|
Post by mustlovecats on Dec 9, 2018 2:53:01 GMT
A coworker gifted me with a sous vide device. I’ve never used one. I know some of you use and love a Sous Vide and I would like to know any websites or recipes or books you used to learn to use it. Thanks in advance!
I cook mostly meats and vegetables and like all kinds of foods.
|
|
kauri
Junior Member
Posts: 98
Jun 29, 2014 3:17:08 GMT
|
Post by kauri on Dec 9, 2018 3:05:29 GMT
|
|
|
Post by mcscrapper on Dec 9, 2018 6:05:56 GMT
I have an Anova sous vide device. My absolute favorite thing to cook is thick-cut pork chops and steak. I find a lot of great info on Pinterest and from the Anova site. I don't use it often but I've only made one thing that I thought was a big ol waste of time - short ribs. They were so gross. I do a stuffed chicken breast, sous vide egg bites, and the pork chops the most. I do sear the pork chops in a cast iron skillet after they have cooked and they are truly fork tender and I love them!!!
|
|
|
Post by dewryce on Dec 9, 2018 6:15:41 GMT
What a nice coworker gift! I think elaine uses hers quite a bit so I summoned her
|
|
|
Post by gale w on Dec 9, 2018 6:48:41 GMT
My BIL told me I should use a rack in the container to keep the steaks upright. Does anyone have a recommendation? Preferably online. I know ikea has one but it's almost 2 hours away.
|
|
|
Post by elaine on Dec 9, 2018 14:33:37 GMT
My BIL told me I should use a rack in the container to keep the steaks upright. Does anyone have a recommendation? Preferably online. I know ikea has one but it's almost 2 hours away. I use a Rubbermaid container like this: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000R8JOUC/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1and this hinged lid: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071L6NN6M/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1no no need to mess with those little balls and other things to keep your water from evaporating. Since I use a food saver to vacuum seal whatever I’m Sous vide-ing, it stays submerged and I do fine without a rack. mustlovecats, I use my Sous vide for meats mostly - cheap beef bottom roasts probably the most often because they are often on sale for under $3 per pound and come out tasting like expensive roast beef. I just made our Chanukah brisket with it last week - 48 hours at 137 degrees and it was melt-in-your-mouth tender. I also sear my meats in a cast iron skillet after cooking them in the Sous vide. If I need a recipe, I usually just google for something. Although usually the meat or poultry is left fairly plain - maybe a dash of Worcestershire (sp?) sauce or a little salt and pepper. Seasoning and sauces come after cooking. Sometimes cooking for many hours at low temps does weird things to regular seasoning. Serious eats: www.seriouseats.com - is a great website for information and cooking temps and times. That is the most complicated thing about Sous vide cooking: figuring out what temp will produce the texture your family likes - for example, I cook my chicken at a higher temp than some, because we like our chicken to have some “chew.” I first made chicken breasts at a lower temp and couldn’t eat it because there was something “wrong” with chicken that had such a smooth texture. It just wasn’t pleasant to me. The website also gives you a good idea about how long things need to cook - some things just need a couple of hours, but others, like brisket, require 2 days. Hence the cover for the container you are using to Sous vide things - hot water will evaporate without some type of cover and you would need to keep an eye on it and keep adding water to keep the level high enough.
|
|
|
Post by mustlovecats on Dec 9, 2018 15:02:38 GMT
Thank you Elaine!! I’m excited to try this. You have given me good information. Thanks so much.
|
|
Nink
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,947
Location: North Idaho
Jul 1, 2014 23:30:44 GMT
|
Post by Nink on Dec 9, 2018 15:46:12 GMT
Thanks for this thread. My sister bought our neighbors/good friends an Instant Pot for Christmas and I bought them an Instant Pot Sous vide. Now I’m intrigued by the whole thing.
|
|
|
Post by questioning on Dec 9, 2018 16:50:06 GMT
I've resisted the sous vide threads for the past few years. You enablers wear me down. What's a good brand? I might have to wait for a deal.
ETA Is the wattage important? I don't want to end up with the equivalent of a microwave that can't pop corn!
|
|
|
Post by elaine on Dec 9, 2018 16:53:16 GMT
I've resisted the sous vide threads for the past few years. You enablers wear me down. What's a good brand? I might have to wait for a deal. Anova (which I have) and Joule (which mlana has) are the two best brands. Amazon has had some great deals on the Anova this holiday season - I’m not sure what the price there is now.
|
|
|
Post by jillonthehill on Dec 9, 2018 16:55:17 GMT
I bought a Sous Vide at Target as a Christmas present to myself so I'll be watching this thread with interest.
|
|
|
Post by questioning on Dec 9, 2018 17:40:57 GMT
I've resisted the sous vide threads for the past few years. You enablers wear me down. What's a good brand? I might have to wait for a deal. Anova (which I have) and Joule (which mlana has) are the two best brands. Amazon has had some great deals on the Anova this holiday season - I’m not sure what the price there is now. Do you think WiFi is necessary , helpful? Thank you.
|
|
|
Post by gale w on Dec 9, 2018 19:17:31 GMT
I'll be using ziploc bags so I guess a rack would keep the tops out of the water. You don't worry about them being on top of each other and hindering cooking? Or would that even be an issue?
|
|
|
Post by tkdmom on Dec 9, 2018 19:42:14 GMT
I just got the Anova Sous Vide on black Friday. So far have done chicken thighs, london broil. HAve a chuck roast going now. Love it. Thanks for the hint about the hinged lid. I have been using a large stock pot. mmight have to invest in the Rubbermaid container.
|
|
|
Post by elaine on Dec 9, 2018 19:43:46 GMT
Anova (which I have) and Joule (which mlana has) are the two best brands. Amazon has had some great deals on the Anova this holiday season - I’m not sure what the price there is now. Do you think WiFi is necessary , helpful? Thank you. Mine has Bluetooth - no WiFi, though. I do find it useful for long cooks - like brisket - to be able to check on it on my iPad without going to the kitchen. If I was out of the house a lot, I would like the WiFi because Bluetooth means you have to be in the same house, while WiFi would let you check on it from anywhere. I'll be using ziploc bags so I guess a rack would keep the tops out of the water. You don't worry about them being on top of each other and hindering cooking? Or would that even be an issue? The most I cook at a time is 4 individually sealed steaks. It hasn’t been an issue for me to loosely stand them on their sides. The water seems to do just fine circulating around them as is. But that’s just me. I know that many people have and like the racks. I think that there are some inexpensive ones out there. I’d probably go with one of those expandable/adjustable lid racks that will allow you to stretch it to the size of the container you are cooking in.
|
|
|
Post by gale w on Dec 9, 2018 20:54:29 GMT
Do you think WiFi is necessary , helpful? Thank you. Mine has Bluetooth - no WiFi, though. I do find it useful for long cooks - like brisket - to be able to check on it on my iPad without going to the kitchen. If I was out of the house a lot, I would like the WiFi because Bluetooth means you have to be in the same house, while WiFi would let you check on it from anywhere. I'll be using ziploc bags so I guess a rack would keep the tops out of the water. You don't worry about them being on top of each other and hindering cooking? Or would that even be an issue? The most I cook at a time is 4 individually sealed steaks. It hasn’t been an issue for me to loosely stand them on their sides. The water seems to do just fine circulating around them as is. But that’s just me. I know that many people have and like the racks. I think that there are some inexpensive ones out there. I’d probably go with one of those expandable/adjustable lid racks that will allow you to stretch it to the size of the container you are cooking in. Thanks Elaine! My BIL actually has a water oven (same thing but all self contained) so I think his came with all the extra stuff.
|
|
|
Post by teepea on Dec 9, 2018 22:34:03 GMT
I really enjoy my sous vid. I have the Sensaire brand which I’ve had for several years with no issues.we like cooking steaks in it. I use quart size freezer bags- 1 bag for each steak. When I first got one it was recommended to only use the zip loc brand of freezer bags because others that used generic had trouble with them leaking. I use large clips and have used a clothespin in a pinch to clip the bags on the sides of the Rubbermaid container. It only takes an hour in the sous vid for the steak to be cooked internally to the right temp, then we sear them on a really hot grill( I season them befor putting in bags). They are perfect every time. If I’m cooking a pork roast or something big then I use the lid on my container to keep water from evaporating. I’ve made cheesecakes in small jelly jars n they were good as well!
|
|
|
Post by gale w on Dec 9, 2018 23:03:02 GMT
I really enjoy my sous vid. I have the Sensaire brand which I’ve had for several years with no issues.we like cooking steaks in it. I use quart size freezer bags- 1 bag for each steak. When I first got one it was recommended to only use the zip loc brand of freezer bags because others that used generic had trouble with them leaking. I use large clips and have used a clothespin in a pinch to clip the bags on the sides of the Rubbermaid container. It only takes an hour in the sous vid for the steak to be cooked internally to the right temp, then we sear them on a really hot grill( I season them befor putting in bags). They are perfect every time. If I’m cooking a pork roast or something big then I use the lid on my container to keep water from evaporating. I’ve made cheesecakes in small jelly jars n they were good as well! What temp do you use for steaks? My husband and kids like theirs medium to medium well and when anyone asks about making medium or medium well steaks in the groups, they get remarks like throw them away, not worth eating, etc. I need to do some reading on sous vide sites and not just the fb groups.
|
|
|
Post by elaine on Dec 9, 2018 23:13:35 GMT
I really enjoy my sous vid. I have the Sensaire brand which I’ve had for several years with no issues.we like cooking steaks in it. I use quart size freezer bags- 1 bag for each steak. When I first got one it was recommended to only use the zip loc brand of freezer bags because others that used generic had trouble with them leaking. I use large clips and have used a clothespin in a pinch to clip the bags on the sides of the Rubbermaid container. It only takes an hour in the sous vid for the steak to be cooked internally to the right temp, then we sear them on a really hot grill( I season them befor putting in bags). They are perfect every time. If I’m cooking a pork roast or something big then I use the lid on my container to keep water from evaporating. I’ve made cheesecakes in small jelly jars n they were good as well! What temp do you use for steaks? My husband and kids like theirs medium to medium well and when anyone asks about making medium o My family like medium rare, so I cook them at 133. For medium-rare to medium, you should be cooking them at 145 (that is the low end of medium). Here is a good temp and time chart for steaks: www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/03/sous-vide-steaks-recipe.html
|
|
mlana
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,523
Jun 27, 2014 19:58:15 GMT
|
Post by mlana on Dec 10, 2018 4:13:29 GMT
My BIL told me I should use a rack in the container to keep the steaks upright. Does anyone have a recommendation? Preferably online. I know ikea has one but it's almost 2 hours away. You don’t have to keep the steaks upright, you just want to keep them submerged and not touching each other. I don’t vacuum seal everything I SV, so I sometimes have things that want to float. I got one of my big binder clips and clipped it to the bottom of the bag and slid a heavy spoon thru the clip. Problem solved! Marcy
|
|
mlana
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,523
Jun 27, 2014 19:58:15 GMT
|
Post by mlana on Dec 10, 2018 4:18:33 GMT
Anova (which I have) and Joule (which mlana has) are the two best brands. Amazon has had some great deals on the Anova this holiday season - I’m not sure what the price there is now. Do you think WiFi is necessary , helpful? Thank you. I have a Joule and it has wi-fi and Bluetooth built in. I find the wi-fi helpful since I sometimes ready a cook with the back in the container and ice in the water. I can turn it on when I’m ready from wherever I am and it’s done when i get home. To be honest, though, I probably wouldn’t pay extra or at least not much extra for this feature. Marcy
|
|
|
Post by elaine on Dec 10, 2018 4:22:06 GMT
FYI - today only (Sunday) the Bluetooth Anova Sous Vide (the one I have) is on sale at Target for $71: www.target.com/p/anova-sous-vide-bluetooth-precision-cooker/-/A-50496808 It is on sale for $89, but then they take an additional 25% off in your cart! This is a GREAT price. They have some other models including the one with WiFi, but they are just 25% off, so on sale, but not as much as the Bluetooth model.
|
|
mlana
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,523
Jun 27, 2014 19:58:15 GMT
|
Post by mlana on Dec 10, 2018 4:32:36 GMT
My BIL told me I should use a rack in the container to keep the steaks upright. Does anyone have a recommendation? Preferably online. I know ikea has one but it's almost 2 hours away. I use a Rubbermaid container like this: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000R8JOUC/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1and this hinged lid: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071L6NN6M/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1no no need to mess with those little balls and other things to keep your water from evaporating. Since I use a food saver to vacuum seal whatever I’m Sous vide-ing, it stays submerged and I do fine without a rack. mustlovecats , I use my Sous vide for meats mostly - cheap beef bottom roasts probably the most often because they are often on sale for under $3 per pound and come out tasting like expensive roast beef. I just made our Chanukah brisket with it last week - 48 hours at 137 degrees and it was melt-in-your-mouth tender. I also sear my meats in a cast iron skillet after cooking them in the Sous vide. If I need a recipe, I usually just google for something. Although usually the meat or poultry is left fairly plain - maybe a dash of Worcestershire (sp?) sauce or a little salt and pepper. Seasoning and sauces come after cooking. Sometimes cooking for many hours at low temps does weird things to regular seasoning. Serious eats: www.seriouseats.com - is a great website for information and cooking temps and times. That is the most complicated thing about Sous vide cooking: figuring out what temp will produce the texture your family likes - for example, I cook my chicken at a higher temp than some, because we like our chicken to have some “chew.” I first made chicken breasts at a lower temp and couldn’t eat it because there was something “wrong” with chicken that had such a smooth texture. It just wasn’t pleasant to me. The website also gives you a good idea about how long things need to cook - some things just need a couple of hours, but others, like brisket, require 2 days. Hence the cover for the container you are using to Sous vide things - hot water will evaporate without some type of cover and you would need to keep an eye on it and keep adding water to keep the level high enough. I use This with This lid. The manufacturer offered it to member of the SousVide Dummies Facebook group at a reduced price when it first came out. The hole in the lid is slightly larger than needed for my Joule, but I knew that when I bought it. I like that not only does it limit evaporation, but it gives me a place to put my bread dough to rise when I’m doing a cook. I’ve also put a batch of yogurt on top when I’m doing an overnight cook. I have several cork placemats and a couple flexible cutting boards underneath my container. I’d like to tell you that I thought to do this to insulate the container and to keep my countertop safe from the heat, but I actually just wanted to straighten out the cutting boards, They had gotten bent in the dishwasher. LOL. The stack does do a good job of holding in the heat and keeping it from reaching the counter. As always, I highly recommend the Cooking with Joule, Something on the Side (for side dishes) and SousVide for dummies Facebook groups. Great people, great advice. My favorite YouTube, in additions to Serious Eats, is Sous Vide Everything. Marcy
|
|