How to Sous Vide
While it can be a little daunting to start, I have learned that using a Sous Vide is actually quite simple! What is a sous vide? A sous vide is really just a method of cooking using warm water to get it equally cooked all the way through. You seal your meat in a vacuum packed bag, with seasoning, and let it cook for a few hours until it reaches the desired temperature! This is a great way to “set it and forget it” when you have a large piece of meat to make the cooking process easier!
If you have ever wanted to give this form of cooking a try, below are a few quick tips to help you get started!
Have a large enough pot
To do your cooking, you will have to submerge whatever you want to Sous Vide in water. this means you want to make sure the pot you are using is plenty large enough to fully cover it. Trying to use too small of a pot could lead to some of your meat not being submerged, and thus not cooking properly. Take the time to get the right sized pot, and check it before filling it with water. Also, remember that the water level will rise when you add your meat, so don’t forget about that and overfill the pot to create a mess! You can also use a lid or a weight of some kind to push the meat down in the pot if it floats, but hopefully you will not have any issues with that!
Invest in a vacuum sealer
One of the key pieces of using a sous vide is to fully vacuum seal your meat prior to cooking, as it will be submerged in water for a while as it cooks. Trying to use something other than a vacuum sealer could work, maybe, but ultimately doing it right will go a long way. Using this method will add tenderness and also help ensure an equally cooked piece of meat, so taking that time up front to get it done correctly is worth it.
Season before (and after) you Sous Vide
In order to realize some of the benefits of using a Sous Vide, be sure to fully season your meat prior to starting your cook. This could mean including fresh herbs and spices in the vacuum pack or even adding some butter or whatever enhances the flavor profile you are going for. This will really enhance those flavors, and also really get you a tender piece of meat. You can also add some additional seasonings after you remove it from the water and vacuum seal, especially if you will be putting it on a grill/griddle to finish it off. This can kick that dish up a notch as you can really deliver great flavors!
Don't overcook the meat
When cooking meats, there is always a target temperature to take it to. With red meats, you might prefer a medium rare (135 degrees F) finish, for example, so making sure you don’t quite hit that temperature in the sous vide will allow it to heat a little bit more on your grill. Setting the sous vide to 128 degrees (or lower), gives you some wiggle room on the grill to get those perfect grill marks and have your meat finish around 135 degrees! Taking it to the “perfect” temperature and then cooking it more to get grill marks is a great way to overcook your meat. Also, if you are going to sous vide chicken or items that should not be consumed raw, make sure you know that safe temperature and get your meat up to that temp!
