Anova/Sous-Vide ERA

[nicoga3000]

Question for you guys.

I have some big ass filets I want to sous vide. Usually, I'm doing them on a weekend when I'm home all day. I usually like to cook to ~133-135. Am I going to ruin my steaks by keeping them in for 4-5 hours? I know most blogs and shit say to do ~2 hours, but I figured I'd ask.

Also, anyone sous vide ribs? I'd love to try it since it's still way too cold to smoke here.

 

[dietertong]

Question for you guys.

I have some big ass filets I want to sous vide. Usually, I'm doing them on a weekend when I'm home all day. I usually like to cook to ~133-135. Am I going to ruin my steaks by keeping them in for 4-5 hours? I know most blogs and shit say to do ~2 hours, but I figured I'd ask.

Also, anyone sous vide ribs? I'd love to try it since it's still way too cold to smoke here.

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You won't ruin them, but the consistency will be a lot softer than normal so just be aware of that.

Sous vide ribs = amazing. It's like boiling the ribs but not losing the flavour out of them. Just finish them in the oven with a broiler and you're good to go!

 

[Chanser]

Bought a Joule, those chicken thighs are so good!

 

[cyberninja]

Made some wings last night, finished them under the broiler.

 

[ReAxion]

been awhile since i've used my joule but i just happened to have made some "poached" eggs last night. 147F, 60m.

 

[Deleted member 11637]

been awhile since i've used my joule but i just happened to have made some "poached" eggs last night. 147F, 60m.

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How was the texture of the whites/yolks? I often pasteurize my eggs after I buy them (75 mins @ 135 F) for use in tartares and spaghetti carbonara.

 

[ReAxion]

How was the texture of the whites/yolks? I often pasteurize my eggs after I buy them (75 mins @ 135 F) for use in tartares and spaghetti carbonara.

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very soft but completely white. the chefsteps pic, while dressed up, is exactly what i got.

https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/ultimate-poached-egg-upgrade

 

[Deleted member 11637]

very soft but completely white. the chefsteps pic, while dressed up, is exactly what i got.

https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/ultimate-poached-egg-upgrade

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Mmmmm...

 

[ReAxion]

i'd actually like a little more run on my yolk but hey, i get a hour to prep anything i want to be topped with an egg.

 

[kvetcha]

i'd actually like a little more run on my yolk but hey, i get a hour to prep anything i want to be topped with an egg.

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Kenji did a useful review of sous vide eggs at various times and temperatures. You can probably find a combination that suits you:

https://www.seriouseats.com/2013/10/sous-vide-101-all-about-eggs.html

 

[Aurongel]

...

Made some wings last night, finished them under the broiler.

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How did you go about sealing the bag you used to cook the wings in? I ask because I tried my hand a few weeks back at sous-viding chicken legs and they came out SUPER pink and icky after 3 hours of cooking. I figured they weren't vacuum sealed well enough so now I'm paranoid about cooking any chicken with bones.

 

[mm04]

I saved a smoked beef brisket thanks to my Joule. Family smoked a large brisket (among assorted other meats) and temperature control issues with the Green Egg caused it to get to temp too fast and wasn't as tender as it should be. So rather than just eat it as is, I took the remainder and kept it in a sous vide bath at 155 for 20 hours. Then stuck it in the oven for 10 minutes at high heat. Very tender and still juicy. Thank goodness because that would've been a lot of wasted beef.

 

[ReAxion]

Kenji did a useful review of sous vide eggs at various times and temperatures. You can probably find a combination that suits you:

https://www.seriouseats.com/2013/10/sous-vide-101-all-about-eggs.html

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in this case, thanks but no thanks, kenji. i wasn't up for boiling.

 

[Rizific]

How did you go about sealing the bag you used to cook the wings in? I ask because I tried my hand a few weeks back at sous-viding chicken legs and they came out SUPER pink and icky after 3 hours of cooking. I figured they weren't vacuum sealed well enough so now I'm paranoid about cooking any chicken with bones.

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I've done wings, legs, and thighs. Just sealed them in a food saver bag same way I do everything else and finished in the broiler. I also get a little pink in some places, but you can't tell me 165f at 2 hours ain't cooked.

 

[J-Skee]

I've never done sous vide before. It seems like a great choice for me because I wouldn't have to babysit my food while cooking. Also, it looks like cleanup is easier as well. I have a couple of questions:

Are there any major cons to it? Notice some people's food not coming out right.
What are the differences between this & a crockpot?
What's the better product: Joule or Anova? Or is just a matter or preference?

 

[cyberninja]

How did you go about sealing the bag you used to cook the wings in? I ask because I tried my hand a few weeks back at sous-viding chicken legs and they came out SUPER pink and icky after 3 hours of cooking. I figured they weren't vacuum sealed well enough so now I'm paranoid about cooking any chicken with bones.

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I always use water displacement method and never had any issues. Just make sure that meat is spread out evenly in one layer. I cooked it for a little under 2 hours at 167F, then let it cool off in a fridge for a couple of hours. At last I tossed wings in a little bit of avocado oil and finished them on high broil at the very top rack for a few minutes and it came out perfect.

 

[Aurongel]

I always use water displacement method and never had any issues. Just make sure that meat is spread out evenly in one layer. I cooked it for a little under 2 hours at 167F, then let it cool off in a fridge for a couple of hours. At last I tossed wings in a little bit of avocado oil and finished them on high broil at the very top rack for a few minutes and it came out perfect.

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I'm probably not cooking them nearly hot enough, for larger boneless chicken breast I find that they come out perfectly cooked at 145degF after 2.5 hours - no pink at all. Apparently meat with a bone requires a higher temperature?

I also use the water displacement method hence why I was asking how the user above sealed his bags. I always assumed the water displacement method wasn't enough to seal certain types of meat. Appreciate the tips.

 

[cyberninja]

I'm probably not cooking them nearly hot enough, for larger boneless chicken breast I find that they come out perfectly cooked at 145degF after 2.5 hours - no pink at all. Apparently meat with a bone requires a higher temperature?

I also use the water displacement method hence why I was asking how the user above sealed his bags. I always assumed the water displacement method wasn't enough to seal certain types of meat. Appreciate the tips.

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You're welcome.
White and dark meats need to be cooked at different temperatures, boneless or not makes no difference. 149F is the bare minimum for dark meats, next time try it at 167F.
What device are you using? I have a Joule and it has a very nice app with all the queues for visual doneness. Even if you have a different machine I would still get the app and use it as a guide. Cheers.

 

[I Don't Like]

I've never done sous vide before. It seems like a great choice for me because I wouldn't have to babysit my food while cooking. Also, it looks like cleanup is easier as well. I have a couple of questions:

Are there any major cons to it? Notice some people's food not coming out right.
What are the differences between this & a crockpot?
What's the better product: Joule or Anova? Or is just a matter or preference?

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Major cons are you use a shitload of water and plastic. I normally try to reuse water since I normally cook Mon-Wed.

Differences are sous vide is cooking in water. Crockpot is just a dry heat and it's slow cooking so it's for things you can leave on many hours. You can do that in sous vide too for certain things but you have flexibility with the temp vs time so you can still make things in reasonable time.

Never used the Joule but have had the Anova for more than a year and love it.

 

[J-Skee]

Major cons are you use a shitload of water and plastic. I normally try to reuse water since I normally cook Mon-Wed.

Differences are sous vide is cooking in water. Crockpot is just a dry heat and it's slow cooking so it's for things you can leave on many hours. You can do that in sous vide too for certain things but you have flexibility with the temp vs time so you can still make things in reasonable time.

Never used the Joule but have had the Anova for more than a year and love it.

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Alright, I may give it a shot then. I can recycle plastic that I don't need anymore.

 

[ReAxion]

I've done wings, legs, and thighs. Just sealed them in a food saver bag same way I do everything else and finished in the broiler. I also get a little pink in some places, but you can't tell me 165f at 2 hours ain't cooked.

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It is all temperature over time. what you're looking for is the survival time of orders of magnitude of pathogens at a given temperature over a given time. but you do have to consider surface-level vs. complete penetration. at surface level, 165F is a complete instant kill, 0 seconds. but so is 136F for 85 minutes. except nobody wants to eat medium rare chicken, even if it's safe - so that's where you get in to choosing your preferred doneness/texture.
the higher the temperature, the lower the time required to reach a safe pathogen level.

Alright, I may give it a shot then. I can recycle plastic that I don't need anymore.

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they have reusable containers/bags for SV, too.

 

[kvetcha]

in this case, thanks but no thanks, kenji. i wasn't up for boiling.

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The quick simmer is only if you want a perfectly poached egg for eggs benedict, etc. That little outer skin is so aesthetically pleasing.

 

[Piggus]

I'm probably not cooking them nearly hot enough, for larger boneless chicken breast I find that they come out perfectly cooked at 145degF after 2.5 hours - no pink at all. Apparently meat with a bone requires a higher temperature?

I also use the water displacement method hence why I was asking how the user above sealed his bags. I always assumed the water displacement method wasn't enough to seal certain types of meat. Appreciate the tips.

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I cook chicken breast at that temp too and it's amazing. Juiciest, most tender chicken breast I've ever had, and the texture is more steak-like than what you would normally expect either chicken.

 

[mm04]

What's the better product: Joule or Anova? Or is just a matter or preference?

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It's just preference. I chose a Joule because as a rank beginner, I preferred the Joule app to get me started for ease of use, information etc. It's a top notch app. I'm sure the Anova app has changed over time and maybe they're equivalent now.

 

[j_rocca42]

It's just preference. I chose a Joule because as a rank beginner, I preferred the Joule app to get me started for ease of use, information etc. It's a top notch app. I'm sure the Anova app has changed over time and maybe they're equivalent now.

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I chose the joule mostly because they're a Seattle based company and wanted to support them, but I love the app. My parents have an anova and it just seems so lame setting the temp right on the circulator itself.

 

[nampad]

I chose the joule mostly because they're a Seattle based company and wanted to support them, but I love the app. My parents have an anova and it just seems so lame setting the temp right on the circulator itself.

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You can use the app on an Anova too :P
Actually having the physical control was one of the reasons I was not so disappointed, that the Joule is not available in Europe. Can't imagine having to throw away the device just because there is no app support anymore.

And fortunately, you can still look up the temp guide on the awesome Joule app.

 

[jts]

I chose the joule mostly because they're a Seattle based company and wanted to support them, but I love the app. My parents have an anova and it just seems so lame setting the temp right on the circulator itself.

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You can set the temperature via app with the Anova as well. It actually allows for a more precise temperature setting that on device. But it's really good that you can set on the device itself because you don't always have access to the app and well... the app kinda sucks.

 

[GrimGrinningGuy]

I'm finally going to try doing steaks and finish on the grill for color on Memorial Day.

A few tips?
1. Do I put them in the water right away or do I wait until it's "preheated"? Or does it matter?

2. What's the best site for temps , length, etc? Anova app I don't care for

 

[Jarrod38]

Been thinking of picking one as well and will a 6 qt pot work just fine?

 

[SnakeXs]

I'm finally going to try doing steaks and finish on the grill for color on Memorial Day.

A few tips?
1. Do I put them in the water right away or do I wait until it's "preheated"? Or does it matter?

2. What's the best site for temps , length, etc? Anova app I don't care for

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1) Doesn't really matter but I tend to wait for it to hit temp. Its a bit easier for any heat lost from adding the food to recover once you're at temp vs slowing down the clim up to your set temp. But don't stress it, I'd have no issuejust turning on the machine, dropping whatever and leaving if I had to.

2) Anything Kenji says, in one. Beyond that I'll tend to do a little aggregate search regarding what my desired end product is. ie a braised texture vs a more meaty, bitey firmness. Lots of forgiveness, for the most part.

Been thinking of picking one as well and will a 6 qt pot work just fine?

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It's a good starting point or if cooking for one or two, but will limit you if you intend on trying to do larger cuts. Keep in mind they're circulators, so you need room for the food and a good amount of space for water to properly flow. If you're too cramp and your machine is just pumping into a wall or the meat itself, a lot of the certainty of sous vide will be lost.

 

[Aurongel]

I really want to start branching out from just making cuts of meat in the sous vide. I've basically perfected chicken breast and steaks and I'd like to maybe start looking into preparing more meals not involving meat.

Any recommendations, friends?

 

[GrimGrinningGuy]

1) Doesn't really matter but I tend to wait for it to hit temp. Its a bit easier for any heat lost from adding the food to recover once you're at temp vs slowing down the clim up to your set temp. But don't stress it, I'd have no issuejust turning on the machine, dropping whatever and leaving if I had to.

2) Anything Kenji says, in one. Beyond that I'll tend to do a little aggregate search regarding what my desired end product is. ie a braised texture vs a more meaty, bitey firmness. Lots of forgiveness, for the most part.



It's a good starting point or if cooking for one or two, but will limit you if you intend on trying to do larger cuts. Keep in mind they're circulators, so you need room for the food and a good amount of space for water to properly flow. If you're too cramp and your machine is just pumping into a wall or the meat itself, a lot of the certainty of sous vide will be lost.

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Thanks
Another question I have is a lot of cooking info says "1-4 hours" (for example). How do you know it's cooked in an hour? Or 2? Do you need to remove and take temp?

 

[nampad]

I really want to start branching out from just making cuts of meat in the sous vide. I've basically perfected chicken breast and steaks and I'd like to maybe start looking into preparing more meals not involving meat.

Any recommendations, friends?

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Asparagus comes out perfect. Usually make green asparagus with poached eggs (also sous vide) as a side for my steaks.

 

[SnakeXs]

Thanks
Another question I have is a lot of cooking info says "1-4 hours" (for example). How do you know it's cooked in an hour? Or 2? Do you need to remove and take temp?

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You should assume something is done in the min. time, and is "safe" up to 4. Safe not regarding food safety, but things going too long can affect the final texture. Safe bet is add a bit to the minimum to be sure, but I've never had any issues keeping it close to minimums for short cooking stuff. (1-4 being short cooking in SV land).

 

[GrimGrinningGuy]

You should assume something is done in the min. time, and is "safe" up to 4. Safe not regarding food safety, but things going too long can affect the final texture. Safe bet is add a bit to the minimum to be sure, but I've never had any issues keeping it close to minimums for short cooking stuff. (1-4 being short cooking in SV land).

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Thanks so much
Looks like a medium steak is 4 min -3.5 hours. I'll probably do 1.5 hours or so

 

[br0ken_shad0w]

I finally got straight into the sous vide game. I'm currently testing some beef shorts and there's just a few conflicting directions to cooking with that. Do I pre-sear or sear afterwards (or even both)? Do I mix the marinade with the ribs in the SV or just dry rub salt/pepper and make the marinade afterwards? I do have plenty of ribs to test courtesy of Costco so I'll experiment the different temps that Chefsteps had (though I'm definitely boiling/searing if I'm going to the low temp 48-72 hr route)

 

[MrFarenheit]

Wow just got an email that Breville bought certain assets from chefsteps and will be supporting the Joule going forward

 

[TheDestructiveSquirrel]

Got an Anova today, excited to try it out

I think I may start with eggs lol

 

[RetroMG]

Got an Anova today, excited to try it out

I think I may start with eggs lol

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Hard-boiled? Scrmabled? Poached?
Try sous-vide scrambled eggs, they're pretty great.

 

[ReAxion]

Good Eats: The Return did an ep on SV over the weekend. Good lil primer for newbies or those interested in starting.

 

[MrFarenheit]

Hard-boiled? Scrmabled? Poached?
Try sous-vide scrambled eggs, they're pretty great.

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Any particular scrambled egg recipe you use? I see that the temp/time is consistent across a few recipes but just wondering on milk, salt etc.

Thanks in advance.

 

[RetroMG]

Any particular scrambled egg recipe you use? I see that the temp/time is consistent across a few recipes but just wondering on milk, salt etc.

Thanks in advance.

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When I was first getting started I pulled a lot of my recipes from Lifehacker/Skillet's "Will it Sous Vide" series. Here's the article on scrambled eggs.

 

[TheDestructiveSquirrel]

Do I wait for the water to reach the set temp before putting the food in?

 

[ReAxion]

Do I wait for the water to reach the set temp before putting the food in?

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best practices say yes. you don't always have to, but don't worry about that. you just should.

 

[TheDestructiveSquirrel]

best practices say yes. you don't always have to, but don't worry about that. you just should.

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OK, the eggs I have in there don't look like they are scrambled yet, I put them in right away though

 

[ReAxion]

OK, the eggs I have in there don't look like they are scrambled yet, I put them in right away though

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well, don't start the timer until the water is at temp. the times in recipes are always meant for the time in water at temp.

 

[TheDestructiveSquirrel]

well, don't start the timer until the water is at temp. the times in recipes are always meant for the time in water at temp.

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Damn, oh well, I'll keep it going and hopefully it works

 

[ReAxion]

Damn, oh well, I'll keep it going and hopefully it works

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it will work. you just added some guessing back into the game, unless you happen to know how much time it took to get to temp. you'd just cook for that much longer.

 

[TheDestructiveSquirrel]

it will work. you just added some guessing back into the game, unless you happen to know how much time it took to get to temp. you'd just cook for that much longer.

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I have a pretty good idea

 

[ReAxion]

I have a pretty good idea

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k, just go with that. if you're using that lifehacker method, it's not that much different in theory than the gordon ramsey scrambled eggs - you're doing the part where it's on the burner and off the burner.