sous vide
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I'm guessing that most on this forum would cough up that kind of money for a Seibel or UofC Davis course on brewing first. That seems very steep for a cooking class.
It was great for him to post the class info but if I'm dropping that coin I'm going to learn more about brewing !!! That's more so my passion but to each their own food is good too : )
runningweird
Well-Known Member
Just pulled my ribs - made my sauce, and I just put my two steaks in the Mash tun. Maybe building a little sous vide machine would be easier than dealing with such large volumes.
I will update with pics when I get everything together.
I will update with pics when I get everything together.
I'm intrigued and wanted to try this ASAP. But Bob expressed concerns about cooking in plastic and so put the kibosh on it.
I think it's a great idea and would be a perfect way to make the perfect lamb roast on Sunday.
I think it's a great idea and would be a perfect way to make the perfect lamb roast on Sunday.
Yooper said:
You read my mind with the plastic. But, it is relatively low temps right?
Sorry I couldn't stop by today...really busy day . I'm at the river now drinking beer, collecting woodtics and nailing wood together. Life is good.
Fastmetal
Well-Known Member
This may just push me over the edge to go electric. Damn now I'm hungry.
runningweird
Well-Known Member
as far as the plastic goes, I am bothered a bit as well. There are these
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0049EU670/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=f05f-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B0049EU670
a bit spendy but reusable - and vacuum sealer bags are pricey.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0049EU670/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=f05f-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B0049EU670
a bit spendy but reusable - and vacuum sealer bags are pricey.
Yes, low temps (135-155?) but plastic really gives Bob the heebie jeebies. I'll look at the link provided and see if I feel the plastic is safe.
I'm still darn sick, so it's best you didn't stop over anyway, so it's all good. Let me know how many ticks you have in your collection by the end of the day! We used to pick off woodticks and put them on duct tape and count them.
runningweird
Well-Known Member
Steaks - 2 inches thick with pink sea salt and black pepper
Into the bag
The ribs
one rack after I hit it with a propane torch to give it some nice crispness
amazingly tender - no nasty chewy bits
one of my daughters and I devoured that one - now we are waiting for the steaks to come up to temp.
Into the bag
The ribs
one rack after I hit it with a propane torch to give it some nice crispness
amazingly tender - no nasty chewy bits
one of my daughters and I devoured that one - now we are waiting for the steaks to come up to temp.
aubiecat
Well-Known Member
OK, you guys convinced me. I ran to the store and grabbed some strips. Let them go at 135° for 1 hour 10 minutes.
They didn't float!
Fresh out of the bath.
Getting a sun tan with the propane torch. Works great too.
Could have used a bit more searing but I'll know just what to do next time.
It really did taste as good as it looks.
They were a touch to done, a hair under medium, for my taste. I like mine medium-rare so next time I am going to try it at 130° then sear it real well with the torch.
They didn't float!
Fresh out of the bath.
Getting a sun tan with the propane torch. Works great too.
Could have used a bit more searing but I'll know just what to do next time.
It really did taste as good as it looks.
They were a touch to done, a hair under medium, for my taste. I like mine medium-rare so next time I am going to try it at 130° then sear it real well with the torch.
Food saver bags are perfectly fine for sous vide. Personally, I have never done a steak sous vide, primarily because the temperature range is not that delicate, and a big part of a steak is the char. If you really want to see what the technique can do, use it on fish.
Thanks for the nice pics guys. I will be trying this!
ChadChaney
Well-Known Member
As a chef and an avid homebrewer, I think this thread rocks! This is just my opinion, but lose the torches in lieu of a nice hot cast iron pan or other high quality pan. The taste will be amazing! Personally, I roast garlic in the oven in a nice quality Olive Oil and then save the oil and sear with that. Real butter works well to and you get that nice brown butter flavor. For the best results, let the meat marinate or sit on the rub for 24 hrs. For ribs, try Coke(that's right Coke) and red onions are a cooking medium and then dry rub and toss on the grill for a bit. The acid helps the meat, fat, bones and other goodies breakdown. One thing to keep in mind, if you are going to sear in a hot hot pan, lower your temp just a bit in the sous. Works amazing with fish and fresh herbs. Brew and sous on!
I did NY Strip in my RIMS system. Vacuseal, 4 hrs, then out of the bag and into a screaming hot cast iron skillet for just a few seconds per side. Seriously one of the best steaks I've ever had... I highly recommend at least trying it 
my next experiment will be a 4 hour smoked brisket, then vacuseal and another 4 hrs in the sous vide....
my next experiment will be a 4 hour smoked brisket, then vacuseal and another 4 hrs in the sous vide....
Wow- those pictures are great!!!!! Thank you for sharing.
aubiecat
Well-Known Member
If I use the torch it's one less cooking utensil I have to clean up.
It smells wonderful when you are torching the steak, much like when you are grilling.
That was one of the better steaks I have ever had and my son agrees.
I will try the skillet searing though, I am sure it is incredible.
It smells wonderful when you are torching the steak, much like when you are grilling.
That was one of the better steaks I have ever had and my son agrees.
I will try the skillet searing though, I am sure it is incredible.
Is there any reason not to use the grill at the end to sear the meat instead of a torch or cast iron pan? My grill has very thick cast iron grates to grill on, and since I swapped to the adjustable pressure regulator from my bayou burner I can get it over 800 degrees (the thermometer on it only goes to 800). I can get a great sear on steaks. Any reason not to use it?
runningweird
Well-Known Member
none what so ever. If your grill can reach temps that high then go for it. I can get a hotter surface on a cast iron pan and more direct contact for mailard reactions(what gives steak that lovely browned crust) in less time than with my gas grill( yes I have a charcoal grill as well but lighting that just for searing steaks for two minutes seems dumb).
I will use the grill next time for ribs though - I think the fire kissed thing is great.
aubiecat
Well-Known Member
JRems, you can use what ever you want to sear your meat. I need to get a regulator so I can get my grill up that high. That sounds great for getting a perfect sear.
TriangleIL
Well-Known Member
Subscribed. This thread is making me hungry.
Just had a leg of lamb that was in the Mash Tun for 20 hours at 136. It came off the bone very well, almost too well, as the texture was a little over done. That's what I get for using a field raised lamb instead of a commercial one.
No reason not to use a grill to brown a steak, I get steaks cooked Sous Vide when guests are coming over with a flexible time schedule. Then grill the steaks for a minute per side to put a nice finish on them.
No reason not to use a grill to brown a steak, I get steaks cooked Sous Vide when guests are coming over with a flexible time schedule. Then grill the steaks for a minute per side to put a nice finish on them.
I did 9 steaks tonight for friends and they seemed to love them. I got some mixed reaction from my wife; I think she prefers the grilled steak but won't admit it. We seared them on my kamado grill but didn't quite have it hot enough. Next time I might try the blow torch. I decided to go with a 17lb top sirloin sub-primal and cut my own steaks. I saved the coullotte steaks (from the cap) and cut the rest into 3/4" steaks. We cooked them to 131F and they were perfect med rare. I prefer a real crusty outside and I didn't achieve that tonight. A lot of articles i read said to lessen the amount of season as the process would accentuate it; I did not find this to be the case. All-in-all this experiment warrants further exploration.
I just wanted to point out to anyone who wants to try this but doesn't have a food saver, we succeeded doing this with some pre vacuum sealed tenderloin from the store. The only issue with doing this is that you cannot add any of your own marinade or dry rub.
aubiecat
Well-Known Member
I bought a box of frozen pre vacuum packaged tilapia a few weeks back. I wonder how those would do in sous vide.
jdowling
Well-Known Member
I've been thinking of giving this a try and in my reading it sounded like you could use heavy duty ziplock bags vs. a vaccum sealer. You seal the bag 75% of the way, lower it into the water up to the zip-lock (water pressure forces the air out), finish sealing the bag.
It sounded like that was fine unless you wanted to take the food out, ice bath, and freeze for later use vs. eating right away.
I haven't given it a try yet (still finishing up some hardware).
Not really, because you can't precisely control the temperature on the crock pots (i.e. 139 degrees or whatever.) unless you rig up some sort of temperature controller.
You need to be able to have full control (+/-) a degree or two.
Also, the crock pots would hold maybe two steaks in plastic bags.
So possible, but not as fun as brewing in beer kettles. LOL
jdowling
Well-Known Member
A guy I know has been doing just that (crockpot + water + bag).
I didn't ask him what he was doing for temperature control. My crockpot is just on/off but I could probably rig up a controller like for the beer freezer.
Here's a guy who did this with a video: http://www.howtogeek.com/93983/hack-a-crock-pot-into-a-sous-vide-cooker/
Of course if I already have a RIMS tube + PID for my mash tun then why bother hacking up my crockpot?
i've done the crockpot+pid controller for sous vide, it does work but it takes awhile for the temperature to stabilize at the setpoint. i have a large oval rival crockpot, i think it's an 8 quart model, and it takes about 3 hours for the temperature to stabilize before you can put the vacuum-sealed food into it.
Goocher
Well-Known Member
Reading through this thread peaked my curiosity. Just to experiment, I grabbed two rib steaks out of the freezer. Bought them on sale a long time ago. I didn't have a vacuum sealer, so I just used zip lock bags. I threw them in late Saturday morning, set the temp to 131, pulled them out around 7PM and seared them on a smoking hot griddle. Amazing. Probably the best steak I've ever eaten. No chewy gristle or fat, just melt in your mouth steak. My eherms is brand spanking new. Never thought the first thing I'd make with it would be steak. Glad I did though. It won't be the last time. That's for sure.
aubiecat
Well-Known Member
I did two steaks again last night. This time I sealed the steaks in the bags with seasoning and put them in the fridge for 24 hours.
Into the e-kettle for 1 hour and then flam kissed with a torch. This time I made sure I added a little char here and there.
Mmmmm, lovely.
Into the e-kettle for 1 hour and then flam kissed with a torch. This time I made sure I added a little char here and there.
Mmmmm, lovely.
C'mon...more pictures!
iijakii
Well-Known Member
I'm a fan of imgur.
ChshreCat
Well-Known Member
You're a premium member. You can post pics directly on here. Just use the paperclip icon.
ChshreCat
Well-Known Member
FYI... those of us who don't have the fancy brewing gear don't have to be left out of the fun. There's lots of ways to set up sous vide systems on the cheap: http://coldsprings.typepad.com/food/2009/01/budget.html
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