Living la Vida … Sous Vide

By vJoeG · April 12, 2019

Maybe you’re watching Chopped or you’vre heard the term thrown around at a gathering and are asking yourself, “What is Sous Vide?”

First things first. The term ‘Sous Vide’ is from the French, “Under Vacuum” It is a cooking method by which you introduce a uniform and standard heat to foods that are sealed in air-tight bags. Over a longer period of time (several hours to even days) your proteins, vegetables, and other items receive a slow cook that brings them to near perfect results every time.

It was through a Facebook group that I first learned of Sous Vide. The group is called Sous Vide for Dummies

Pictures of perfectly cooked steaks, salmon, and vegetables. It was glorious to behold. Being a very creative person in the kitchen I jumped in with both feet and went shopping on Amazon for all the necessary equipment.

To get started with Sous Vide you need 3 items at a minimum:

• Vacuum Seal bags and a food saving/sealing device
• Container or pot large enough to hold your product
• Sous Vide device (Pictured above is the Anova device I currently use)
• Optional, but recommended: Pan or Grill to sear your food after reaching the set temperature in the Sous Vide

With these items you can seal, cook and even sear your food producing some of the best tasting and highest quality meals you’ve ever made in the comfort of you own home.

Fast forward (or backward?) to Christmas 2017. I had been testing meals with the Sous Vide for about a month and decided to treat our guests to something new and unique. I ordered a 2lb center cut tenderloin from the local butcher. Seasoned it with garlic, fresh cracked pepper, and thyme. It was then sealed in a food-saver bag and into the water bath for 4 hours at 131 degrees. I was going for a medium-rare center. You can find a great Meat and Poultry temperature guide at The Food Network

After the allotted time ‘warming’ I removed the meat from it’s bag, patted it dry (note: this is a very important step to get the proper sear) and placed in in a super-hot cast iron skillet with butter and more thyme. Taking no more than 1-2 minutes per side and each end to get a nice sear on the outer meat.

Let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes then carve and serve.

Chef’s note: Be sure to take a slice for yourself before serving to guests or, in my case, adding to the buffet table. I cleaned up my cutting board and equipment and when I turned back to see how it was received the plate was bare. Everyone asked, “Where did you get that meat and is there more?” Needless to say this year at Christmas dinner I more than doubled the tenderloin to 5lbs.

One of the best parts about cooking your food with Sous Vide is that you cannot overcook it. A general rule of thumb I use is to keep the bag(s) under water for at least 2 hours. There are some folks who have done 24 hours and more for a really nice roast. Some day I hope to give that a shot and report back on the results. Until then, happy cooking!

Here are some useful links for gear, recipes and more:

• Sous Vide for Dummies (Facebook)
• Sous Vide Enthusiasts (Facebook)
• Anova Sous Vide Machine
• Food Saver (Vacuum sealer)
• Rubbermaid Food containers
• The first 5 things you should cook with your Sous Vide
• Anova Recipes
• Pure Wow Sous Vide Recipes
• The Sous Vide Guy

When you find some great recipes and if you have interesting tips please drop a comment and let’s turn this post into a discussion. Also, join the group on Facebook and send me a note. I can’t wait to hear about your recipes, successes, and even failures. It’s through failure that you learn. SO get in the kitchen and make something delicious!