www.sausagemaking.org

I see we both like big boxes by the way

One day, I'll get the hang of images on this site

original is here http://s1257.photobucket.com/user/DaveM ... i.jpg.html

Thanks Dave, the control box is smaller than it looks - it's stood on edge in the photo. Now my fridge control box - that is big:

Awesome

wheels wrote:

Every time I see one of those fridges I have a strong urge to write "steve" in front of the logo.
(& change the "E" into an "i" obviously, satisfying the pedant within).

What results do you guys get from the sous vide? I very nearly bought one when I got the new mincer, but decided against it at the last second. Does it drastically improve the taste of steaks / fish / other meats?

I usually pan fry my steaks medium rare, or hot smoke large pieces of meat in my Brinkman. Not sure if a sous vide would be a waste of money.

kil2k, the sous-vide process itself will not add any flavour, any flavourings you put in the bag will, of course.

It's best use is for tenderising and for even-cookingness (new word). You will still be able to get your medium rare steaks, just they should be melt-in-your-mouth tender. It is a matter of getting the right temp and cooking time.

Ideally, for a steak, it would be taken straight out of the sous-vide/bag and straight into you hot pan/grill. A quick searing of the outside, rest, and you'd have perfection.


There is plenty of info around to seek for the temps/times for different products, but it would still be a matter of tweeking to suit your tastes and you machine/set-up.

I absolutely adore mine (I have 3 Anovas, used commercially & domestically) but there are limitations; they're a tool like anything else in your kitchen (microwave, oven, hob, they all do different things).

Given that their genesis was in pro kitchens it's not that surprising that they work best in *that* direction. e.g. I make a lot of pies & use sous vide to cook all the chicken to correct temperature & texture before mixing into sauces before filling. It means I can do a lot of chicken breasts with minimal hassle, without worrying that they will dry out, or that I overcook them because I'm suddenly distracted.

The real advantage for the home cook is in 5 areas:

• Stuff that is very temperature dependent (fish is a revelation), proper sized steaks & chops. These are very easy to overdo (or undercook) & are fairly high value.

• Relatively simple stuff if you've got other things going on around you. I often throw in a couple of chicken pieces when I get home & leave them while I have a shower/ do paperwork/ whatever. This is symptomatic of my work flow however (I worked a lot in commercial kitchens, where everything is separated out, so sauces, veg, proteins & carbs are usually done separately & then assembled at the end.

• If you're reliant on others time keeping. I cook Sunday lunch for friends every few weeks. Throw a topside or leg of lamb into the sous vide & (give it enough time) it'll be ready when you are. A lot of friends have small children &/ or are useless at time keeping (my missus is Brasilian, where being on time is an unknown concept). It means I don't have to stress about overcooking an expensive piece of meat because someone is late.

• To have very cheap cuts transformed into something spectacular. Beef short ribs, pork belly, lamb breast, confit duck are stunning coming out of a very long bath, imho. The effect is not achievable through any other method (I sometimes make fake beef wellingtons using cheaper cuts: stuff like short rib has much more flavour than fillet but needs 72 hours to get the same level of tenderness.I don't sell these as proper Wellingtons!)

• You're a geek, who likes new toys, or experimenting with something a little different.

There are downsides though:

They're not cheap (although a lot better than they used to be). Make sure you budget for a vacuum sealer, although you can use the zip lock/ water method too.

Finding a pot big enough to get everything in is a PITA.

There are potential problems with cooking stuff in plastic. I haven't seen any proper peer reviewed papers on it but there's a lot of junk out there about plastic leeching into foods. FDA/ FSA are happy with it provided proper procedures are followed which is good enough for me. If it changes so will my opinion.

I lend mine to customers who've asked about it. Some go on to buy their own, some decide it's not for them.

Can you borrow one from a friend?

I love mine but I'm probably not a typical user.

Superb, thanks for the info fellas.