Sous Vide Cooking

[Shedd]

With Sous Vide becoming more popular and especially since it really goes along great with smoking and grilling I thought it would benefit to have a thread dedicated to it.
I’ve been using a Anova Sous Vide circulator for a few years and it’s absolutely fantastic. I’m not going to go over everything I’ve cooked with it but I would like to share a couple things. The SV will benefit greatly if you have a vacuum sealer which I’ve been using a Food Saver for some time and i find those two appliances bundled together makes life so much easier when cooking for my family, events and gatherings. I constantly search for great deals on meats and buy up things like butts, ribs, chicken, vegetables, etc. I’ll cook a couple butts at random when I have the time. I will put my pulled pork, ribs etc in the Food Saver bags and freeze. Then when I need it I simply put it in my SV for a short heating cycle at my desired temperature. When I cut open the bags my guest never ever would believe I cooked it and froze it days, weeks, months ago. It tastes exactly like it did the day I smoked it. Not just smoked meats, I do the same with burgers, hotdogs, baked meats, beans , veggies, etc.

I’m attaching a couple pics of some corn on the cob I just bought today for a quarter each in the shuck. I shucked them, put a pat of butter on top of each cob then put them in the Food Saver bags. Then into the SV at 184 degrees for 45 minutes. I’ll let them cool then freeze them. I live in the south and I’ve eaten corn about any way it can be cooked, SV corn on the cob it completely amazing. Those pats of butter infuse into the corn, not a slippery butter mess but incredibly good flavor. I don’t even put any seasonings on it just butter. To heat it up I don’t even waste my time filling up my SV circulator, simply put it in a pot of boiling water then turn the heat off and let it sit until everything else is cooked.

Sorry so long of a start on this, I just wanted people that doesn’t know about this to do a little research and get started with this. It’ll make it so much easier than when you’re smoking something the day or night before trying to get your timing right and didn’t sleep for worrying about everything. It really makes smoking and cooking so much more enjoyable.

 

[traeger860]

I use mine all the time to warm up BBQ leftovers. It's also a great tool for cooking steaks. Season & cook at 5-7 F degrees lower than you like your steak. At least 60 mins if fresh. Maybe a little longer if it's something thick like a tomahawk. Add 50% time if it's frozen. Then sear for a nice crust at the end. Comes out perfect every time.

 

[Shedd]

I use mine all the time to warm up BBQ leftovers. It's also a great tool for cooking steaks. Season & cook at 5-7 F degrees lower than you like your steak. At least 60 mins if fresh. Maybe a little longer if it's something thick like a tomahawk. Add 50% time if it's frozen. Then sear for a nice crust at the end. Comes out perfect every time.

A friend in the restaurant business introduced me to SV and I purchased my SV at Costco. It was a package deal for a couple hundred bucks. I got it initially for grilling steaks then I started realizing it’s for so much more than I ever thought.

 

[Slimpicker]

I use mine a lot, It's how I reheat our hunting camp meals and it's like having it just cooked.

Just saw corn at Sam's. I'm snatching up enough to eat thru the winter.
Thanks for the write up.

 

[RayClem]

I am cooking for my wife and I. Since we are both getting up in years, our appetites are not what they were when we were younger. Thus, we always have leftovers. For example, when I fire up the Traeger, I might cook three 16 ounce steaks as it is not worth the effort to cook only one. However, three steaks is sufficient for twelve four ounce portions, enough for six meals for the two of us. Thus, we will eat one meal right off the grill and then seal the other five meals in vacuum bags to be reheated Sous Vide sometime later.

If I do an 8 pound pork butt, that makes enough for 32 servings (16 meals for the two of us). Thus, I only have to do a pork butt about once a quarter.

At the end of summer, I will fill up the freezer with enough smoked meat to last until spring thaw. I know that the Traeger is not impeded by freezing temperatures, but I do not like going out in freezing temperatures. I try to schedule my cooks when the temperature will be between 50-85F. If it is over 85F, I stay inside in air conditioning. When I was younger, I could tolerate a wide range of weather, but as I get older, my body does not adapt as well.

 

[Dcgunman]

I bought my SV a couple days ago and it arrived on Tuesday. Used it on my smoked tri tip I smoked on Sunday. What can I say, it was still amazing on Tuesday using my new SV. I bought Lekoza Sous Vide on Amazon for $55 after a 30% coupon applied. Ill have to buy one of those 12oz containers for my SV. The wife thought it was of $ & space. She enjoyed the leftover Tri Tip.

 

[RayClem]

One of the things I like about Sous Vide is that the low and slow cooking for several hours can make a an inexpensive cut of meat as tender and juicy as an expensive one. For example, London Broil is generally cut from either the sirloin or top round. If not prepared properly, it can be rather tough. However, if not overcooked, you can then place it in Sous Vide at your desired final temperature and allow the additional cook time to tenderize the meat without overcooking.

 

[Shedd]

Congrats on the SV. I just scored some corn in the shucks the other day for .25 each. The SV makes the best corn on the cob. However you’ll find plenty of uses for it.

 

[RayClem]

Congrats on the SV. I just scored some corn in the shucks the other day for .25 each. The SV makes the best corn on the cob. However you’ll find plenty of uses for it.

I've done corn on the cob in boiling water, on a gas grill, smoked it on the Traeger, and cooked it on the gas griddle. I have never tried it Sous Vide. What temperature did you use for Sous Vide corn?. I know that many vegetable need to reach a temperature close to boiling to make them al dente. That is why steamed vegetables are so good.

 

[Shedd]

After shucking and washing, dry off then put a pat (1/4” thick slice) on top of each ear (might have to press it on) then in vacuum sealed bag. Circulate for 45 minutes at 182 degrees F. If you’re like me and plan to freeze some, after SV the bags will stretch out a little but after they cool they will stretch back. Before SV i didn’t think you could beat grilled corn but I hardly grill it now.

 

[traeger860]

I've done corn a few times too. The time/temp recipe I used was similar to Shed. It comes out great. I usually add butter & Trader Joe's "Everything But the Elote" seasoning. And still throw it on a hot grill for a few minutes to get some marks on it.

 

[Slimpicker]

After shucking and washing, dry off then put a pat (1/4” thick slice) on top of each ear (might have to press it on) then in vacuum sealed bag. Circulate for 45 minutes at 182 degrees F. If you’re like me and plan to freeze some, after SV the bags will stretch out a little but after they cool they will stretch back. Before SV i didn’t think you could beat grilled corn but I hardly grill it now.

My "freeze" step was a fail, but the ones I ate right after SV were unreal.

 

[MidwestSmoker]

My "freeze" step was a fail, but the ones I ate right after SV were unreal.

Why or how did the freeze step fail?