate your meat. Many herbs and spices act as expected while cooking with sous vide, others, like garlic for example, are amplified and can easily overpower a dish. Vegetables need higher cooking temperatures and should be cooked separately. Wine should also not be used as the alcohol may cause uneven cooking.

To cook: Have the temperature of the water bath is either just above or significantly higher than the desired final core temperature of the food. Having the temperature significantly higher is closer to traditional cooking methods, having the temperature lower has several significant advantages though. First the food can remain in the water bath (almost) indefinitely without being overcooked and it can be pasteurized in the same water bath it is cooked in.

photo source:
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/chicken.sous.vide.jpg

- A container for holding a quantity of water. If this container is not well-insulated, you'll also need something to circulate the water (to help keep the water temperature constant).
- A method of heating the water with accurate temperature control.
- A method of vacuum sealing your food.
- Temperature Control Equipment
- At the high-end, you can spend several thousand dollars on immersion circulators and related equipment. Immersion circulators have the advantage of being portable and flexible. You can use them alongside a middling-sized pot of water.
- Still, you don't need an immersion circulator to cook sous vide. Another option is:
The SousVide Supreme, a temperature-regulated water bath built for sous vide.
- You could also pick up a temperature controller that you connect to a non-digital slow cooker or rice cooker.

photo source: http://www.dessertcomesfirst.com/wp-content/uploads/sous-vide-machine_rs.jpg

Consider cooking a thick-cut steak medium-rare. Cooking the steak on a grill at over 1,000°F (500°C) until the center comes up to 120°F (50°C) will result in everything but the very center being overcooked. A common solution is to sear one side of the steak in a pan, flip the steak over, and place the pan in a 275°F (135°C) oven until the center comes up to 131°F (55°C). For sous vide, the steak is vacuum sealed in a plastic pouch, cooked in a 131°F (55°C) water bath for a couple hours, and then seared in a smoking hot pan or with a blowtorch; the result is a medium-rare steak with a great crust that is the same doneness at the edge as it is at the center. Moreover, the flavorful flat iron steak can be cooked (very safely) in a 131°F (55°C) water bath for 24 hours and will be both medium-rare and as tender as filet mignon.

photo source: http://http.cdnlayer.com/smoola/00/00/5c/b9122bef25087016_m.jpg