25 Sous Vide Recipes to Try ASAP (2024)

FAQs

What should I try first with sous vide? ›

Steak is held up as the best example of just what sous vide can do, so it's probably one of the things that you'll want to try first. It's heartbreaking when you leave an expensive piece of steak just a little bit too long and wind up making it tough and dry, but thankfully, sous vide takes away all the guesswork.

Produce that no longer looks completely fresh or already smells strange is, of course, no longer suitable for the sous vide procedure. This particularly applies to fish and meat that is cooked at relatively low temperatures.

While many will tell you that it's impossible to overcook with sous vide (and this isn't far from the truth), do bear in mind though that if you leave the food in the water bath for an extended period of time it won't 'overcook', but it could start to take on a mushy texture, so don't forget about it!

Ziplock and Glad brand bags are made from polyethylene plastic, and are free of BPAs and dioxins. A good rule of thumb is that when a bag is rated as microwave safe (which requires FDA approval) you can use it for sous vide. Even Dr. Schaffner agrees.

The best meat to sous vide for 48-72 hours at 135°F (57°C) is beef brisket, while pork shoulder can be cooked between 24-36 hours at 165°F (74°C). Results are always tender and juicy, making for perfect leftovers in sandwiches, tacos, or any other dish calling for shredded meat.

Because of the relatively low temperatures used in sous vide, one major consideration is the Danger Zone. The 'Danger Zone' is a range of temperatures where bacteria particularly thrive and multiply. It's generally defined as 40F to 140 F, or 4.4C to 60C .

Fill your sous vide water bath with hot tap water.

Improper temperature and time control during the sous vide process, including cooking, cooling and storage, or prolonged exposure of sous vide food in the temperature danger zone (5°C to 60°C) may result in the growth and multiplication of these bacteria.

Do Steakhouses use Sous Vide Cooking Methods? Pre-cooking juicy steaks using sous vide is common in steakhouses across the United States. This might come as a surprise to frequent steakhouse customers, but using the technique allows chefs to cook great tasting steaks every time.

Can you put frozen meat in a sous vide? ›

Cook using your sous vide machine either defrosted or straight from frozen at the required time and temperature, adding on 60 minutes if cooking straight from frozen. Sear as usual if desired.

A: Sous Vide Cooking Process

With improper food handling, some of the most dangerous bacteria can grow, such as salmonella and botulism. Safe food handling and hygiene standards should always be maintained. Food cooked at low temperatures for extended periods of time can cause bacteria to multiply rapidly.

Rare sous vide steak (120°F/49°C): Your meat is still nearly raw. Muscle proteins have not started to contract much and will have a slippery, wet texture. Chewier cuts, like hanger or flap meat, will be particularly tough at this stage. Fat has not yet started to render, so fattier cuts will have a waxy texture.

Even if you do a pre-sear, the crust itself will go away and can only be established by searing it after the sous vide process is over. Not all food needs a post-sear, such as some fish or chicken and beef that is going into a sauce and you don't want or need the extra flavor for.

After you've cooked meat sous vide, you'll want to give it a deep brown crust to add flavor and textural contrast. There's no better way to do that than with a ripping-hot cast iron skillet, and good news: They're cheap.

Searing usually improves the appearance of sous vide food, creating a greater contrast between the edges and center of precision cooked foodstuffs. Along similar lines, searing after sous vide generates a difference in the texture and flavor of the inside versus outside, which is MUCH more tantalizing to the tastebuds.

When to Sear After Sous Vide. If you want good flavor and crust on your food, you will always want to sear it when it is done cooking. Even if you do a pre-sear, the crust itself will go away and can only be established by searing it after the sous vide process is over.

Starting with warm water will help the sous vide circulator bring the water to the right temperature more quickly. Try a square vessel. Square is a much more space efficient shape than a circle. So with a square container, you'll have an easier time fitting both the circulator and the food.