Anyone use a Sous Vide?

[Charski]

This is a great thread, thanks to those of you posting your recipes and hints/tips!

So the chicken breasts came out plump, juicy, and tender. I did sear them off in some olive oil and butter, to improve the appearance.

Yesterday, I did a tri-tip. I took it, frozen, and rubbed both sides with liquid smoke, then salt & peppered it, stuck into a FoodSaver bag and vacuum sealed it. Put it in the roaster oven with the DorkFoods controller set to 134* and let it go 6 hours. When it was time, I removed the meat from the bag, saving the juices, and put it on a foil-lined pan and stuck it under the broiler for about a minute or so each side.

Meanwhile, I made a pan sauce with sauteed minced onions/garlic, red wine, the reserved juice from the cooking packet, a little salt, pepper, and crushed dried thyme, and a pat of butter. Let it reduce down quite a bit, then added a couple tablespoons of Trader Joe's good balsamic vinegar, and let THAT cook down. Oh man was it good. The meat was perfectly medium rare throughout, browned on the outside, and that sauce was TO.DIE.FOR good. DH, who usually likes his beef without sauces, lapped that stuff up like it was the best thing he'd ever eaten!

Right now, I have a rack of baby back ribs in there. I also rubbed those with liquid smoke, then salt and pepper, sealed, and put in at 165* - they'll be in for 8 hours, then I'll do the same as last night - foil-lined baking sheet, put the ribs on, broil a minute or so, brush with my SF LC BBQ sauce, broil just a little to set the sauce, and eat.

I bought a London Broil to try out later this week and I'm also defrosting some center-cut boneless pork chops! I am LOVING this method of cooking!

[Charski]

Well, kids, I am having a BLAST with this sous vide thing! I've used the DorkFoods probe in my small roaster oven, my small crockpot, and my large roaster oven - works to perfection.

I did a really good London broil in there, then made a pan sauce for it and browned the meat under the broiler for about 1 minute each side. It was perfectly pink throughout, tasty and tender.

I sent an email to the DorkFoods guys and they were so happy to hear from me, they offered up a special "coupon code" for anybody else that wants one - go to their website and use "2FORCHARSKI" and you'll get a discount! LOL!!

Gotta love folks that have quality customer service.

[phurst_gal]

Thank heavens I don't have any counter space for this.

If I bring one more kitchen gadget into the house, dh is liable to divorce me.

However, I DO think I should get one new gadget for every new golf club he brings home ...

[Charski]

This one doesn't even take UP any counter space! I keep it stored INSIDE my small roaster oven when I'm not using it, or at least until DH stole it from me. That's where the new one will go though!

And yep, you definitely should have one new toy every time your DH gets a new golf club!

<<<<<<enabler

[scalestepper]

I'm still loving mine too!

[Charski]

Originally Posted by scalestepper

I'm still loving mine too!

The DorkFoods guys say they're gonna have a forum for recipes one of these days - will let you know when they tell me it's up, as they've asked for contributions - and you can send yours in too!

[scalestepper]

Originally Posted by Charski

The DorkFoods guys say they're gonna have a forum for recipes one of these days - will let you know when they tell me it's up, as they've asked for contributions - and you can send yours in too!

Neat! Thanks for the heads up! I'd like a forum.

[Perdita]

I agree, sous vide recipes are notoriously hard to track down. (It's easy to find lots of theory, discussion, and blog entries that don't really give you a sense of whether the blogger liked the result. Straight-up recipes still aren't as easy to come by. I understand part of the reason for this--it's still a very new method for the home cook, and there is a LOT of experimentation and fiddling involved. For example, while I love my sous vide poached eggs, even with identical timing and temperature and equipment, I rarely get exactly the same result. When you get differently-shaped hunks of meat involved, and different cooking vessels/sealers/thermostats involved, it gets even more variable.)

[Ginaaaaaa]

I'm glad I read this thread! I kept passing it by because I thought it was some really expensive kitchen gadget but its not! lol

I can use it with my halogen table top cooker. I went to the Dorkfoods website and it tells you how to test your cooker to see if it will work with the Sous Vide.

So, needless to say I just put it on my things to buy list lol

[Charski]

LOL Gina! You'll like it.

The coupon code is good through this weekend, I believe he said, unless they get hammered with orders and can't keep up!

[Ginaaaaaa]

Thanks Char, I did see that coupon, but I can't fit this into my budget right now. I'm just happy to see how affordable it is though.

[Charski]

It's really cheap compared to the Sous Vide Supreme that the Drs. Eades sell for home use, and you can use something you already own to run it. I like that!

Well I know when you DO get one - you'll have a ball trying it, you're such a great kitchen experimenter!

[CreekWatcher]

Originally Posted by Charski

LOL Gina! You'll like it.

The coupon code is good through this weekend, I believe he said, unless they get hammered with orders and can't keep up!

They're already showing sold out on the dorkfood site.

By the way, I understand that this controller has to be used with a "manual," and not a digital appliance (they explain why on their website). But are there not any "wet pot" appliances that cycle on and off and have their own thermostats? I should think that even a non-digital appliance of that sort would not work with the dorkfood controller, since there would be no way of overriding the appliances's own thermostat (which would mean that you'd have "two cooks" controlling the pot, one of them very imprecise).

Likewise, I take it that most non-digital crockpots don't have thermostats, and don't cycle on and off in normal use? (I had always vaguely thought they did.)

[Charski]

CW, what happens is that the appliance you choose gets plugged into the DorkFoods temp controller, and then THAT gets plugged into the wall - you set the temp at which you want the water bath to remain, put the probe into the water, and off it goes. So the DF controller DOES override the thermostat of the device.

I usually just set my roaster oven at the 350* mark but the DF controller keeps it at a steady temp of whatever I set their digital control - right now, it's been holding a steady 84* for DAYS for DH's beer brewing purposes!

My new one is supposed to be here today.

Wow, I'm gonna email the boys and see if they will extend the coupon to any of the LCF peeps that want one - did you want one? I can mention you by name if you like!

[Ginaaaaaa]

Originally Posted by CreekWatcher

They're already showing sold out on the dorkfood site.

By the way, I understand that this controller has to be used with a "manual," and not a digital appliance (they explain why on their website). But are there not any "wet pot" appliances that cycle on and off and have their own thermostats? I should think that even a non-digital appliance of that sort would not work with the dorkfood controller, since there would be no way of overriding the appliances's own thermostat (which would mean that you'd have "two cooks" controlling the pot, one of them very imprecise).

Likewise, I take it that most non-digital crockpots don't have thermostats, and don't cycle on and off in normal use? (I had always vaguely thought they did.)

It tells you on the site how to find out if the sous vide will work with your appliance. What you do is, plug in your appliance and power it on, then unplug your appliance and plug it back in. If your appliance powers back on when you plug it in without having to manually power it back on then the sous vide will work with your appliance. Digital appliance won't work because once you unplug them they will not power back on if you just plug it back in, you have to reset the them manually.

Originally Posted by Charski

It's really cheap compared to the Sous Vide Supreme that the Drs. Eades sell for home use, and you can use something you already own to run it. I like that!

Well I know when you DO get one - you'll have a ball trying it, you're such a great kitchen experimenter!

Thanks Char, you're a very experienced cook, I have learned a lot from reading your posts. I do love making things easier for myself in the kitchen, that's for sure!! Of course who doesn't love a new appliance especially one so inexpensive and useful!

It will be interesting to see how this this sous vide works. I will be sure to report back when I do get myself one.

[Charski]

RE: stock - emailed the Chief Dork (yes he DOES call himself that, LOL!) and he says they had taken the stock down to make an adjustment, should be back online now and the coupon is still good - so anyone that wants one - here's your chance!

[CreekWatcher]

Gina said:

"It tells you on the site how to find out if the sous vide will work with your appliance. What you do is, plug in your appliance and power it on, then unplug your appliance and plug it back in. If your appliance powers back on when you plug it in without having to manually power it back on then the sous vide will work with your appliance. Digital appliance won't work because once you unplug them they will not power back on if you just plug it back in, you have to reset the them manually."

...I actually understand that part, but I didn't make that clear enough...

Charski said:

"CW, what happens is that the appliance you choose gets plugged into the DorkFoods temp controller, and then THAT gets plugged into the wall - you set the temp at which you want the water bath to remain, put the probe into the water, and off it goes. So the DF controller DOES override the thermostat of the device.

I usually just set my roaster oven at the 350* mark but the DF controller keeps it at a steady temp of whatever I set their digital control - right now, it's been holding a steady 84* for DAYS for DH's beer brewing purposes!

My new one is supposed to be here today.

Wow, I'm gonna email the boys and see if they will extend the coupon to any of the LCF peeps that want one - did you want one? I can mention you by name if you like!"

...I think I get it now: you set the appliance's themostat so high that every time the power comes back on the appliance is bound to heat, and keep heating for as long as the dorkfood is on. Don't ask why, but I was thinking that you would set the appliance at the target temp, just as you do the dorkfood controller, which might result in the appliance cycling off and allowing the temp to fall below the target while the dorkfood device is on...(You people will just have to bear with me. I don't have much imagination.)

Charski, thanks but as I was writing this I went back to the dorkfood site and found that they are now showing the controller in stock again! (But I probably won't be making a decision soon in any case.)

[CreekWatcher]

By the way, it might amuse you all to know that there is at least one blower and thermostat combo, made for home charcoal smokers, that claims to be able to keep a well-insulated home smoker to within one degree F automatically for some hours at a time without attendance (as long as the fire is properly built to begin with, which is not supposed to be too difficult).

Of course, that's a tolerance of one degree in the exact spot where the thermostat is placed, and the temp of the air in a dry oven is not going to be as even as the heat in different parts of a water bath. So it wouldn't be exactly the dry equivalent of a sous vide, but still...

[greybb1]

Haven't used my sous vide supreme in a while, but Charski has inspired me to experiment with it again. I made a few things in it when I first got it, but thought the results were just ho hum. I do love lemon curd made in it though.

So tonight I started ribs in the SVS to eat for dinner tomorrow night & I'm taking pictures for y'all to see if you're interested.

The SVS heating up to 175 degrees.


I used a McCormic rub I got at Costco. Ingredients are SUGAR, SALT, BROWN SUGAR, SPICES, ONION, GARLIC, MAPLE SYRUP, RED BELL PEPPERS, ORANGE PEEL, PAPRIKA, SAFFLOWER AND SUNFLOWER OIL, MOLASSES, CHILI PEPPER, CARAMEL COLOR, NATURAL SMOKE FLAVOR, AND NATURAL FLAVOR.


I cut the rack into 4 sections.


All sealed up and ready to go! (I started at 179 but then decided to dial it
back to 175)


Into the SVS we go!



End of pt. 1. Going to cook them for about 12 hours then finish them off with a little sauce and my trusty torch.

Pt. 2 tomorrow night!

[greybb1]

Making beef ribs. Put them in this morning after rubbing with the same rub I used on the pork. I'll be eating them tomorrow night. Hope they are yummy!

[Charski]

Yum, keep us posted! I want to do short ribs in mine - maybe I'll get around to that later in the week!

I love keeping this thread going. I hope others will try this too and report on THEIR experiments!

[greybb1]

I'm going to leave the beef ribs in another day since they are such tough meat. I took a chuck roast out of the freezer that I had rubbed with the same seasonings as the ribs, and I think I'll throw it in tomorrow night for dinner on Sunday.

If I keep this up, I may have to get one of those gadgets you have, Charski, in case I want to have 2 things going at the same time.

[Charski]

We have two now, greybb - DH commandeered the first one for his beer-making processes!

Can't wait to see pics of the finished products.

[greybb1]

I put the beef ribs in the Sous Vide Supreme Demi on Tuesday morning after rubbing them with the same rub I used on the pork. McCormicks Smokehouse Maple. I bagged them then dropped in the machine at 140 degrees. Got a little air stuck in one of the bags and it wanted to float so I put in the river rock I brought back from Mt. Blanc in the Alps.

These are the ribs after about 52 hours, in the water bath.



This is how they look in the bag after coming out of the water.



Okay, now for the fun part! I added a little bbq sauce on top then hit them with the torch to caramelize the sauce and get a char on the meat.



Finally, perfect beef ribs. Tender yet chewy as they are supposed to be, but perfectly medium inside. Can't get this any other way but Sous Vide.

[Charski]

Oh MAN!! I think I might could get my DH to eat them THAT way! Thanks for the photos - those look smack-a-lip goooood!

[greybb1]

Thanks! They had a deep, beefy taste and really didn't need any sauce. I gotta say, my face and my hands were mighty sticky after eating these bad boys! LOL I had to wash and wash and wash them.

[greybb1]

Okay, I'm at it again! Put a 1 1/2 inch thick chuck roast in the SVS demi @ 138 degrees and I'll leave it there for 48+ hours. Maybe take it out Sat night or Sunday day.



Time to get off the computer. I've been on Low Carb Friends too long.
Patches is not amused.

[Charski]

LOL! Poor Patches - she looks terribly abused!!

[scalestepper]

Looks soooo good, thanks for sharing, love the pictures too!

[greybb1]

Thanks! How's your sous vide cooking coming along Scalestepper? Made anything lately?