5 Steps to Sous Vide Cooking Success
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J Logsdon
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Published on 02/3/2009
Like any cooking technique, there are countless variations of sous vide dishes. However, all sous vide cooking follows the same 5 steps: Season the food, seal the food, heat the water, cook the food in the water, finish and serve the food. Here's some more details about each step.
Sous Vide is the process of cooking vacuum sealed food in a water bath at low temperatures for a long period of time. By heating the water to the exact temperature the food should be when it is fully cooked you prevent the food from over cooking.
This can have dramatic results in both texture and flavor for the finish food. Short ribs and pot roasts can be cooked medium rare but are still tender, salmon can be cooked a uniformly medium rare and acquires a denser texture than normal.
Like any cooking technique, there are countless variations of sous vide dishes, however, all sous vide cooking follows the same 5 steps: Season the food, seal the food, heat the water, cook the food in the water, finish and serve the food. Here's some more details about each step.
1) Season and Flavor the Food
Just like an other cooking technique, there are countless ways to season the food. Some classics are:
*Salmon with dill, olive oil, and garlic
*Short ribs with chipotle peppers and garlic.
*Chicken with rosemary, olive oil, and lemon
To apply a dry seasoning just rub it over the food. For a wet seasoning you just place the seasoning into the pouch with the food.
2) Vacuum Seal the Food
Place the food and seasonings into a vacuum pouch and seal it using your vacuum sealer, such as a FoodSaver. If the food has bones or sharp edges make sure you don't vacuum seal them too tightly or they could puncture the bag. You can also get a similar, but less efficient, result using zip lock bags.
3) Heat the Water Bath
Constant water temperature is critical to sous vide cooking. You should use a thermal immersion circulator or a "sous vide controller", which is a much less expensive alternative for the home cook. Set the water for the final temperature you want your food to be. Normally 133F for beef or 113F for salmon, for example. Wait until the water bath comes up to that temperature before proceeding.
4) Cook the Food
Put the pouch of food into the water bath and cook it for the time indicated. For fish it is normally 10-20 minutes, for steaks or chicken it's between 30 and 60 minutes, and for tougher cuts of meat, like short ribs, it can be for 24 to 48 hours. There is less of a chance of overcooking in sous vide because the temperature of the food will not raise above the temperature of the water.
5) Finish the Food
Once you take the food out of the water bath you can serve it as is. However, many people like to quickly sear the outside of meats to give them the extra texture and the normal look meat has. Some people use a deep fryer to quickly sear large batches of food as well. You can also add sauces or accompaniments at this point.
6) Eat and Enjoy!
This can have dramatic results in both texture and flavor for the finish food. Short ribs and pot roasts can be cooked medium rare but are still tender, salmon can be cooked a uniformly medium rare and acquires a denser texture than normal.
Like any cooking technique, there are countless variations of sous vide dishes, however, all sous vide cooking follows the same 5 steps: Season the food, seal the food, heat the water, cook the food in the water, finish and serve the food. Here's some more details about each step.
1) Season and Flavor the Food
Just like an other cooking technique, there are countless ways to season the food. Some classics are:
*Salmon with dill, olive oil, and garlic
*Short ribs with chipotle peppers and garlic.
*Chicken with rosemary, olive oil, and lemon
To apply a dry seasoning just rub it over the food. For a wet seasoning you just place the seasoning into the pouch with the food.
2) Vacuum Seal the Food
Place the food and seasonings into a vacuum pouch and seal it using your vacuum sealer, such as a FoodSaver. If the food has bones or sharp edges make sure you don't vacuum seal them too tightly or they could puncture the bag. You can also get a similar, but less efficient, result using zip lock bags.
3) Heat the Water Bath
Constant water temperature is critical to sous vide cooking. You should use a thermal immersion circulator or a "sous vide controller", which is a much less expensive alternative for the home cook. Set the water for the final temperature you want your food to be. Normally 133F for beef or 113F for salmon, for example. Wait until the water bath comes up to that temperature before proceeding.
4) Cook the Food
Put the pouch of food into the water bath and cook it for the time indicated. For fish it is normally 10-20 minutes, for steaks or chicken it's between 30 and 60 minutes, and for tougher cuts of meat, like short ribs, it can be for 24 to 48 hours. There is less of a chance of overcooking in sous vide because the temperature of the food will not raise above the temperature of the water.
5) Finish the Food
Once you take the food out of the water bath you can serve it as is. However, many people like to quickly sear the outside of meats to give them the extra texture and the normal look meat has. Some people use a deep fryer to quickly sear large batches of food as well. You can also add sauces or accompaniments at this point.
6) Eat and Enjoy!