Sous vide

[jonumberone]

Anybody else cooking this way?
Any pics, tips, or recipes?
Let's share them here!

Keith (Bigash) turned me on to the Anova Precision Cooker.
I pre-ordered it and waited about 8 weeks for it to come
Since it has gotten here, I've done my best to put it through the paces.
It's a little larger than a stick blender, and you can use it with any pot.
I bought a 4.75 gallon Cambro container to use with mine.

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/20151104_115745_zpsmmbplias.jpg

As soon as it came I couldn't wait to try it.
I always take baby steps first, :rolleyes: so I went out and grabbed a couple of 24-26oz prime ribeye steaks.
Seasoned with salt & pepper
Cook time and temp was 1.5 hours @132°
Finished in a cast iron skillet

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The steaks came out great and I felt 132° was the perfect temp for me.
If there was something I didn't like it was the sear I got on the steak.
It was my first attempt at it so I had a hard time judging.
I wanted a good sear, but I didn't want to leave it in the pan too long and have it overcook.
I definitely could've let it sear longer without worry.

[jonumberone]

Next up I tried a rack of lamb.
Seasoned with salt & pepper. I also through in a couple sprigs of Rosemary
Cooked at 130° for 2.5 hours

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/IMG_20151107_152657_zps4jotc2yn.jpg

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Second try, still not the greatest sear.
I was even more apprehensive with the more delicate lamb than with the steaks.
Again, I think I could've seared longer without jeopardizing the interior.

Next up some eggs for breakfast.
Cooked in their shells @ 167° for 14 min.
Served over some Pulled Pork Hash I made with some leftovers.
The yolk had custard like consistency. I prefer it more runny.
After some more reading I'm going to try 163° next time.

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/IMG_20151108_110556_zpsjdn045s2.jpg

Sous vide shrimp was the next attempt.
Seasoned with smoked sea salt, pepper and cooked with EVOO in the bag.
14 minutes @ 149°
Finished in a cast iron skillet with butter and a dash of Cajun seasoning for about 1 min.
Served over yellow corn grits.
Everything came out perfect on this one!

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/20151122_125347_zpsouedaozc.jpg

[jonumberone]

Same day, this time for dinner, I took a shot at Beef Tenderloin.
Seasoned with salt, pepper, and sprigs of thyme.
Cooked @ 130° for 90 min
Finished in cast iron skillet

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/20151122_1622240_zpsgxu5ld9y.jpg

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Better sear this time, but still not perfect.
The carrots here were also cooked sous vide.
Tried to cook them in bourbon and maple syrup.
They were a fail. Cooked to perfection but the bourbon maple sauce was really bitter.
I need to work on the ratios for that one.

[jonumberone]

I finally moved on to some white meat
Pork Chops seasoned with salt, pepper, fresh peeled garlic and Rosemary.
Served over sauteed cabbage and some sauteed apples on the side.
140° for 45 minutes. Finished, also, in cast iron.

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/20151128_172624_zpspmznwmm4.jpg

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/IMG_20151128_191934_zpsryhb8ijs.jpg

These were the perfect pork chops!
Wonderfully moist and tender.
I was finally 100% happy with the sear I got, too!

Lastly I moved onto a 50oz ribeye steak.
I don't think the pics do it justice. This was a massive hunk of a steak!
Simple salt & pepper seasoning.
Again, 132° for 90 min. This time I finished over charcoal.

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/IMG_20151129_144712_zpsy6hnryg7.jpg

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Just amazing!
I would've never been able to cook a steak like this, this well, without the sous vide method.

[Chainsaw13]

Awesome job on the cooking Dom. I have the same IC. So far I've only done a few items, eggs, steak and a boned out turkey breast. The turkey was amazingly good. 145F for 4 hours. Juicy, tender, just perfect.

[massphatness]

Been watching your posts on instagram, and pulled the trigger on an Innova.

Does the Cambro container add anything besides a coolness factor and the ability to see the bag of meat?

[Chainsaw13]

Does the Cambro container add anything besides a coolness factor and the ability to see the bag of meat?

My guess would be size of items you could put into it. I use a 12qt stock pot right now. I didn't have any issues with space when doing the turkey breast, but that's about as large of an item I'd want to put in there.

[Chainsaw13]

Hey Dom, I'm thinking of picking up one of these for the searing process.

http://www.amazon.com/Searzall-Torch-Attachment-Small-Stainless/dp/B00L2P0KNO/ref=sr_1_6?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1448896532&sr=1-6&keywords=anova

[mosesbotbol]

My friend is a master at this method and has been doing it almost a decade. He'll keep the meat in there much longer than you do, but does the same basic method.

Maybe your pan is not hot enough for the sear? The charcoal worked, so maybe it's temp related

[G G]

I believe I will have to get me one of them there devices.:tu

[jonumberone]

Been watching your posts on instagram, and pulled the trigger on an Innova.

Does the Cambro container add anything besides a coolness factor and the ability to see the bag of meat?

The size of the piece of meat is one reason.
Another was the lid.
I modified the lid to fit the Anova.
The lid will help reduce evaporation on really long cooks.
I did some beef ribs for 53hrs and didn't have to add any water to the container.

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/20151122_132645_zps0uadfstt.jpg

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Hey Dom, I'm thinking of picking up one of these for the searing process.

http://www.amazon.com/Searzall-Torch-Attachment-Small-Stainless/dp/B00L2P0KNO/ref=sr_1_6?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1448896532&sr=1-6&keywords=anova

This is already on my list for Santa! :D

[stearns]

A puddle of drool, right here in front of me. This stuff looks amazing Dom, as soon as I find myself with enough time to properly go down the sous vide rabbit hole I'm gonna pick up a system like this, right now I think I would only use it a few times before it becomes an expensive toy in the cabinet

[CigarNut]

Very cool, Dom!

What did you finally work out a for good sear?

[jonumberone]

Maybe your pan is not hot enough for the sear? The charcoal worked, so maybe it's temp related

The pan was plenty hot. I think it was more about being gun shy.
The charcoal worked, but it was extremely hot.
Rather than light the grill to sear off one steak, I lit a charcoal chimney and placed a grill grate on top.
When I was finally ready to put the stake on the grates were glowing red.

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/20151129_174228_zps3idj2ss5.jpg

[AdamJoshua]

I really like to sear my steaks in cast iron by first heating up a bit of olive oil starting the sear and then dumping in a couple tablespoons of butter to baste and finish the sear. Has never failed me and you get that little bit of caramelization to the meat. That being said I'm pretty sure everyone does it the same way. -P

The steaks look fantastic by the way.

[8lug]

Wow............

[mosesbotbol]

Good thing with Sous Vide, is you can put even the steaks in there way ahead of time, so all there is to do is just finish the meat. That and sous vide allows for long time to render and break down collagen than normal oven cooking.

Not sure how much Dom's unit was, but the one my friend uses was about 1K.

That being said, I am in no rush to buy one.

You'll need a vacuum tumbler next!

[Chainsaw13]

The Anova immersion circulator is $180 on Amazon.

The only downside I have found with it is the bluetooth range sucks. But don't let that stop you from getting one. I though i heard a wifi version was coming out soon.

[T.G]

Food looks awesome in the photos, Dom.

This is a process I've never experimented with; so the main thing about the finished product with the sous vide method is no loss of moisture in the food, an extreme tenderness from the long low temp cook where you let enzymes do what they are supposed to do and then combining that with a maillard reaction for the outside texture that normally wouldn't be possible to combine with that level of moisture, doneness or rarity of the meat?

[Chainsaw13]

Hey Dom, wanna take that steak up a notch? http://youtu.be/jftmzZMtcOc

[Flynnster]

I've been eyeing these things for a couple of years, since the first reasonably priced ones came out, it's on the christmas list now.

[CigarNut]

Hey Dom, do you have any recommendations for a Sous Vide cookbook?

[Chainsaw13]

Hey Dom, do you have any recommendations for a Sous Vide cookbook?

I've just been using google. If you can think it up, likely it's been done. SeriousEats.com also teamed up with Anova and has a nice guide/app that you can download to your phone.

[jonumberone]

Food looks awesome in the photos, Dom.

This is a process I've never experimented with; so the main thing about the finished product with the sous vide method is no loss of moisture in the food, an extreme tenderness from the long low temp cook where you let enzymes do what they are supposed to do and then combining that with a maillard reaction for the outside texture that normally wouldn't be possible to combine with that level of moisture, doneness or rarity of the meat?

Exactly, Adam.
There are certain things that I wouldn't know how to achieve if it weren't for the sous vide method.
Brisket, cooked medium rare, yet as tender as if it was cooked to an internal temp of 200, with less loss of moisture, is one example.
The main draw for me was the red meat, and the edge to edge level of doneness.

Hey Dom, do you have any recommendations for a Sous Vide cookbook?

Michael, sorry, I don't.
I don't have one and have never even looked at one
I mainly use a time and temp guide to figure out how long to cook things and then pair it with things I know how to make.
I also have used the Anova app on my phone for inspiration, but haven't tried any of their exact recipes.

[T.G]

Thanks Dom, that gives me some things to think about. Much appreciated for the explanation.

[Brlesq]

Now I'm hungry . . .

[BigAsh]

Looking good my brother...glad you're enjoying...I'm still having a blast with mine!...I'll be doing a tenderloin roast on Saturday, yours looked "inspirational"! :tu...when I sear I find a little butter goes a long way in "crust" development...and, most importantly, you've upped your garnish game big time...sale on rosemary? :D

[markem]

Amazing Dom. And is all looks small enough so that you can put it and you on a plane and come out here to smoke my cigars for a bit.

Just a suggestion.

[mosesbotbol]

Looking good my brother...glad you're enjoying...I'm still having a blast with mine!...I'll be doing a tenderloin roast on Saturday, yours looked "inspirational"! :tu...when I sear I find a little butter goes a long way in "crust" development...and, most importantly, you've upped your garnish game big time...sale on rosemary? :D


Try using lard or duck fat, both are actually "healthy" choices and have a higher flash point than butter.

[DBall]

The Bluetooth only one is on sale at the anova site for $129. The BT and Wifi one is $199. There's no wifi capability on the app side yet, but if you're going to be in the house while cooking, BT only is sufficient.

[357]

bishes :dr

Saved to my wish list. Thanks Dom, like I need another rabbit hole to dive into.

[CigarNut]

The Anova is on sale right now from the manufacturer for $129 with free domestic shipping.

http://anovaculinary.com/2015-holiday-sale/?utm_source=hellobar&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=2015%20holiday%20sale

[massphatness]

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/703/22921301434_74d68e6ed6_z.jpg

First shot at sous vide. Really happy with the color of the tenderloin. Need to practice my searing technique a bit, but overall: pleased with the result.

[markem]

What did you use for the sear, Vin? I hear that cast iron is preferred.

Also, did you put any butter in the cooking bag? Seems to be the thing for steaks but am not really certain what it can really do for larger cuts.

[AdamJoshua]

I was reading up on the add fats to the bag and found this

I've seen recipes that recommend adding fat to the bag, though none that offer plausible reasons for doing so. I decided to test whether or not it adds anything to the process by cooking three steaks side by side: one with nothing added to the bag, one with olive oil, and one with butter. I also repeated the test with some thyme sprigs and garlic added to each bag.

Intuitively you may think that adding a flavorful fat like butter or olive oil will in turn help create a more flavorful steak, but in fact it turns out that you achieves the opposite goal: it dilutes flavor. Fat-soluble flavor compounds dissolve in the melted butter or oil and end up going down the drain later.

Interestingly I have also read that you might not get the sear you want from just a cast iron and a popular finish after the cast iron is to touch it up with a torch.

[massphatness]

What did you use for the sear, Vin? I hear that cast iron is preferred.

Also, did you put any butter in the cooking bag? Seems to be the thing for steaks but am not really certain what it can really do for larger cuts.

Cast iron skillet for the sear, but I don't think I got it hot enough

No butter in the bag - the recipe I was following recommended against it. I did use a touch of butter during the sear though.

[jonumberone]

I've read the same thing about fats that Adam did, and have never added any to the bag.
I added a few sprigs of Rosemary to the lamb rack, and a few sprigs of thyme to the tenderloin, but honestly, it didn't seem to add any flavor to the larger cuts of meat.
Adding rosemary and garlic to the pork chops made a huge difference.

I'm right there with you on the sear, Vin. It's a work in progress.
I always get the pan screaming hot, and I'm still not happy.
I'm starting to wonder if my sear is fine, but it just suffers from comparison to a traditionally cooked steak?
I asked my wife for the searzall for Christmas. I'm hoping it's a game changer.

Tried out my first recipe from the Anova app yesterday; Cream of Celery Soup.
I chose it simply because we had an abundance of celery left over from the holiday.
It was simple enough. Throw all of the ingredients into the bag, cook, and puree.
It was really tasty.

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[markem]

Great soup idea, Dom!

My friend who has a commercial sous vide machine tells me that something like the searzall is a requirement for a good exterior on steaks. Kinda complicated, if ask me.

[Chainsaw13]

In case anyone is interested in picking up the Anova unit, Amazon has the Bluetooth version for $159 and the Wifi version for $199.

[jonumberone]

In case anyone is interested in picking up the Anova unit, Amazon has the Bluetooth version for $159 and the Wifi version for $199.

Actually Anova has $50 off the Bluetooth version and it can be had for $129 here (http://anovaculinary.com/2015-holiday-sale/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=holiday%20sale&gclid=Cj0KEQiAnJqzBRCW0rGWnKnckOIBEiQA6qDBaujlOyNE Kpkoqw28MjewBrVNP7Um-2YLIV1L_Fj4OPYaAkg18P8HAQ#bluetooth)

[Chainsaw13]

Actually Anova has $50 off the Bluetooth version and it can be had for $129 here (http://anovaculinary.com/2015-holiday-sale/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=holiday%20sale&gclid=Cj0KEQiAnJqzBRCW0rGWnKnckOIBEiQA6qDBaujlOyNE Kpkoqw28MjewBrVNP7Um-2YLIV1L_Fj4OPYaAkg18P8HAQ#bluetooth)

Thanks Dom. I wasn't sure if they still had it on sale.

[massphatness]

Took a shot at a boneless pork chop last night. I tend to avoid pork chops because they dry out so easily. Not this one! Really juicy. I put it in the water bath naked - no herbs or seasoning. After it came out of the bath, I rubbed it down with some pork seasoning and seared it on a cast iron skillet with some thinly shaved slices of garlic in canola oil. Good flavor, decent sear. I'm still not wild about pork chops, but if Grace gets a craving, this is how we're doing them.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/749/23524049701_3ce3f6f9d1_z.jpg

[Chainsaw13]

Nicely done Vin. I used mine the other night to do a porterhouse steak I had just picked up from my farmer friend. Sous vide is best left to steaks over 1" in thickness. While this steak was still good, even after a quick minute sear on both sides, it was too done for my tastes. I knew that going in, but I hadn't had this beef in a while and it was still frozen. I was under a time constraint and sous vide is great for frozen products.

[mosesbotbol]

...I put it in the water bath naked - no herbs or seasoning. After it came out of the bath, I rubbed it down with some pork seasoning and seared it on a cast iron skillet with some thinly shaved slices of garlic in canola oil. Good flavor, decent sear.

My friend who's in SV does not season the meat either before vacuum sealing them.

[markem]

I've done two meals now with my Anova.

For the first, I got two free range chicken breasts (on bone, quite large at 1.4 pounds total, onion salt and pepper) and did them at 150 for 2 hours. Ice bath then in the fridge to finish firming up. Rough chopped the chicken and put in to cream of mushroom soup. Mixed salad on the side. Very good - the chicken held its texture and was very moist.

For the second, I got a 1" boneless rib eye. Salt, pepper and garlic powder. Next time I will lower the temp about 3 degrees as it was just bit over what I wanted to doneness (we shoot for just shy of medium). The sear in my Calphalon pan was acceptable but a torch would have been perfect. Best rib eye not cooked over charcoal that I've had in a very long time. The feel on the tooth was near perfect and flavor abounded. May try adding some red wine (maybe 2-4 Tbsp) next time. Salad on the side, but pan seared asparagus is out go-to for steak.

I do not have a vacuum sealer, so have been using the zip-lock immersion technique. I think that both would have been better fully sealed. I'll get a vacuum sealer after the holidays. This is also a good excuse to get some Lodge cast iron that I've been lusting after for use on the Big Green Egg.

I recommend the unit since it has a wide range in which the food is "done". Makes dinners when we both commute less time sensitive and more relaxed in the prep. That alone is worth $129. btw, the bluetooth app sucks as it doesn't appear to alarm, but that's okay since time isn't that important except for the minimum time.

[CigarNut]

I cooked two 1" Rib Eyes (from Costco) yesterday using my Anova @ 129 degrees for 40 minutes (recipe on the Anova site) and they came out perfect:

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=16349&d=1449680390

I seared the steaks in a very hot (Lodge) cast iron skillet with bacon fat or 1 minute on a side. Next time I might do 1:15 or 1:30.

I had better luck with the iPhone app -- the app alerted me when the water was at temperature and when the timer had run out.

I want to thank Dom for starting this thread! I am not up for using the grill in the pouring rain or freezing cold, and now I can still have a good steak! Going to try some lamb chops next :D

[Chainsaw13]

One of the advantages I see of this cooking method is being able to take something straight from the freezer and put into the water. I have a tendency to forget to thaw items I want for dinner.

[massphatness]

If the food is frozen when it goes in to the water bath, I assume the minimum cook time needs adjusting? Any rule of thumb?

[BigAsh]

vin...I usually add an extra hour for anything up to 2 inches thick...then begin my sous vide cook time....the hour in the bath allows for thaw

[mosesbotbol]

If the food is frozen when it goes in to the water bath, I assume the minimum cook time needs adjusting? Any rule of thumb?

You maximum time in the water is so big, that as long as your temp is at low setting, you should be all set. I am pretty sure my friend will leave stuff in there like all day. He did a porchetta that was unreal! The SV really rendered the fat well and when he fried it after the SV, the crackling was great.

Has anyone done a pork belly in the SV? :tu

[Chainsaw13]

vin...I usually add an extra hour for anything up to 2 inches thick...then begin my sous vide cook time....the hour in the bath allows for thaw

That's about what I did also.

[jonumberone]

I do not have a vacuum sealer, so have been using the zip-lock immersion technique. I think that both would have been better fully sealed. I'll get a vacuum sealer after the holidays.



I want to thank Dom for starting this thread! I am not up for using the grill in the pouring rain or freezing cold, and now I can still have a good steak! Going to try some lamb chops next :D

I think it's awesome that the two of you ordered one.
I can't wait to see what other people turn out with the sous vide method.
First Pit Barrel Cookers, and now Anova circulators. I'm a bad influence! :D
I just can't get Pnoon to finally break down and get the PBC. The force is strong with that one. :sl

Mark, curious why you think using a vacuum sealer would turn out a better product? It's my understanding that the reason for removing the air is because it is a poor conductor of heat. Was it that you weren't able to get out all the air with the immersion technique, or did you read something that a better vacuum holds in more moisture?

[stearns]

I'm a bad influence! :D


Understatement of the year :r

[markem]

Mark, curious why you think using a vacuum sealer would turn out a better product? It's my understanding that the reason for removing the air is because it is a poor conductor of heat. Was it that you weren't able to get out all the air with the immersion technique, or did you read something that a better vacuum holds in more moisture?

Holds the liquids in better contact with the meat.

[bonjing]

Why such long cook times? And do you adjust the cook times if you're going to wear meats? How is this using seafood, mainly asking about fish.

[AdamJoshua]

Why such long cook times? And do you adjust the cook times if you're going to wear meats? How is this using seafood, mainly asking about fish.

I always try to make sure meats are at least medium rare before I wear them.

[bonjing]

I don't know how that happened? Oh nevermind, fat fingers. That was a little Hannibal Lecter'ish :D. I meant sear meats.

[markem]

Why such long cook times? And do you adjust the cook times if you're going to wear meats? How is this using seafood, mainly asking about fish.

Hey Greg - hope you are feeling better.

I like this site for ideas about fish. In general, it is better to cook fish in water than any other way so that it cooks evenly and doesn't dry out.

http://blog.sousvidesupreme.com/category/recipes-2/fish-and-seafood/

I plan to do some cod and halibut once I am back from vacation.

[CigarNut]

I cooked some (3) lamb shoulder blade chops tonight -- 3 hours @ 135 degrees; seared 90 seconds in cast iron on each side in bacon fat. They came out fantastic, perfectly done (medium rare, jucy and tender):

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=16359&d=1450064313

I was not sure about the cook time and temp as I got conflicting info from the Internet. I consulted with our local expert (dom) and he helped me out!

[Porch Dweller]

This thread is really making me consider picking up a sous vide unit. I'm :dr over the pictures.

[Chainsaw13]

Why such long cook times?

The long cook times are a factor of the low temps the items are being cooked at. The extra time allows for the proteins to come to temp all the way through the item. In the case of things like chicken, turkey, the extended times also pasteurize the meats, making them safe to eat, but not having to get cooked at the higher temps associated with baking/roasting. Lastly, for items with a lot of collagen and connective tissues, the extra time is needed to break them down. Same concept as doing a braise or bbq.

[mosesbotbol]

Lastly, for items with a lot of collagen and connective tissues, the extra time is needed to break them down. Same concept as doing a braise or bbq.

I hear my buddy say this part a lot.

[T.G]

Trying to determine if the Wi-Fi model is worth the extra $70.

Aside from better wireless range and being able to configure a router to allow one to communicate with the cooker from outside your home (or wherever you have the cooker set up), is there any other difference between the BT and the Wi-Fi?

Is the phone app even any good? And does anyone really even use it to control the cooker? Play store reviews for the android version are mixed.

[Chainsaw13]

Trying to determine if the Wi-Fi model is worth the extra $70.

Aside from better wireless range and being able to configure a router to allow one to communicate with the cooker from outside your home (or wherever you have the cooker set up), is there any other difference between the BT and the Wi-Fi?

Is the phone app even any good? And does anyone really even use it to control the cooker? Play store reviews for the android version are mixed.

Take it for what it's worth, but I don't use the BT/app all that much with my limited cooking with the Anova. The short range, always having to connect when you reopen the app. The one thing i do use it for is to set the timer on the Anova. Easier than on the unit itself.

[bvilchez]

So I see this thread and told the wife I want one for Christmas. We shall see what arrives.

Dom....you just keep pushing us down a different slope brother.

[jonumberone]

Trying to determine if the Wi-Fi model is worth the extra $70.

I have the Wi-Fi model. At the time I ordered mine it was $30 cheaper than the Bluetooth model.
I think whether or not it's worth it depends on how you plan on using it.
I'm always monitoring pit and meat temps when I bbq, so doing the same thing with the Anova appeals to me.
If you don't see the need to start it up, monitor it, or access it remotely, than it's probably not worth it.
I personally like the thought of being able to monitor it, but I don't think I'll ever start it remotely.

Aside from better wireless range and being able to configure a router to allow one to communicate with the cooker from outside your home (or wherever you have the cooker set up), is there any other difference between the BT and the Wi-Fi?

As far as I know, that is the only difference.
All the specs on the Anova website are the same, and the units look identical
I found this blurb in a review on CNet (http://www.cnet.com/products/anova-precision-cooker-bluetooth-plus-wi-fi/)

This is the company's second connected product for home cooks; the previous Anova Precision cooker only has Bluetooth, which gives users the ability to control the cooker from across the house, but not across town. Besides the addition of Wi-Fi, the newest Anova isn't much different than the Bluetooth-only model, which costs $20 less. Both cookers are nearly identical, as is their cooking performances. The most notable difference is the availability of the bare-bones app that pairs with the Wi-Fi unit. You can connect to the Anova Wi-Fi cooker from anywhere, but the app is pretty limited in its commands. Anova's previous app for the Bluetooth-only model, which is available for iOS and Android, is far more robust and helpful for using the precision cooker. Fortunately, you can use the heartier app on the Wi-Fi cooker. Just brace yourself for double notifications from both apps.

Is the phone app even any good? And does anyone really even use it to control the cooker? Play store reviews for the android version are mixed.

Being alerted when the water comes to temp and being able to set the timer are nice features, but the range sucks.
The few times I let the Anova heat the water, I used my Maverick thermometer to alert me since the app can't see the Anova from my lounge.
I haven't seen the bare bones Wi-Fi app Cnet mentioned for android, so I haven't had a chance to even try any of the Wi-Fi features.

[jonumberone]

So I see this thread and told the wife I want one for Christmas. We shall see what arrives.

Dom....you just keep pushing us down a different slope brother.

My pleasure, Jay! :D

[CigarNut]

I have the Bluetooth model and I use the app all the time -- I use it to set the time and temperature and to get alerts -- the app alerts when the water is at temperature and when the time has completed.

I periodically check the app to verify that the temperature is holding.

I wish that the app would alert me when the temp is close -- the Anova beeps when the water is within 2 or 3 degrees, but the app does not (yet).

The BT model is limited on range, but the extra dollars for the Wi-Fi was not worth it for me as I am generally within BT range -- or not out of range for very long.

I really like the Anova, but for me it's more about being able to cook things during the winter that I would normally grill (and it's too cold or too wet or too windy to grill). I have not yet found a food where the Sous Vide method is better than grilling. Then again, I have only used it twice :)

[T.G]

Thanks for the info, guys. Just ordered the BT unit to play with.


Dom, we need to talk about that Lang split and if I can get a trailer hitch on a BMW.

[jonumberone]

Thanks for the info, guys. Just ordered the BT unit to play with.


Dom, we need to talk about that Lang split and if I can get a trailer hitch on a BMW.

:D

[omowasu]

I have the exact same Anova sous vide appliance, and have done both steaks and chicken in the Anova. I would really like to try a brisket soon, first preparing in the Anova and then smoking at a low temperature.

I have similar issues with the sear. A very hot charcoal grill tends to work well for the finish (red hot coals, 90 seconds on first side, 60 on other).

[mosesbotbol]

I would really like to try a brisket soon, first preparing in the Anova and then smoking at a low temperature.

Would be interesting to cold smoke the brisket first then SV it.

[363]

Dom all of that looks great! this is something I have wanted to look into.

[DBall]

doing my first long cook... Chuck at 136 for 48 hours... :banger

[Chainsaw13]

doing my first long cook... Chuck at 136 for 48 hours... :banger

Cannibalism? :D

Contemplating a 72 hour cook of some pork shanks. Problem is I want them for dinner on Sunday. Should've planned better.

[AdamJoshua]

doing my first long cook... Chuck at 136 for 48 hours... :banger

Poor Chuck, never had a chance. :sad

[jonumberone]

Did a small 5lb rib roast yesterday.
First time I was really happy with the sear I got in a cast iron pan.
This time I used way more oil. Somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 an inch.
A little bit more mess, but it rally helped the Maillard reaction along.
Did this a little more well to appease my wife. 134° for 4.5 hours.

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/20151220_173526_zpscsoncnbd.jpg

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/20151220_173633_zpsmap1p7pj.jpg

I was shocked at the large chunks of fat when I cut into it.
From the outside there was no indication that there would be that much fat.
But it was really easy to just eat around it.

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/20151220_123032_zpsad15uh3j.jpg

Honestly, it was one of the best rib roasts I have made.
I let the roast wet age for close to 60 days, and it really showed in unbelievable tenderness that I have never achieved before.

[mosesbotbol]

^^ Great Stuff ^^ looks awesome and making me hungry

[T.G]

Hey Dom, I'm thinking of picking up one of these for the searing process.

http://www.amazon.com/Searzall-Torch-Attachment-Small-Stainless/dp/B00L2P0KNO/ref=sr_1_6?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1448896532&sr=1-6&keywords=anova


Hope you ordered early...

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=16381&stc=1&d=1450711129

[CigarNut]

Did a small 5lb rib roast yesterday.
First time I was really happy with the sear I got in a cast iron pan.
This time I used way more oil. Somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 an inch.
A little bit more mess, but it rally helped the Maillard reaction along.
Did this a little more well to appease my wife. 134° for 4.5 hours.

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/20151220_173526_zpscsoncnbd.jpg

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/20151220_173633_zpsmap1p7pj.jpg

I was shocked at the large chunks of fat when I cut into it.
From the outside there was no indication that there would be that much fat.
But it was really easy to just eat around it.

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/20151220_123032_zpsad15uh3j.jpg

Honestly, it was one of the best rib roasts I have made.
I let the roast wet age for close to 60 days, and it really showed in unbelievable tenderness that I have never achieved before.

Wow, Dom! That looks fantastic! I would love to try that, but I might need a bigger pot :)

[Chainsaw13]

Hope you ordered early...

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=16381&stc=1&d=1450711129

Holy shite! That should go into the Funny Pics II thread.

[BigAsh]

Did 16 pounds of eye roast for a party Saturday...130 for 30 hours...seasoned well, then vac sealed...minimal post-bath sear as I was slicing thin on deli slicer for sandwiches...the juice in bag went into a stock pot with sweated onions/garlic, some add'l beef stock, and a concentrated "stock base" for an "au jus"...made a great sandwich with horeradish...way better than deli roast beef...
Out of the bag...
http://i313.photobucket.com/albums/ll369/kdos66/BDS%20Smoker/29382B5A-C197-4694-B3D7-4B1A8D3E3CFD_zps61klhejg.jpg (http://s313.photobucket.com/user/kdos66/media/BDS%20Smoker/29382B5A-C197-4694-B3D7-4B1A8D3E3CFD_zps61klhejg.jpg.html)

Sliced...
http://i313.photobucket.com/albums/ll369/kdos66/BDS%20Smoker/5708C5FD-C5F2-4A32-85BB-C2A4B9477BDF_zpsquzoefpu.jpg (http://s313.photobucket.com/user/kdos66/media/BDS%20Smoker/5708C5FD-C5F2-4A32-85BB-C2A4B9477BDF_zpsquzoefpu.jpg.html)

http://i313.photobucket.com/albums/ll369/kdos66/BDS%20Smoker/4E050EE3-4C3A-4E51-9B0C-93F6DDE1C335_zpsyusnwqet.jpg (http://s313.photobucket.com/user/kdos66/media/BDS%20Smoker/4E050EE3-4C3A-4E51-9B0C-93F6DDE1C335_zpsyusnwqet.jpg.html)

[markem]

Did 16 pounds of eye roast for a party Saturday...130 for 30 hours...seasoned well, then vac sealed...minimal post-bath sear as I was slicing thin on deli slicer for sandwiches...the juice in bag went into a stock pot with sweated onions/garlic, some add'l beef stock, and a concentrated "stock base" for an "au jus"...made a great sandwich with horeradish...way better than deli roast beef...


:dr Wow!

[CigarNut]

Looks awesome!

[stearns]

...holy s*** :dr

[mosesbotbol]

...I was slicing thin on deli slicer for sandwiches...

What kind of deli slicer do you have?

[BigAsh]

What kind of deli slicer do you have?

A cheap one from craigslist a couple years ago...$25...Buffalo Tools "Sportsman"...for the minimal need it fit the bill perfectly...works great but a b!tch to clean...(and it was only $25)

[mosesbotbol]

A cheap one from craigslist a couple years ago...$25...Buffalo Tools "Sportsman"...for the minimal need it fit the bill perfectly...works great but a b!tch to clean...(and it was only $25)

Tough to clean is what you get on the lower end. I been wanting to buy a deli slicer for some time, but am waiting to finish my kitchen first. The one's my buddy keeps pushing on my is near 1K; but he claims is worth it...

[T.G]

Tough to clean is what you get on the lower end. I been wanting to buy a deli slicer for some time, but am waiting to finish my kitchen first. The one's my buddy keeps pushing on my is near 1K; but he claims is worth it...

The LEM 10" slicer is a really good unit at about half that price.
http://www.lemproducts.com/product/commercial-slicer-10-inch/kitchen-saws-slicers

[BigAsh]

Tough to clean is what you get on the lower end. I been wanting to buy a deli slicer for some time, but am waiting to finish my kitchen first. The one's my buddy keeps pushing on my is near 1K; but he claims is worth it...

The LEM 10" slicer is a really good unit at about half that price.
http://www.lemproducts.com/product/commercial-slicer-10-inch/kitchen-saws-slicers

trust me I'm not doing $975 worth of cleaning! :D...if I ever see the need I'll get another unit but for the 1-2x year that I use it it more than serves its purpose which is 1)to give me a good, clean, uniform slice and 2)get back in the box 'til next time

[T.G]

No photos but I've been using the Anova for the last few days and have been impressed with how meats turn out with this cooking process. I've never really viewed boneless skinless chicken breast as good for much other than chucking into a soup or drowning under a sauce to cover it up, until now. Was also quite impressed by how it took a thin, cheap ribeye from Safeway (generic mid-tier supermarket w/ average quality) and turned it into something quite edible, which is unusual for their meats IMO.

[mosesbotbol]

The LEM 10" slicer is a really good unit at about half that price.
http://www.lemproducts.com/product/commercial-slicer-10-inch/kitchen-saws-slicers

That one looks pretty good. Do you own it?

[8lug]

Did a small 5lb rib roast yesterday.
First time I was really happy with the sear I got in a cast iron pan.
This time I used way more oil. Somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 an inch.
A little bit more mess, but it rally helped the Maillard reaction along.
Did this a little more well to appease my wife. 134° for 4.5 hours.

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/20151220_173526_zpscsoncnbd.jpg

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/20151220_173633_zpsmap1p7pj.jpg

I was shocked at the large chunks of fat when I cut into it.
From the outside there was no indication that there would be that much fat.
But it was really easy to just eat around it.

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/20151220_123032_zpsad15uh3j.jpg

Honestly, it was one of the best rib roasts I have made.
I let the roast wet age for close to 60 days, and it really showed in unbelievable tenderness that I have never achieved before.

Dom can you explain the wet aging process? sounds interesting.:)

[T.G]

That one looks pretty good. Do you own it?

I'm waiting for it to ship, they've been back ordered for a while now.

A friend has one, I've used it, I think it's a nice slicer. It's not a Hobart, but it's also not carrying the $2500+ price tag of a Hobart.

I currently have a 7" Deni that I bought in near new condition for around $6 in a thrift store a few years ago. It works, but I'm not thrilled with it. Lots of little gripes about it that might not be an issue to anyone else but me, the big catch is that I find myself discarding the safety guard and food pusher all too often, and I fear that the next time I cut myself with it because of this, I might not be so lucky as to only need a few closure strips or sutures.

[Chainsaw13]

I have this slicer from Cabelas - http://www.cabelas.com/product/CABELAS-COMMERCIAL-GRADE-MEAT-SLICERS/1843433.uts?productVariantId=3867789&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=37-131793188-2&WT.tsrc=CSE&WT.mc_id=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=03893716&rid=20

Works well if you don't want to step up to the price of the LEM. Not to bad to clean and does a good job.

[markem]

So I have a rib eye setup for dinner in the sous vide. I plan to cook the steak at 132* for about 4 hours just to see what a 4 hour bath will do.

But, I also have snow peas and carrots. From what I've read, they need to be cooked at about 184. The two recipes I have looked at call for about 45-50 minutes. I can't, of course, put the meat and veggies in the same water bath.

Suggestions? Putting the veggies in the lower temp bath and letting them go with a pan fry at the end doesn't seem to buy me much. I'd love to hear what others are doing.

No - throwing the veggies away and having more steak is not in the cards.

[T.G]

So I have a rib eye setup for dinner in the sous vide. I plan to cook the steak at 132* for about 4 hours just to see what a 4 hour bath will do.

But, I also have snow peas and carrots. From what I've read, they need to be cooked at about 184. The two recipes I have looked at call for about 45-50 minutes. I can't, of course, put the meat and veggies in the same water bath.

Suggestions? Putting the veggies in the lower temp bath and letting them go with a pan fry at the end doesn't seem to buy me much. I'd love to hear what others are doing.

No - throwing the veggies away and having more steak is not in the cards.

There was something I was cooking the other day at 150F. I put some small potatoes in a separate bag and tossed those in the water also, despite the recipe Anova app calling for 190 (1 hr). I ended up leaving them in for about 2-1/2 hrs at 150 and they were almost raw when I took them out.

YMMV.

[Chainsaw13]

Time for another Anova! :D

[markem]

There was something I was cooking the other day at 150F. I put some small potatoes in a separate bag and tossed those in the water also, despite the recipe Anova app calling for 190 (1 hr). I ended up leaving them in for about 2-1/2 hrs at 150 and they were almost raw when I took them out.

YMMV.

that's my suspicion. Thanks for being the guinea pig, Adam!

[T.G]

that's my suspicion. Thanks for being the guinea pig, Adam!

No problemo. :tu

How thick is the ribeye steak that you are planning on cooking for 4 hours? I'm curious to hear how that one works out.

[CigarNut]

I have this slicer from Cabelas - http://www.cabelas.com/product/CABELAS-COMMERCIAL-GRADE-MEAT-SLICERS/1843433.uts?productVariantId=3867789&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=37-131793188-2&WT.tsrc=CSE&WT.mc_id=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=03893716&rid=20

Works well if you don't want to step up to the price of the LEM. Not to bad to clean and does a good job.

I've had a Chef's Choice slicer from Metro Kitchen for a number of years. It has an 8" blade and is reasonably easy to clean. For the number of times per year that I use it, it is more than adequate and it is easy to get parts for (although I have not had to do that yet).

My only complaint is that the sucker is heavy -- not an issue when using it, but it is an issue when I go to stick it up on an out-of-the-way shelf for storage :rolleyes:

[CigarNut]

A different Sous Vide question:

When looking at cook times and temps on the internet I see huge variances -- some will say to cook at 135* for 2 hours and others will say 138*/140 for 45 minutes. I've seen this beef, lamb and now pork (1" pork loin chops). How do you know which time/temp combination to go with?

[markem]

A different Sous Vide question:

When looking at cook times and temps on the internet I see huge variances -- some will say to cook at 135* for 2 hours and others will say 138*/140 for 45 minutes. I've seen this beef, lamb and now pork (1" pork loin chops). How do you know which time/temp combination to go with?

The time/temp are minimums. I use the temp that I want for my doneness and am playing with the duration since it won't cook the meat any more but will affect texture.

[T.G]

Michael, there is also a time vs temp equation for killing bacteria. You can pasteurize with high temp (165F and up) almost instantly, or you can slow kill over time at lower temps (above 130F).

http://www.cookingissues.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/bacteria_time_temperature2.jpg

Sous vide brings up an interesting issue with low temp cooks, like the steak I cooked the other day was 45 min at 129F. 129 is below the minimum kill temp, and 45 is no where near long enough to pasteurize at the minimum temp. The grace there is that whole muscle is less risky since bacteria live on the surface and can't penetrate the meat and that I sear with a blowtorch. Ground, on the other hand, every bit of it is exposed to air during the grind and could become contaminated.

I don't know the numbers of cases, but according to my contact who runs the butcher program at the university, most cases of bacterial food poisoning are due to improperly handled and improperly cooked (under-done) ground beef. Most people are scared enough of salmonella on chicken and turkey that they over cook those ground meats. Beef, people think of medium rare hamburgers. While they taste great, they are, unfortunately, potential risks. Almost no one gets bacterial food poisoning from a medium rare or even rare steak though.

[CigarNut]

Thanks, Adam!

[CigarNut]

I made some pork loin chops (from Costco) seasoned with salt and crushed garlic at 140* for an hour, then seared 60 seconds on a side in lard:

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=16389&d=1450838678

I think these are my best Sous Vide dish so far.

[jonumberone]

So I have a rib eye setup for dinner in the sous vide. I plan to cook the steak at 132* for about 4 hours just to see what a 4 hour bath will do.

But, I also have snow peas and carrots. From what I've read, they need to be cooked at about 184. The two recipes I have looked at call for about 45-50 minutes. I can't, of course, put the meat and veggies in the same water bath.

Suggestions? Putting the veggies in the lower temp bath and letting them go with a pan fry at the end doesn't seem to buy me much. I'd love to hear what others are doing.

No - throwing the veggies away and having more steak is not in the cards.

Mark, what I did was cook the veggies and potatoes first.
After I pulled them out, i put them into an ice bath, then the refrigerator.
Then when I had about an hour left in my protein cook time, I put them in the lower temp water bath to reheat them. They were perfect.

I've considered doing a cook with 6-10 bags of potatoes, freezing them in the vac sealed bag, and then throwing a bag in with the lower temp meat to reheat.

[jonumberone]

A different Sous Vide question:

When looking at cook times and temps on the internet I see huge variances -- some will say to cook at 135* for 2 hours and others will say 138*/140 for 45 minutes. I've seen this beef, lamb and now pork (1" pork loin chops). How do you know which time/temp combination to go with?

I just select a temp that I want my meat to be cooked to.
I already know that I don't want my beef cooked above 135° and my pork above 140°.
From there I use the minimum time, and if I cook it a bit longer; no worries.
Using a 1" Pork chop as an example, I don't think there would be any noticeable textural differences between a chop cooked for an hour vs one that has been cooked for 3 hours.
With that big of a window, I don't see any reason to really worry about the cook time. As long as I hit the minimum, I'm fine.
If using a more delicate piece of protein, like fish, I would pay more attention to the time.

As for the pasteurizing the meat, I read the min temp is 130° and the food needs to be held there for 112 min to completely kill all bacteria.
As the temp goes up, the time needed to pasteurize comes down.
When I did the rack of lamb, I cooked it at 130° for this reason.
I prefer my lamb at 125°.
I am finding with the sous vide method, since the doneness is edge to edge, I can actually cook meat to a higher temp, since I don't have to worry about the outer portion being overcooked while trying to reach the desired temp in the center.

[markem]

Mark, what I did was cook the veggies and potatoes first.
After I pulled them out, i put them into an ice bath, then the refrigerator.
Then when I had about an hour left in my protein cook time, I put them in the lower temp water bath to reheat them. They were perfect.


That's what I was thinking as well, Dom. Didn't pan far enough ahead to do it yesterday so will have to buy more steak to perform more experiments. The things that I do for science.

But the carrots and sugar peas will be cooked!

[CigarNut]

I just select a temp that I want my meat to be cooked to.
I already know that I don't want my beef cooked above 135° and my pork above 140°.
From there I use the minimum time, and if I cook it a bit longer; no worries.
Using a 1" Pork chop as an example, I don't think there would be any noticeable textural differences between a chop cooked for an hour vs one that has been cooked for 3 hours.
With that big of a window, I don't see any reason to really worry about the cook time. As long as I hit the minimum, I'm fine.
If using a more delicate piece of protein, like fish, I would pay more attention to the time.

As for the pasteurizing the meat, I read the min temp is 130° and the food needs to be held there for 112 min to completely kill all bacteria.
As the temp goes up, the time needed to pasteurize comes down.
When I did the rack of lamb, I cooked it at 130° for this reason.
I prefer my lamb at 125°.
I am finding with the sous vide method, since the doneness is edge to edge, I can actually cook meat to a higher temp, since I don't have to worry about the outer portion being overcooked while trying to reach the desired temp in the center.

Thanks for the info!

[bonjing]

Looking forward to any creations that you guys whipped up for Christmas dinner.

[bvilchez]

Santa must have seen this thread. Took good care of me this year.

[massphatness]

My presentation is for sh!t, but the prime rib roast was delicious

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5809/23345847513_e79c52e813_z.jpg

[CigarNut]

Looks fantastic, Vin!

[Chainsaw13]

No pics, but did another turkey breast. Turned out fantastic. 4 hours at 145. Nice and juicy. Didn't even need the gravy I made.

[Black Coral]

Did flap steak 139 for 11 hours great fajitas. Two mor packs still in going to go till tomorrow and see how much better they are.

Santa bought me a searzall so will see the difference tomorrow

[Chainsaw13]

Did flap steak 139 for 11 hours great fajitas. Two mor packs still in going to go till tomorrow and see how much better they are.

Santa bought me a searzall so will see the difference tomorrow

Hopefully you got the searzall before the price went up. :D

[jonumberone]

Looks good, Vin.
Did you carve it with a chainsaw? I hope you asked Santa for a knife sharpener. :D

Did a rack of pork for Christmas dinner.
4 hours @ 138°
Finished exclusively with the new Searzall that was under the tree.
There's going to be a bit of a learning curve with the Searzall, but overall I was happy with the results of the sear
I used the same fresh garlic and rosemary seasoning I did on the other porkchop I posted here.
The finished product was spectacular.

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/20151225_181443_zpsza1db1ik.jpg

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/20151225_182327_zpsibt9sg6f.jpg

[CigarNut]

Looks great, Dom!

[markem]

Brisket underway. 24 hours.

[T.G]

Waiting to see how good Anova's customer service is. One of the display segments for the temp on my cooker went out again. It was actually failed on the first plug in right out of the box, but then it came back on after a few minutes. I decided I'd wait to see if it happened again, it did. Submitted a warranty claim Monday morning, waiting to hear back.

[CigarNut]

Good luck, Adam!

How did that Brisket turn out, Mark??

[markem]

How did that Brisket turn out, Mark??

Quite good, Michael. Fall apart tender. The fat cat just fell off, so I used it as part of the sear. Didn't need the sear (fell apart) but I like crunchy bits.

[CigarNut]

Quite good, Michael. Fall apart tender. The fat cat just fell off, so I used it as part of the sear. Didn't need the sear (fell apart) but I like crunchy bits.

What temperature did you use?

[markem]

What temperature did you use?

185

[T.G]

Put some country ribs (pork shoulder) in the tank about 5 hours ago, will pull them out tomorrow evening at somewhere around 34-36 hours. Currently running the bath at 140F, but debating if I want to raise it a bit.

[jonumberone]

Waiting to see how good Anova's customer service is.

Any updates, Adam?

I did some garlic confit yesterday. Real simple, and real delicious. Followed the recipe on the Anova app.

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/20160101_180305_zpsqod4wxxl.jpg

I have some ribeye steaks for later tonight.
Going to sear them off with only the Searzall.

[T.G]

Any updates, Adam?


About 2 days after I put in the CS request, I received an email asking me to confirm my address and that was the last I heard. They didn't indicate what they were doing, nor have they emailed a tracking number, so I don't really know what they are doing.

Garlic confit, I'm going to have to try that.


The country ribs went for about 31 hours at 140F, came out very tender, almost too tender. I could have, and still might, make pate out of them. The nice part was being able to easily remove and discard the chunks of fat since they didn't render.

[T.G]

meant paste, not pate. :fp

[jonumberone]

Another 2 inch thick ribeye for dinner last night.
1.5 hours @ 132°
Seared off with the Searzall.

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/20160102_182841_zpsz9ffjjaw.jpg

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/IMG_20160102_184756_zpsjioconhz.jpg

[Chainsaw13]

Now that's a steak. :tu :dr

How do you like the searzall?

[jonumberone]

How do you like the searzall?

Cooking meat with a blowtorch! What's there not to like? :banger

There is a bit of a learning curve, but the two pieces of meat I used it on, I was happy with the results.
I feel like it takes longer to use the Searzall than to just heat up a pan, but that may be because I still don't have it down pat.
Like most things, I think I'll get better with it the more that I use it.

[mosesbotbol]

Anyone trying searing in a fireplace?

[Chainsaw13]

Cooking meat with a blowtorch! What's there not to like? :banger

There is a bit of a learning curve, but the two pieces of meat I used it on, I was happy with the results.
I feel like it takes longer to use the Searzall than to just heat up a pan, but that may be because I still don't have it down pat.
Like most things, I think I'll get better with it the more that I use it.

Thanks. I may invest in one at some point.

Here's a good primer for those who may have just bought a IC unit.

http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/01/first-thing-to-cook-with-sous-vide-immersion-circulator-essential-recipes.html?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=

[jonumberone]

I currently have a lamb shoulder in the meat Jacuzzi.
About 20 hours into a 48 hour cook.

[T.G]

Well, my cooker went completely batshit crazy yesterday. The display segment that was out came back on, but now the cooker seems to completely ignore the set point and just comes up with wildly inaccurate temp readings. It started doing this about 3.5 hours into the 4 hour cook for the garlic confeit, which, BTW, despite the machine going nuts, I was able to limp along to finish the cook and it is delicious.

Customer support at Anova doesn't seem to have done anything since they asked me a week ago to confirm my address.

Personally, I thought the -1768F degree reading that it was sending over BT was kind of droll considering that absolute zero is only -460F.

[jonumberone]

That sucks, Adam.
I would hope that they have a replacement Anova overnighted to you.
Maybe ask for an upgrade to a WiFi model for your trouble.

[T.G]

Thanks Dom. You would think that any company that cares about customer perception and loyalty would do something like that after dropping the ball on this one for the last week-10 days. These bozos don't even seem to know what "customer service" means. I tried calling them about 30 minutes ago, CS is supposedly open from 9am-5pm EST, went straight to the overnight voicemail, which could mean a few things, typically though it means that no one is there to turn off the night attendant. At this point, I'm one step away from filing a chargeback through my CC.

[T.G]

Well, something woke them up, only took 8 days since their last response, or 12 since my initial request... They sent me a pre-paid waybill for FedEx and a promise of "and as soon as its flagged enroute, we'll send you a brand new unit right back to you!".


:na <-- my "I'll believe it when it happens" face.

[T.G]

And I just received a phone call from someone over at Anova apologizing profusely for the delay and claiming the company had extended holiday down time. Plausible, but the situation could have been avoided had they simply put that on the website ahead of time, in the email auto-responder or on the help desk VM.

[CigarNut]

Made Sous Vide shrimp this evening -- 1 pound of Trader Joe's frozen, peeled and deveined shrimp with tails. Followed Dom's recipe (EVOO, smoked salt and pepper) and cooked them at 149* for 15 minutes. After the Sous Vide was done, I put the shrimp in a cast iron pan with a little avocado oil for about 90 seconds.

These were by far the best shrimp I have ever cooked!

[Chainsaw13]

Starting my first long cook. Venison shanks for 44 hours @ 145F. Seasoned with just salt, smoked salt (just two large grains per bag), black pepper and a bit of dried thyme. Recipe calls for 48 hours, but I just now thought about cooking them. They'll be Sunday's dinner.

[jonumberone]

I really enjoyed those shrimp too, Michael.

I just pulled out, and seared off a top round roast beef.
35hrs @ 130°
I have it cooling down, as the plan is to do cold roast beef sandwiches for lunch.
I also have a couple of racks of pork in a brine that will be for dinner tonight.
planning to cook them for 4 hours @138° just like the one I made for Christmas.

[Chainsaw13]

Damn Dom, do you have your IC running 24/7? :D

One thing I noticed this morning was condensation build up on and around the unit. This is the first cook I put plastic wrap over the top. You can see the water vapor wafting up around the IC. Adam, I wonder if that was the cause of yours going flaky? Mine hasn't acted up, but I did open the plastic wrap.

[T.G]

Damn Dom, do you have your IC running 24/7? :D

One thing I noticed this morning was condensation build up on and around the unit. This is the first cook I put plastic wrap over the top. You can see the water vapor wafting up around the IC. Adam, I wonder if that was the cause of yours going flaky? Mine hasn't acted up, but I did open the plastic wrap.

Certainly anything is possible, and I did notice the steam / condensate issue when I had the cooker attached to the ice chest and used the metal coated bubble wrap to seal the top of the cooler, but that was days before it went bonkers. I would honestly hope that they would have thought to take into account steam and condensation when they were designing something that was going to sit over a large vessel of hot water for hours or even days on end.

I kind of suspect that mine might have been doomed with bad circuit board components from the word go. When I first received the unit, the display was partially out, then it came back on and worked normally for a while. Then it went out, then dim, then back to normal, then out. Every time I plugged it back in, the display segment behaved differently.

The night the machine went totally nuts, I didn't even have plastic wrap or a lid on the pot.

I looked on Anova's forum and there are other reports of people having their cookers go nuts in a similar manner to how mine did, some of whom also ordered right around the same time I did. Maybe Anova had some problems/defects in the production run.

[Chainsaw13]

That's right, I remember you mentioning it acting weird well before it crapped out.

[T.G]

No worries, I think your concern about the condensation has merit, as we don't actually know how they designed the inside of this thing.

When I get the replacement unit sometime next week, I'll start shopping around for an ice chest that I can cut up a bit and seal around the cooker for doing larger batches / roasts or just longer cooks in.

[T.G]

This was a little while back, a 3.5# tri-tip that I cooked for 7-1/2 hours at 132F, then finished/seared on my Santa Maria grill over a bunch of wine barrel staves. I had to use an ice chest with no lid for the water vessel.

The flavor was great and the texture was phenomenal.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=16431&stc=1&d=1452354103

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=16432&stc=1&d=1452354112

[CigarNut]

That Tri Tip looks fantastic, Adam. I usually marinade my Tri Tip in pureed onion, oil, garlic, salt and red pepper flakes.

I wonder how it would come out if I put the marinade in with the meat in the cooker...

[T.G]

I think a small quantity of marinade would be fine, Michael. I had coated the tri tip with a heavy rub of garlic powder plus other spices and salt when in the vacuum bag. I wiped some of the rub sludge off with my hand before searing it.

[markem]

Do not put plastic wrap over the top of the sous vide device. Wrap it around the step where it comes out of the water.

There is a company that makes "sous vide balls" that will control the condensation. I've also heard of people using ping pong balls. Here is a link to one on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Sous-Vide-Water-Balls-Bros/dp/B013NYKAU4

My Inova says to not submerge the control unit when cleaning but I do get condensation on the unit when cooking. If it were to fail for that reason, I'd demand a replacement and report them if they didn't come through (selling a defective product will get you kicked off of Amazon in a hurry).

[Chainsaw13]

Right, the plastic wrap only went around the Anova. It was the gaps around it that allowed the vapor to condensate on part of it. I figured, like Adam mentioned, that the unit would be designed to deal with some water. It was just an observation after my first overnight cook.

[markem]

Right, the plastic wrap only went around the Anova. It was the gaps around it that allowed the vapor to condensate on part of it. I figured, like Adam mentioned, that the unit would be designed to deal with some water. It was just an observation after my first overnight cook.

I think that your observation is important not only to how to use the machine but also what to consider if something goes wrong. Condensation on the unit when used how you use it is not your fault and should be accounted for by the manufacturer.

[Chainsaw13]

Just finished my dinner of sous vide venison shanks. Didn't realize they weren't bone-in. Turned out good. Served with mashed sweet potatoes, with a red wine reduction over the top. Had a salad of fennel, green apple and toasted walnuts along side.

[BigAsh]

I really enjoyed those shrimp too, Michael.

I just pulled out, and seared off a top round roast beef.
35hrs @ 130°
I have it cooling down, as the plan is to do cold roast beef sandwiches for lunch.
I also have a couple of racks of pork in a brine that will be for dinner tonight.
planning to cook them for 4 hours @138° just like the one I made for Christmas.

Wow, that sounds tasty...how did it turn out? :D:tu :r

[jonumberone]

Wow, that sounds tasty...how did it turn out? :D:tu :r

It turned out good, not great, though none of the guests seemed to mind.
I thought the flavor was spot on, and it was a perfect medium rare.
For me, the issue was the texture. The 33 hour cook made the roastbeef mushy.
There were some positives to the longer cook. I sliced it with a knife, so, the slices weren't paper thin, but you were still able to bite through the meat effortlessly.
Absolutely no pull or tug. I also think the longer cook helped the garlic and onion flavors intensify in the meat.
I know I'm probably my biggest critic, but I just couldn't get past the mouthfeel of the roastbeef.

The pork was a different story; I hit that out of the park.
Perfectly cooked, moist, tender, and flavorful.

Maybe Vin, Keith, or Christos can comment more on the cooks?

[BigAsh]

It turned out good, not great, though none of the guests seemed to mind.
I thought the flavor was spot on, and it was a perfect medium rare.
For me, the issue was the texture. The 33 hour cook made the roastbeef mushy.
There were some positives to the longer cook. I sliced it with a knife, so, the slices weren't paper thin, but you were still able to bite through the meat effortlessly.
Absolutely no pull or tug. I also think the longer cook helped the garlic and onion flavors intensify in the meat.
I know I'm probably my biggest critic, but I just couldn't get past the mouthfeel of the roastbeef.

The pork was a different story; I hit that out of the park.
Perfectly cooked, moist, tender, and flavorful.

Maybe Vin, Keith, or Christos can comment more on the cooks?

hahaha....agree with the above!...We are all our own worst critics...The beef tasted great, the "mouth-feel" was fine for a sandwich but would have been "weird" for a plated dinner...the longer cooks like these with a top round (or eye roast like I did awhile back) for me are perfect for a paper-thin deli slice....you don't get the "mushiness" but get the flavor and moistness...that being said, Dom made a fantastic roast beef sandwich (of course a homemade horseradish spread woulda gone a long way....as others had stated :D)...I mean who could complain with mouths stuffed with all that beefy goodness....the pork, was like a David Ortiz 12th inning walk-off in game 4 of the 2004 ALCS....deep to right and OUTTA HERE!!!!...:tu:tu

[T.G]

hahaha....agree with the above!...We are all our own worst critics...The beef tasted great, the "mouth-feel" was fine for a sandwich but would have been "weird" for a plated dinner...the longer cooks like these with a top round (or eye roast like I did awhile back) for me are perfect for a paper-thin deli slice....you don't get the "mushiness" but get the flavor and moistness...that being said, Dom made a fantastic roast beef sandwich (of course a homemade horseradish spread woulda gone a long way....as others had stated :D)...I mean who could complain with mouths stuffed with all that beefy goodness....the pork, was like a David Ortiz 12th inning walk-off in game 4 of the 2004 ALCS....deep to right and OUTTA HERE!!!!...:tu:tu

Keith, when you did the eye roast for 30 hours, did you slice it hot and serve warm, or was it all done cold?

[BigAsh]

Keith, when you did the eye roast for 30 hours, did you slice it hot and serve warm, or was it all done cold?

Sliced hot and served warm....made an "au jus" with the juice from the bags, supplemented with onions, garlic and beef stock

[T.G]

Sliced hot and served warm....made an "au jus" with the juice from the bags, supplemented with onions, garlic and beef stock

Thanks.

[markem]

Going to do a rib eye today. Plan to use a very good (commercial) rub which I will remove before the sear. I plan to sear in cast iron with a minimal amount of oil to keep the mess as small as I can.

[T.G]

The Searzall is available on Amazon again for $75, and the TS8000 torch is down to about $40 right now.

http://www.amazon.com/Searzall-Torch-Attachment-Small-Stainless/dp/B00L2P0KNO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452717301&sr=8-1&keywords=searzall

[markem]

The Searzall is available on Amazon again for $75, and the TS8000 torch is down to about $40 right now.

http://www.amazon.com/Searzall-Torch-Attachment-Small-Stainless/dp/B00L2P0KNO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452717301&sr=8-1&keywords=searzall

ordered.

[BigAsh]

Going to do a rib eye today. Plan to use a very good (commercial) rub which I will remove before the sear. I plan to sear in cast iron with a minimal amount of oil to keep the mess as small as I can.

Why remove the rub?...not sure you'll get much "penetration" into the meat flavor wise with a pre-bath rub...curious as to your thoughts?

[markem]

When I sear, the rub tends to burn.

[BigAsh]

When I sear, the rub tends to burn.

Yea, figured that...maybe a post-sear sprinkle for flavor...

[Black Coral]

Watch the video when you get the searzall for first use or you will destroy the grates

[T.G]

Watch the video when you get the searzall for first use or you will destroy the grates

What grates?

[jonumberone]

Received an email from Anova that the wifi version of the app is now available for Android.

[T.G]

Since everyone else is doing it, I decided to try some SV roast beef too. My experience in the past with 30-ish hour cooks on other meats seems to show the same issues as what Keith and Dom described, and that is the meat takes on a mushy texture, so this time I went for 18 hours at 130F on another one of the tougher cuts of meat, this one being a small (~2 lb) sirloin tip roast. Seared on cast iron and with a searzall. Still want to tweak things a bit, but came out pretty good overall. The cut meat in the 3rd photo is the larger muscle of the group, the one on the left in the top photo and the upper chunk in the middle photo, I thought I was cutting against the grain, but for some reason it came out odd looking, like it was either twisted up or somehow I got it slightly off when loading it on the slicer. :sh

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=16460&stc=1&d=1452968430

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=16461&stc=1&d=1452968438

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=16462&stc=1&d=1452968442

[jonumberone]

How was the texture after 18 hrs, Adam?
Was 18 hrs enough to make the roast tender?

[T.G]

How was the texture after 18 hrs, Adam?
Was 18 hrs enough to make the roast tender?

It depended on the muscle, there are a couple muscles that all come together in the tip and, the larger one in the roast I had, the one I might have cut wrong, came out more tender than the smaller one in the photos. The larger one was soft with just enough firmness to still let you know it was there (unlike the mushy 32-hour pork that I did previously), but some of the edges got really tough and chewy, not sure if that was because of the sear or something else.

The smaller of the two muscles (the lower one), which I chilled before slicing, came out texture wise more like deli roast beef, but lacked flavor.

There was also a tiny third muscle cut there, you can kind of see it poking out at the bottom of the searing photo, about the size of a carrot. That one came out more like a grilled steak. I think it would have sucked cold.

I think I need to do better job trimming next time, I thought it looked ok going in, but after it came out of the bath, wasn't really happy with how much I left.

I'm going to try this again, but use a specific single muscle and see what I get. While the sirloin tip roast wasn't bad, I think it would have been better suited to being tossed in the pellet grill and treated like pork butt and given an overnight cook and then some at 200 +/- or into either a dutch oven or pressure cooker and turned into ropa vieja.

[Black Coral]

Did chicken last night and was very impressive meal. Tonight trying. 2inch thick New York with coffee rub will be interesting

[massphatness]

Tenderloin Fillets tonite ...

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1555/24447363595_5b2784be5c_z.jpg

Was gifted an assortment of Wagyu steaks from Snake River Farms in Idaho. Set the water bath for 137.5*, let them do their thing for about an hour, and finished them off with a little salt & pepper rub and a butter-sear on the skillet.

Tremendous flavor, incredibly tender. Sooooooooo good!

[jonumberone]

Thanks, Adam.

Thoughts on the Snake river steaks, Vin?

[massphatness]

Thoughts on the Snake river steaks, Vin?

These were gifted so difficult to assess actual value, but I eat at nicer steak houses in Boston often enough to say these compare favorably with the quality of steaks at places like Capitol Grille, Morton's, Abe & Louie's etc. However, the portion size was small - very much a petite fillet.

On the plus side, the steaks come already vacuum sealed - perfect for the Anova.

The Wagyu beef is different from "normal" beef, and I had not experienced it before. The Wagyu is extremely tender -- literally cut it with a fork tender. Lots of fat in the Wagyu steak but in a good way -- not huge chunks of fat, but more distributed throughout the beef. Super flavorful.

I did the sear with just a touch of salt & pepper because I wanted the full on flavor of the beef, and it didn't disappoint.

This rocked as a gift (and there are more in my freezer :dr) but I'd need to research price to know if I'd buy directly. My sense is it is likely to be cost prohibitive for the size steaks I'd like, particularly since you have to factor in shipping.

Glad to have had the opportunity to try these and look forward to cooking up the other cuts in my freezer.

[massphatness]

These were gifted so difficult to assess actual value, but I eat at nicer steak houses in Boston often enough to say these compare favorably with the quality of steaks at places like Capitol Grille, Morton's, Abe & Louie's etc. However, the portion size was small - very much a petite fillet.

On the plus side, the steaks come already vacuum sealed - perfect for the Anova.

The Wagyu beef is different from "normal" beef, and I had not experienced it before. The Wagyu is extremely tender -- literally cut it with a fork tender. Lots of fat in the Wagyu steak but in a good way -- not huge chunks of fat, but more distributed throughout the beef. Super flavorful.

I did the sear with just a touch of salt & pepper because I wanted the full on flavor of the beef, and it didn't disappoint.

This rocked as a gift (and there are more in my freezer :dr) but I'd need to research price to know if I'd buy directly. My sense is it is likely to be cost prohibitive for the size steaks I'd like, particularly since you have to factor in shipping.

Glad to have had the opportunity to try these and look forward to cooking up the other cuts in my freezer.

EDIT: Curiosity got the better of me, and I looked up pricing. I don't like to do that when I've received something as a gift, but in this case, I'm giving myself a pass for the sake of education. Surprisingly, it looks like these steaks can be had for the price of a typical fillet mignon in a high end restaurant provided you buy them in quantity. Snake Rive Farms sells their 8 oz fillet for $40- if you buy eight or more. Standard shipping is $9.99 bringing the avg cost per steak to a little more than $41. By contrast, a 10 oz a la carte fillet at Capitol Grille in Boston is $47-. So I take back the cost prohibitive statement -- at some point, I'll likely buy some of these, but it's still pretty costly and would be a treat a few times a year.

[BigAsh]

started with 3 ribeyes...applied a commercial rub (Costa Carne, excellent on beef!)...vac sealed and into bath at 130 for an hour...pan seared (not cast iron this time, got lazy and used same pan I sauteed green beans and mushrooms)...decent sear...tasty......
http://i313.photobucket.com/albums/ll369/kdos66/BDS%20Smoker/0E898F09-4064-48D2-899F-3E0D7E833E52_zpshljxcwcz.jpg (http://s313.photobucket.com/user/kdos66/media/BDS%20Smoker/0E898F09-4064-48D2-899F-3E0D7E833E52_zpshljxcwcz.jpg.html)

http://i313.photobucket.com/albums/ll369/kdos66/BDS%20Smoker/9F5D05A2-BCE4-4A1A-8E03-34494AA122F3_zpssc7jjz4n.jpg (http://s313.photobucket.com/user/kdos66/media/BDS%20Smoker/9F5D05A2-BCE4-4A1A-8E03-34494AA122F3_zpssc7jjz4n.jpg.html)

http://i313.photobucket.com/albums/ll369/kdos66/BDS%20Smoker/70CFC158-B396-4FE3-BF29-8E512149BF55_zpsuohaqcrx.jpg (http://s313.photobucket.com/user/kdos66/media/BDS%20Smoker/70CFC158-B396-4FE3-BF29-8E512149BF55_zpsuohaqcrx.jpg.html)

http://i313.photobucket.com/albums/ll369/kdos66/BDS%20Smoker/3A25D166-1DE4-4B30-A260-3D01D8ECC017_zpslm6zawfx.jpg (http://s313.photobucket.com/user/kdos66/media/BDS%20Smoker/3A25D166-1DE4-4B30-A260-3D01D8ECC017_zpslm6zawfx.jpg.html)

http://i313.photobucket.com/albums/ll369/kdos66/BDS%20Smoker/5FA2E8EE-02C2-4E66-8EF9-F49D797356E6_zps2mjlrqe8.jpg (http://s313.photobucket.com/user/kdos66/media/BDS%20Smoker/5FA2E8EE-02C2-4E66-8EF9-F49D797356E6_zps2mjlrqe8.jpg.html)

[CigarNut]

Looks great, Keith!

[CigarNut]

Inspired by Adam's results, we picked up a 2.5 lb USDA Prime tri-tip from Costco. I marinaded the tri-tip for two hours before cooking and included the marinade in the vacuum bag.

The marinade is pureed onion, garlic, extra light EVOO, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.

I cooked it for 8 hours @ 130* and then seared it for 60 seconds on each side in Duck fat.

I think this is the best tri-tip I have ever made (I usually grill them). The meat was tender, had a great texture and mouth-feel and was very juicy.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=16471&d=1453171563

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=16472&d=1453171575

[Porch Dweller]

That looks :dr

[T.G]

Nice work Michael!

[BigAsh]

you had me at "duck fat"!!...lookin' tasty Michael!

[T.G]

Took the garlic confit and a ran with a variety of spices. Not really a new idea by any stretch, but wanted to see where they went individually as a bread topping before making a blend.

L-R: Sundried tomatoes, rosemary, thai basil, red chili pepper flakes, oregano and plain.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=16479&stc=1&d=1453353594

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=16480&stc=1&d=1453353607

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=16481&stc=1&d=1453353607

[T.G]

Yesterday's unofficial taste testing focus group (about 10-15 people down at the brewery tap room) crowned the red pepper as the overall winner, even by people who weren't into the heat.

[markem]

I just got a 3.6 pound boneless pork shoulder. I plan to do a 24 hour cook and then make pulled pork.

I've seen recipes that include the sauce while cooking and some that don't. Since I plan to use our favorite commercial sauce, I plan to leave it out and put it in after I sear the pork.

Question: when using the crock pot, I always put in a can of Dr Pepper. We like the flavor. Should I do that with this cook and if so how much do you recommend?

[T.G]

Are you still ziplock bagging or have you upgraded to a vacuum sealer, Mark?

I'd be concerned about the residual carbonation in the Dr Pepper blowing a ziplock bag open.

Maybe instead a reduction with the bag juices, Dr. Pepper and the BBQ sauce after it's all done and then mixing that in with the shredded pork. This is how I would do it if it were me cooking it. I'm not finding in-bag marinades to be all that great because of the amount of meat juice that gets trapped in there, further diluting them. I'm finding that dry rubs or fresh herbs to be more effective as they form their own stock as it cooks. :2

[stearns]

Yesterday's unofficial taste testing focus group (about 10-15 people down at the brewery tap room) crowned the red pepper as the overall winner, even by people who weren't into the heat.

Are these mainly olive oil, garlic and whatever ingredient, or is there more involved? They sound awesome

[T.G]

Are these mainly olive oil, garlic and whatever ingredient, or is there more involved? They sound awesome

Other than salt, you hit the nail on the head Ben.

1 cup peeled garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 scant tablespoon kosher salt (I use diamond krystal, if you use another brand or table salt, use less as they saltier)
anywhere from 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of whatever herbs/spices you are adding

Vacuum seal and SV for 4 hours at 190F.


For sun dried tomatoes, about 1/3 cup of tomates and a few TBS extra oil.

[markem]

Good point Adam. I'm vac sealing but carbonation would be an issue.

[jonumberone]

Good point Adam. I'm vac sealing but carbonation would be an issue.

Why not just pour the soda into a bowl, let it sit and go flat before putting it into the bag?
I don't know the science behind how long it takes to get a can of soda to lose all of it's carbonation, but with increased surface area, and maybe some periodic gentle stirring, I'd be willing to bet that the soda could go into the bag somewhere between 4-6hrs.
Just a guess on my part and I'm willing to bet if anybody knows how long it would need to go flat, it's Adam, so maybe he could chime in with his thoughts on trying that.

As for the your original question, If using a full can of soda is you'r tried and true method, I would go with that after you get the soda flat. :2

[T.G]

LOL. I never even considered making the soda go flat for this. Durr. And, yes, you got me Dom, I do know how to make beer go flat in a hurry for cooking.

Heat it. As the temp goes up, the amount of CO2 that can be held in solution decreases so it's going to come out. Blenders work well too because they agitate it. Even though it has almost double the CO2 volumes as that of beer, I suppose soda isn't that much different, but I don't work with it much to say for certain.

In a bowl, I honestly don't know, but it will be function of the number of nucleation sites for the CO2 to come out of solution on. The greater the number, the faster it come out. Toss a little bit of salt in there, that will help it degass as the salt dissolves.

[CigarNut]

Are you still ziplock bagging or have you upgraded to a vacuum sealer, Mark?

I'd be concerned about the residual carbonation in the Dr Pepper blowing a ziplock bag open.

Maybe instead a reduction with the bag juices, Dr. Pepper and the BBQ sauce after it's all done and then mixing that in with the shredded pork. This is how I would do it if it were me cooking it. I'm not finding in-bag marinades to be all that great because of the amount of meat juice that gets trapped in there, further diluting them. I'm finding that dry rubs or fresh herbs to be more effective as they form their own stock as it cooks. :2

I have to say that the marinade I used most definitely infused the meat with lots of onion flavor -- it probably depends upon the marinade...

[T.G]

Yeah, I wasn't thinking about the ones like yours which are mostly oil and pulverized solids, when I said that. I was thinking more about the higher liquid content ones. I should have been more clear.

The high liquid content ones that I messed with, things that had more than just oil, they had stuff like vinegar or other acids, and more volume, they yielded almost kind of a boiled meat end result. Not what I was looking for to say the least.

[jonumberone]

I have to say that the marinade I used most definitely infused the meat with lots of onion flavor -- it probably depends upon the marinade...

Yeah, I wasn't thinking about the ones like yours which are mostly oil and pulverized solids, when I said that. I was thinking more about the higher liquid content ones. I should have been more clear.

The high liquid content ones that I messed with, things that had more than just oil, they had stuff like vinegar or other acids, and more volume, they yielded almost kind of a boiled meat end result. Not what I was looking for to say the least.

100% right, Michael. It definitely depends on the marinade.
Just to add on to what Adam said, not all marinades work the same way. Looking at your ingredients, they are all flavoring components, aside from the oil and salt. What your marinade doesn't have is a strong tenderizing component, like an acid.
Adding a tenderizing component breaks down the outer layer of the meat.
As that layer breaks down, the meat becomes more tender, and starts to release moisture. The breakdown of surface proteins and the void left by the escaping moisture allows the flavoring elements to penetrate deeper.
Left in a marinade too long, and the meat starts to breakdown too much.
Some acids can actually toughen up the meat if left in too long and some can make meat turn to mush.
You used the Anova, and the 8 hour cook time, to break down the meat. Had there also been a tenderizing component in the marinade, you likely would have ended up with a Tri tip that had an off texture.
You can still use a marinade with an acid component before cooking, but I wouldn't include it in the bag while cooking.

[CigarNut]

Thanks for the info, Dom!

[markem]

You know, Dom, if you could learn to say "Bam!" we might be able to get you a gig on the Food Channel.

[massphatness]

So to recap:

* Surface proteins
* Nucleation sites

Good talk.

[T.G]

Still messing with the roast beef idea, this time I cooked a bottom round for 19-ish hours at 133.

Flavor is mild, texture is mushy. Possible i overcooked it and that's why it's mushy, but that doesn't account for the lack of flavor. I think I'm done trying to make something edible out of this cut.

[GreekGodX]

Did some hanger steaks with fresh rosemary, salt, & pepper. 48 hours. Came out way too tender. The main vein that runs through was completely gone which was nice. But the texture wasn't good. I normally do flank steak for that long and it is much better.

I'm going to try and do some pork like Dom did. I still dream about it :dr

[BigAsh]

Did some ahi tuna steaks last night...110 for 30 minutes...

Post-bath/pre-sear...Thai seasoning and sesame seeds
http://i313.photobucket.com/albums/ll369/kdos66/BDS%20Smoker/B87A03B1-1F5E-4137-9520-29470D82AE0A_zpscvbpshdi.jpg (http://s313.photobucket.com/user/kdos66/media/BDS%20Smoker/B87A03B1-1F5E-4137-9520-29470D82AE0A_zpscvbpshdi.jpg.html)

Just a light sear in hot, non-stick pan with a little oil, 20-30 seconds per side ...served with fresh avocado and some cauliflower "rice", all thai spiced...perfect rare tuna, came out great
http://i313.photobucket.com/albums/ll369/kdos66/BDS%20Smoker/3E1AC72E-8116-44A1-B9BF-99FEDFACDC46_zpskp63pvdv.jpg (http://s313.photobucket.com/user/kdos66/media/BDS%20Smoker/3E1AC72E-8116-44A1-B9BF-99FEDFACDC46_zpskp63pvdv.jpg.html)

[CigarNut]

Looks really good, Keith!

[BigAsh]

Looks really good, Keith!

Thanks Michael...if you like fish, try it sous vide....the tuna comes out great, I've done it several times...have also done salmon with good results too...keeps the fish nice and moist

[T.G]

Cooked another tri-tip, about 3.7 lbs. This time it was actually cooked at a bit below 132F, vs last time where it was probably 134 due to my not realizing that when you calibrate the Anova IC temperature offset, it isn't saved to the IC, it only kicks in when you have the BT or Wi-Fi connected to your phone where you program the offset. I wasn't using the BT connection for the previous tri-tip, so I was almost 2 degrees higher than what I set with the dial.

Cut the time back a bit, about 6 hrs 45 min this time. I doubt that made any difference, it was just that was when the coals on the santa maria grill were ready for searing.

Much more pleased with the results this time, and I was pretty happy with the last one. This time it was actually still medium rare even after searing for a few minutes per side.

Next time I think I'll try it without any spices in the bag, just cover it with a coat of rub when it goes out to the grill for the sear.

[jonumberone]

I did not realize that it doesn't save the offset. Good to know.

I did three choice grade, inch and a half thick, porterhouse steaks on Sunday.
I've done plenty of steaks with the Anova. So far they have all been Ribeye, and all have been prime grade.
I was curious if the sous vide method did anything to transform the lower grade steaks.
As usual, the steaks were done to a perfect medium rare, and were quite tasty. However, I really didn't notice any difference in tenderness in these steaks vs the countless choice cuts that have hit my plate over the years.
I did see a difference in how moist the meat was, but I wasn't amazed, so I would call it negligible.
I think I was hoping for a better result.

I did manage to get my best sear so far with the Searzall.
I'm happy with my progress with it so far.

[markem]

Just a light sear in hot, non-stick pan with a little oil, 20-30 seconds per side ...served with fresh avocado and some cauliflower "rice", all thai spiced...perfect rare tuna, came out great


Looks amazing Keith. How did you prepare the cauliflower? We do a lot of friend cauliflower but I've never thought of using it this way.

[CigarNut]

I did my first New York steaks last night -- until now I had only done Rib Eyes. I think the New York last night was the best steak I had done to-date.

On the Grill I always prefer the Rib Eye, so this was a surprise to me. Maybe due to less marbling?

Looking forward to doing flank steak. I normally do a soy-sauce-based marinade, but I think the meat will end up too salty with the sous vide, so I need to come up with something different.

[Chainsaw13]

Michael, look into doing an equilibrium based marinade for salt content. I do this all the time when i make dry cured meats/salami. Take the weight of the muscle and multiply by the % of salt content you want. Typically 1.5% is a good starting point for non-dry cured products. You can always adjust up/down from there.

Example, 400g steak would be 6g salt. Now for the marinade, it might take a bit more math having to determine salinity levels of liquids used, but you get the idea.

[BigAsh]

I did not realize that it doesn't save the offset. Good to know.

I did three choice grade, inch and a half thick, porterhouse steaks on Sunday.
I've done plenty of steaks with the Anova. So far they have all been Ribeye, and all have been prime grade.
I was curious if the sous vide method did anything to transform the lower grade steaks.
As usual, the steaks were done to a perfect medium rare, and were quite tasty. However, I really didn't notice any difference in tenderness in these steaks vs the countless choice cuts that have hit my plate over the years.
I did see a difference in how moist the meat was, but I wasn't amazed, so I would call it negligible.
I think I was hoping for a better result.

I did manage to get my best sear so far with the Searzall.
I'm happy with my progress with it so far.

So in a "sous vide" world, is it worth the extra $$ for prime?

[BigAsh]

Looks amazing Keith. How did you prepare the cauliflower? We do a lot of friend cauliflower but I've never thought of using it this way.

broke into florets and put in the Vitamix covered with water...give it a few pulses til "rice-sized"....drain and then blot to remove excess moisture....sheet pan with EVOO and seasoning into 400 oven for a 20 minute or so total, stirring halfway thru...it will brown quickly so keep an eye

I did my first New York steaks last night -- until now I had only done Rib Eyes. I think the New York last night was the best steak I had done to-date.

On the Grill I always prefer the Rib Eye, so this was a surprise to me. Maybe due to less marbling?

Looking forward to doing flank steak. I normally do a soy-sauce-based marinade, but I think the meat will end up too salty with the sous vide, so I need to come up with something different.

Love the NY strip..."Beefy" goodness

Michael, look into doing an equilibrium based marinade for salt content. I do this all the time when i make dry cured meats/salami. Take the weight of the muscle and multiply by the % of salt content you want. Typically 1.5% is a good starting point for non-dry cured products. You can always adjust up/down from there.

Example, 400g steak would be 6g salt. Now for the marinade, it might take a bit more math having to determine salinity levels of liquids used, but you get the idea.

Gotta love the "science" behind cooking....thanks for the tip

[markem]

I did my first New York steaks last night -- until now I had only done Rib Eyes. I think the New York last night was the best steak I had done to-date.


We found that a NY is very well suited for sous vide. Rib eye for the grill, but probably New York for the sous vide.

[Chainsaw13]

Gotta love the "science" behind cooking....thanks for the tip

Yea, for dry curing meats it's a great as you're never going to go over that percentage. There's just not enough salt to be absorbed.

For an idea on what %'s I use for my recipes:

Bacon - 2%
Fresh Sausage - 1.5-1.7% (all depends on taste of the recipe)
Dry cured sausage/whole muscles - 2.75-3%

[Chainsaw13]

As I think about my ratios of salt for things like sausage, salami, etc, those might not apply to items like steaks, chops, etc. I would suggest starting out lower, then working your way up. Easier to add then subtract.

This weekend I'm getting half a lamb that I'll be butchering myself. Plan is to sous vide a couple nice thick chops. This is all provided I don't get sent to Mexico for work.

[jonumberone]

I've been home the last few days because of the storm and decided to clean out the freezer.
First, I found a small roast beef about one and a half times the size of my fist.
No idea what cut it was, but it was likely top or bottom round.
4.5 hours at 131°. Much to my surprise it was unbelievably tender.
Used the juice in the bag and some mushrooms to make a gravy, and served it as open faced sandwiches.

Next up boneless turkey breast. Marinated for 4 hours, removed from marinade and did 3 hours at 145°.
Truly the moistest turkey I've ever had. Sliced it up and didn't even bother to make a gravy. Used the left overs to make Turkey clubs the following day and it was still plenty moist.
The texture was also very different, in a good way. It didn't have any of the stringy-ness ( is that a word?) that I associate with turkey or chicken.

Finally I found a few boneless chicken breasts. 145° for 60 min.
Used them to make chicken salad sandwiches. Again, unbelievably moist.
I commented to my wife that they were moist enough that we didn't need mayo.
Tried some with out mayo, and added a slice of avocado instead. It was really good.

[BigAsh]

I've been home the last few days because of the storm and decided to clean out the freezer.
First, I found a small roast beef about one and a half times the size of my fist.
No idea what cut it was, but it was likely top or bottom round.
4.5 hours at 131°. Much to my surprise it was unbelievably tender.
Used the juice in the bag and some mushrooms to make a gravy, and served it as open faced sandwiches.

Next up boneless turkey breast. Marinated for 4 hours, removed from marinade and did 3 hours at 145°.
Truly the moistest turkey I've ever had. Sliced it up and didn't even bother to make a gravy. Used the left overs to make Turkey clubs the following day and it was still plenty moist.
The texture was also very different, in a good way. It didn't have any of the stringy-ness ( is that a word?) that I associate with turkey or chicken.

Finally I found a few boneless chicken breasts. 145° for 60 min.
Used them to make chicken salad sandwiches. Again, unbelievably moist.
I commented to my wife that they were moist enough that we didn't need mayo.
Tried some with out mayo, and added a slice of avocado instead. It was really good.


who woulda thought!....nice!....gotta try the turkey breast :dr

[bonjing]

Just got a food saver from Costco. Are there any special bags that you guys are using? Also have any noticed health benefits to cooking using this method? Looking to order a anova soon and hoping to do fish and chicken using the cooker.

[T.G]

Just got a food saver from Costco. Are there any special bags that you guys are using? Also have any noticed health benefits to cooking using this method? Looking to order a anova soon and hoping to do fish and chicken using the cooker.

Just about any standard vacuum sealer bags for clamp sealers will work. I've been primarily using bags from both "FoodVac Bags" and "Commercial Bargains" on Amazon and I can't say that I've noticed any difference between them and the FoodSaver brand bags other than these two brands cost me a lot less per bag than the foodsaver brand.

100pack - 11x16 - $30 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DSSVT60?m=AN5X2G5UN6UA3&qid=1454006036&ref_=sr_1_11&s=merchant-items&sr=1-11)
200 pack - 8x12 - $30 (http://www.amazon.com/Vacuum-Sealer-Storage-Freezer-Gallon/dp/B00JG1MKZM/ref=pd_bxgy_79_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0JJ5A5MQ6GTRW6BAGX31)
200 pack - 6x10 - $22 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SK6C45U?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage)

Some companies like VacMaster have a 3-layer bag design, where the middle layer is a mesh for air removal. While they work fine for cooking, the mesh layer ends up making one side of the meat look like a non-skid floor coating.

Not sure on the scientific health benefits. Cooking with less oil and less destruction to meat seems like the obvious ones. That and being able to take one of the most flavorless yet healthiest meats on the planet: the boneless, skinless chicken breast, and make it edible, has to somehow be good for you.

[AdamJoshua]

I've been home the last few days because of the storm and decided to clean out the freezer.
First, I found a small roast beef about one and a half times the size of my fist.
No idea what cut it was, but it was likely top or bottom round.
4.5 hours at 131°. Much to my surprise it was unbelievably tender.
Used the juice in the bag and some mushrooms to make a gravy, and served it as open faced sandwiches.

Next up boneless turkey breast. Marinated for 4 hours, removed from marinade and did 3 hours at 145°.
Truly the moistest turkey I've ever had. Sliced it up and didn't even bother to make a gravy. Used the left overs to make Turkey clubs the following day and it was still plenty moist.
The texture was also very different, in a good way. It didn't have any of the stringy-ness ( is that a word?) that I associate with turkey or chicken.

Finally I found a few boneless chicken breasts. 145° for 60 min.
Used them to make chicken salad sandwiches. Again, unbelievably moist.
I commented to my wife that they were moist enough that we didn't need mayo.
Tried some with out mayo, and added a slice of avocado instead. It was really good.

I have to think that cooking a good thick London broil like this would make for some outstanding French dips. Best dip I have ever had was thin sliced rare London broil....ruined all other dips for me.

[icehog3]

Of course I open this thread for the first time when I happen to be starving. :r

Kudos to all of you, looks like some wonderful cooking y'all are doing. :tu

[bonjing]

Thanks Adam!

[bvilchez]

Anyone see the movie Burnt? One of the restaurants apparently cooks this way and is touted as one of the best in Europe. But again, it is a movie.

I'm still waiting to break mine in when I go home next time. Wife got it for Christmas and it's still collecting dust on the counter.

[CigarNut]

I put up some flank steaks this morning (two pieces, that I had to cut in half to fit into my sous vide stock pot -- It's a 20 quart pot, but only 12" in diameter).

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=16521&d=1454428462

I am planning to cook them 10 hours @ 133*. :D

[T.G]

Cooked some lobster tails the other day. 134 for 1 hr.

Eh.

Nothing actually wrong with them, I'm just not into drowning lobster, or anything for that matter, in beurre monté. I prefer lobster grilled / cooked in a wood fired oven like in my pellet grill (like a Traeger).


Also cooked some boneless, skinless chicken thighs, they make for a decent cold sandwich - 165 for 1 hr.

Hard boiled eggs, conveniently, have the same cook temp and time, so I tossed a few of them in to see how they came out and I'm somewhat impressed, they came out basically perfect, no rubbery-ness at all. PITA to peel though. I think I'll add some white vinegar to the water next time. What I did screw up on was not reading the last few paragraphs of J. Kenji Lopez-Alt's article on eggs, about pre-boiling them to prevent the shells from sticking. oops.

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

[CigarNut]

The flank steak came out perfect. My wife may never let me cook one on the grill again :)

The texture was great and it was very tender and moist. Used Lawry's season salt instead of my normal marinade (soy sauce, crush red pepper, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon).

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=16528&d=1454467312

[Porch Dweller]

:dr

[bonjing]

So just got an anova and my first foodsealer. Can you prepare foods, like vacuum seal fish and meats a few days in advance and just toss them in the water?

[jonumberone]

So just got an anova and my first foodsealer. Can you prepare foods, like vacuum seal fish and meats a few days in advance and just toss them in the water?

Yes, Greg, that'll work just fine.
I've started vac sealing things before freezing them, and then tossing them in the water bath frozen when the time comes.

[T.G]

So just got an anova and my first foodsealer. Can you prepare foods, like vacuum seal fish and meats a few days in advance and just toss them in the water?

Yes, Greg, that'll work just fine.
I've started vac sealing things before freezing them, and then tossing them in the water bath frozen when the time comes.

Yep, what Dom says. Bagged, frozen, then into the water bath.

Leaving them in the refrigerator, on the other hand, I've had mixed results with. Mostly disappointing. YMMV though.

[bonjing]

Thanks guys. Did a swordfish last night I think it came out pretty good 130degrees for 40 min. Now doing a rib eye for tonight and prepped some salmon for tomorrow.

[Grape Ape]

You guys are serious with this thing! Damn I want some ribeye right now. I ended up with one of those Anovas in a Yankee Swap at Christmas. I was the odd man out because no one knew what the hell it was or how to use it, so I got stuck with it. Joke's on them!! Going to try it out tonight!

[Grape Ape]

Tried out the Anova last night on some rib eye, and you can officially label me a convert. The interior of the meat was absolutely PERFECT. I do need to educate myself on searing techniques though. The (non-existent) crust was a bit of a failure. Looked bad, tasted great.

[massphatness]

I can relate -- I'm still not an expert with the whole sear thing, but there's a few guys on here who can give you some tips. My big mistake was not allowing the skillet to get hot enough before attempting to sear.

[8lug]

I can relate -- I'm still not an expert with the whole sear thing, but there's a few guys on here who can give you some tips. My big mistake was not allowing the skillet to get hot enough before attempting to sear.

Vin, have you tried preheating the cast iron in a 500 degree oven, takes about 30-40 mins. then put it on the burner wide open.

[jonumberone]

Tried out the Anova last night on some rib eye, and you can officially label me a convert. The interior of the meat was absolutely PERFECT. I do need to educate myself on searing techniques though. The (non-existent) crust was a bit of a failure. Looked bad, tasted great.

Searing is definitely the hardest part to get right.
I struggled with it at the start, too. It will come with time. Just need a little trial and error.
Get the pan HOT! Use oil with a high smoke point. And don't be afraid to let it sear.
I was always worried about having the food overcook while I was searing it off so I didn't leave it long enough to get a good sear.

[mahtofire14]

Have any of you tried the reverse sear? Look it up on YouTube if not. Goes in the oven first and then you sear. Gets rid of the bullseye affect where the middle is the desired temp but it gets gradually more well done as you move to the outside of the meat. With this method you get medium rare (or whatever you like) from top to bottom throughout the steak. Pretty cool.

[T.G]

More tri-tip - this time with no salt or powdered rubs in the bag because I wanted to avoid dealing with the sludge that it creates, and I suspect the salt might be contributing to loss of moisture from the meat into the bag, especially as much salt as you need for a tri-tip. So I figured I'd pack the bag with lots of fresh seasonings, to get some flavor in the meat, then coat with rub before I finish sear it on the grill.

This is probably 2/3 cup of chopped fresh garlic, two large springs of rosemary each about as long as the piece of meat, and about half an onion. Somehow I managed to forget the hot peppers /doh.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=16538&stc=1&d=1454862770

About 5 hours at 131F later. Most of the spices stayed in the bag and I was able to wipe the remainder clean with a paper towel in less than a minute. When I measured the juices from the bag, I had less than a 1/4 cup. IIRC, I had about double that last time for a similar size piece of meat at same temp and time, but the meat had been salted and coated with rub prior. Not real scientific, but eh...

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=16539&stc=1&d=1454862823

Now it gets the salt and tri-tip rub.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=16540&stc=1&d=1454863141


Seared on all sides on the Santa Maria pit. Burning a mix of old wine / whiskey barrels that were used to barrel age beer before being retired along with some plum tree trimmings. Searing takes like 3-4 minutes or so per side.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=16541&stc=1&d=1454863256


Finished. Super tender and juicy.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=16542&stc=1&d=1454863355



Overall I would say it came it quite well aside from the point tip of the meat being a rosemary bomb. I'll have to dial back the rosemary and place it a bit better next time.


.

[massphatness]

Wanted to try my hand at pulled pork Sous Vide as one of the entrees for a Super Bowl shindig we’re hosting this afternoon. After doing some online research, I settled on a 5 lb pork butt and did a mild rub. I seared it prior to vacuum sealing because I had read that these can get fall-apart tender after a long cook in the water bath. I set my Anova for 136* and put the pork butt in for 60 hours.


Here’s the butt all rubbed up with spices and ready for the pre-sear. On a personal note, I do love rubbing butts.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1524/24247947874_b444d0b943_z.jpg


Seared & Sealed
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1460/24849832176_c81b554a7e_z.jpg


After 50+ hours in the water bath, you can see a boat load of juices in the sealed pouch
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1706/24508496249_b7673d9144_z.jpg


Here it is fresh out of the water bath
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1505/24508479439_da4d457a34_z.jpg


Ready for the post-cook sear
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1719/24249217863_300d7ae536_z.jpg

[massphatness]

Held together pretty well during the sear. I did have a little chunk fall off. Probably would have had more break away, but I handled the pork butt with BBQ gloves rather than tongs to allow for a better feel during the sear. As above, lovingly feeling butts is my forte.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1669/24782680341_4b4f83890c_z.jpg


Finished product
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1508/24247907354_b7df7dfa1e_z.jpg

The proof of the pudding is in the tasting they say, and I have to say, I'm a little disappointed. The pieces of bark are decently flavorful, but the interior sections of the meat are decidedly lacking in any real flavor. It's extremely moist, which is a huge plus, but what I'm missing is that nice smoky quality I get when doing this on my Weber Smokey Mountain cooker. It's not inedible, but it will definitely need sauces to give it any real flavor.


The other thing that surprised is the amount of fat left in the meat. My research led me to believe that 60 hours - even at 136* - was ample time to really render the fat sufficiently. This photo, I think, says otherwise.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1576/24249203663_85aacd5d0c_z.jpg


I'm calling this one a fail. :( Particularly given the high hopes and anticipation I had for it. It will get eaten, of course, but I'm not happy about the outcome.

[markem]

Overall I would say it came it quite well aside from the point tip of the meat being a rosemary bomb. I'll have to dial back the rosemary and place it a bit better next time.


Fresh rosemary has loads of oils. I find that rosemary and any form of thyme are best in moderate quantities.

I am particularly fond of garlic coupled with rosemary. A nice combo. Lemon thyme work well with garlic, but I find that the garlic needs to be fresh.

I may do a tri tip next week after I finish up the hugs chicken that I just did.

[markem]

The proof of the pudding is in the tasting they say, and I have to say, I'm a little disappointed. The pieces of bark are decently flavorful, but the interior sections of the meat are decidedly lacking in any real flavor. It's extremely moist, which is a huge plus, but what I'm missing is that nice smoky quality I get when doing this on my Weber Smokey Mountain cooker. It's not inedible, but it will definitely need sauces to give it any real flavor.


I would recommend not serving without a sauce. We used our fave commercial BBQ sauce in small quantities and it was okay. I think that next time I will add some liquid smoke to the sauce. I've been cooking with onion salt good pepper and lots of freeze fried garlic powder and saucing at the end. We've been happy.

I did not sear last time but am thinking of doing so on the next one to get some crunchy bits.

[trogdor]

My wife got me a Sansaire for Christmas and I've been playing with it. It's made some really nice steaks. I've tried a few different seasoning mixtures on the steaks, but so far I like salt and pepper the best. I sear in a cast iron pan by adding a spoonful of bacon grease, heating it until it smokes, and throwing the meat in there for 60-90 seconds/side with the burners on full. The meat sears much better if you dry it with paper towels first. Save the juice from the bag to pour over it when you serve.
I use a cooler for cooking - I cut the corner off of the lid so that the Sansaire will fit with the lid down.
I did chicken breasts in the mid 140s (can't remember the exact temp now) and they came out extra juicy, but the texture wasn't quite right; I think I'll try 149 or 150 next time.
I've also started pasteurizing our eggs. The whites get slightly cloudy like the ones that I remember buying from the supermarket when they were available several years ago, but they mix up the same.

[Chainsaw13]

I haven't tried chicken yet, but I've done turkey breast at 145F for 4 hours. For me, the texture was perfect, a little softer than a normal roasted turkey. If you look up sous vide turkey on Serious Eats, Kenji's article talks a lot about the differences in texture for the different temps.

[markem]

My wife got me a Sansaire for Christmas and I've been playing with it. It's made some really nice steaks. I've tried a few different seasoning mixtures on the steaks, but so far I like salt and pepper the best.

Garlic powder. Trust me on this.

Or make your own garlic infused oil, but the flavor will be lighter.

[Dux]

This thread makes me hungry...

[Chainsaw13]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UKPBXM4/ref=gbps_img_s-3_0842_a6aa6242?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=2338600842&pf_rd_s=slot-3&pf_rd_t=701&pf_rd_i=gb_main&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0GTNES1WDXETE4HEF21R&tag=kinjadeals-20&ascsubtag=80e00a469fef87b36a87e5db9bcd2534459842b4&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2F13ogm5uzbU%5Bt %7Clink%5Bp%7C1758475212%5Ba%7CB00UKPBXM4%5Bau%7C5 727177402741770316

On sale for $140 for the next 12 hours on Amazon. Bluetooth version.

[T.G]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UKPBXM4/ref=gbps_img_s-3_0842_a6aa6242?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=2338600842&pf_rd_s=slot-3&pf_rd_t=701&pf_rd_i=gb_main&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0GTNES1WDXETE4HEF21R&tag=kinjadeals-20&ascsubtag=80e00a469fef87b36a87e5db9bcd2534459842b4&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2F13ogm5uzbU%5Bt %7Clink%5Bp%7C1758475212%5Ba%7CB00UKPBXM4%5Bau%7C5 727177402741770316

On sale for $140 for the next 12 hours on Amazon. Bluetooth version.


A friend of mine who doesn't post here says "Damn you and thanks" :tu

[jonumberone]

Did a 48hr Chuck roast that I ate yesterday.
A lot of internet posts claiming this to be a poor man's ribeye had me intrigued.
The second I cut open the bag my first thought was " I should've just made a ribeye"
I seared it off with the Searzall, which was by far the best sear in the shortest amount of time that I have gotten.
At first bite my fears were confirmed, this was not a ribeye, not a poor man's ribeye, not a blind man's ribeye, this was a pot roast.
That said, this was the best pot roast I've ever had. Thankfully my wife had made a mushroom gravy, seemingly on a lark, but it was exactly what this cut needed.
Unbelievably tender, though not the braised, stringy, cut with a fork tender.
I preferred this to the more traditional style pot roast texture.

Thus far, none of the 24+hr cooks with the Anova have wowed me.
The only one that I would call good was the 48hr lamb shoulder I did. Good not great. Plus I should've seared it before hand as it was really tough to sear without it falling apart.
The rest suffered from texture issues and reminded me more of boiled meat.
This was perfect, and had zero texture issues! I would absolutely do it again. I also would absolutely try doing this cut again, pulling it and making pulled beef sandwiches.

134° for 48hrs
http://http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/20160211_180909_zps6e4g3qxg.jpg

[jonumberone]

Did a 48hr Chuck roast that I ate yesterday.
A lot of internet posts claiming this to be a poor man's ribeye had me intrigued.
The second I cut open the bag my first thought was " I should've just made a ribeye"
I seared it off with the Searzall, which was by far the best sear in the shortest amount of time that I have gotten.
At first bite my fears were confirmed, this was not a ribeye, not a poor man's ribeye, not a blind man's ribeye, this was a pot roast.
That said, this was the best pot roast I've ever had. Thankfully my wife had made a mushroom gravy, seemingly on a lark, but it was exactly what this cut needed.
Unbelievably tender, though not the braised, stringy, cut with a fork tender.
I preferred this to the more traditional style pot roast texture.

Thus far, none of the 24+hr cooks with the Anova have wowed me.
The only one that I would call good was the 48hr lamb shoulder I did. Good not great. Plus I should've seared it before hand as it was really tough to sear without it falling apart.
The rest suffered from texture issues and reminded me more of boiled meat.
This was perfect, and had zero texture issues! I would absolutely do it again. I also would absolutely try doing this cut again, pulling it and making pulled beef sandwiches.

134° for 48hrs
http://http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/20160211_180909_zps6e4g3qxg.jpg

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/20160211_180909_zps6e4g3qxg.jpg

Not sure why the pic doesn't show.

[markem]

This was perfect, and had zero texture issues! I would absolutely do it again. I also would absolutely try doing this cut again, pulling it and making pulled beef sandwiches.


I've been considering a chuck but haven't pulled the trigger yet.

I've been using brisket for my pulled beef sandwiches.

[BigAsh]

Did a 48hr Chuck roast that I ate yesterday.
A lot of internet posts claiming this to be a poor man's ribeye had me intrigued.
The second I cut open the bag my first thought was " I should've just made a ribeye"
I seared it off with the Searzall, which was by far the best sear in the shortest amount of time that I have gotten.
At first bite my fears were confirmed, this was not a ribeye, not a poor man's ribeye, not a blind man's ribeye, this was a pot roast.
That said, this was the best pot roast I've ever had. Thankfully my wife had made a mushroom gravy, seemingly on a lark, but it was exactly what this cut needed.
Unbelievably tender, though not the braised, stringy, cut with a fork tender.
I preferred this to the more traditional style pot roast texture.

Thus far, none of the 24+hr cooks with the Anova have wowed me.
The only one that I would call good was the 48hr lamb shoulder I did. Good not great. Plus I should've seared it before hand as it was really tough to sear without it falling apart.
The rest suffered from texture issues and reminded me more of boiled meat.
This was perfect, and had zero texture issues! I would absolutely do it again. I also would absolutely try doing this cut again, pulling it and making pulled beef sandwiches.

134° for 48hrs
http://http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/jonumberone/Food/20160211_180909_zps6e4g3qxg.jpg


Nice!....Not a fan of braised/crock pot type pot roast...it's the "stringy" thing...cold weather is a great time to give this a try...thanks Dom