Every so often, a new kitchen innovation comes along that is truly impactful for both professional chefs and home cooks. Sous vide is one of those innovations that has benefited how we cook and eat.
Beginner’s Guide To Sous Vide Cooking
This article is a general guide into what sous vide is, where it came from, and what it can do for your meal preparation. It also shows the many benefits of this method and gives some examples of its versatility beyond cooking a great steak.
What Is Sous Vide?
Sous vide is just cooking something at a precise temperature for a specific time using water (set at a very specific temperature) as the cooking medium. The water is much more efficient at transferring heat than air. If you’re unsure, put your hand in a 100°C oven. It feels hot but tolerable. Imagine putting your hand in 100-degree water…(please don’t attempt this!).
To get the food as close to the water as possible, it is often vacuum packaged before cooking, but this isn’t necessary in many cases- a simple sealable freezer bag will work just fine.
You may see a lot of descriptions that state it’s a low temperature for a long time. While that is one use, it is also helpful for relatively short periods, like seafood cooked in under 20 minutes. You can also cook vegetables or potatoes near the boiling point, so, while not in a 180°C oven, still not too low a temperature.
History Of Sous Vide
Over the past few decades, you’ve probably heard of sous vide cooking more and more. Thanks to the internet and the explosion of food and cooking blogs, its utility and popularity with home cooks have gained traction.
But its origins go back to the 1970s. Two French chefs are generally credited with independently developing the process. They then refined the process further, working together.
The first chef, commonly known as the “father of sous vide,” Bruno Goussault, was working to find a way to improve the tenderness of roast beef. Likewise, his future collaborator, George Pralus, was looking for a way to keep his foie gras from losing so much yield when cooking.
Jump to the early 2000s when high-end chefs employed the process in their kitchens. This inevitably trickled down to other restaurants and home cooks.
How To Sous Vide
Cooking sous vide is simple.
Here’s a list of tools you’ll need to get started.
- Immersion circulator (or a water bath)
- Large saucepan
- Vacuum sealer
- Vacuum sealed bags
- Searing torch
- Recipes
You only need water in a pot at a set temperature and a plastic pouch to submerge the food. You can use an ice chest, an instant pot, or an immersion circulator for the water bath. Immersion circulators are the most straightforward method because you attach them to the side of your pot, set the temperature, and turn it on. It will hold the temperature for you and keep the water circulating for an even temperature throughout the pot.
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While a vacuum packaging machine is probably the best way to seal the food, they are expensive and take up valuable kitchen storage space.
A more straightforward method is to use sealable freezer storage bags. You put the food in the bag with a tablespoon or two of oil, carefully lower the bag into a water bath while the water is cool, and seal the bag after the air is forced out. You can also use sealable jars in the water bath; whole eggs don’t need anything; you can cook whole eggs in the water.
In my restaurant, we put the eggs, carton and all, straight into our commercial sous vide machine and set the time and temperature very carefully (it’s our secret for presenting perfectly cooked, perfect-looking, soft oozy eggs)
As an example of the process, let’s cook a medium-rare steak using sous vide.
My Sous Vide Steak Recipe
- First, get a large pot to hold the steak and immersion circulator.
- Fill the pot and set the circulator to 55°C degrees.
- Season the steak and place it in a sealable bag with a tablespoon of olive oil.
- Carefully lower the bag into the water. The oil will force the air from the bag when you lower it. Seal the bag and leave it in the water so the steak is fully submerged (it’s a good idea to clip the bag top to the side of the pot so water can’t get in if you don’t get a good seal).
- When the water is at the set temperature, start a two-hour timer.
- Now you have two hours of free time….
- After two hours, remove the steak from the water and the pouch. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Heat oil in a pan over high heat.
- Caramelise the steak on every side when the oil is hot, turning it with tongs. It will caramelise quickly in under a minute and create a beautiful crust.
- The steak is ready to eat and is a wonderful, tender medium-rare.
Sous vide cooking is usually a step in the cooking process. Getting that delicious caramelisation often requires finishing the food in a pan or under a flame. For desserts like custards, it requires a blender to bring it all together. For vegetables, it requires glazing with butter.
But don’t let the finishing part scare you. Sous vide is simple to execute and makes cooking easier.
Benefits Of Sous Vide Cooking
There are a lot of benefits to cooking sous vide, many more than most people realize. It goes beyond a perfectly cooked steak or a wonderfully braised pork shoulder.
- Precision and consistency– You can cook your food to precisely the temperature you desire time after time. For example, if you have a large party, every steak will be cooked the same. It removes the guesswork involved in cooking to the desired result.
- It’s more forgiving– Because the cooking temperature is set at the desired ending temperature and is generally lower than other cooking methods, it can’t overcook foods if you don’t pull them out on time. A steak cooked for 15 minutes too long sous vide-style won’t affect the end product. Cooking a steak for 15 minutes too long in the pan would ruin it.
- Time-saving– Sous vide allows you to attend to other things while the food is cooking. While the steak mentioned above cooks for two hours, you could prepare the rest of the meal without paying attention. A beef brisket could cook for up to 60 hours simply sitting on the corner of the kitchen counter while you carry on with your normal activities. You only need to make sure the water hasn’t evaporated.
- Less seasoning– Because the food is sealed in a pouch, you can lose less seasonings and fats. Nothing is lost in the cooking process.
- Keeping flavour, aroma, and nutrition inside- Because nothing is lost in the cooking process, all the flavours, aromas, vitamins, and nutrients are trapped in the pouch. Think of it this way- every time you smell something cooking, there’s less flavour you’ll taste. Sous vide traps all that inside.
- Better yield– Because it’s a more delicate cooking method, there is less cooking loss. Nothing evaporates away.
- Shelf-life– Food cooked in a sealed pouch can become pasteurized when cooked at a high enough temperature for long enough. This allows for more extended storage of cooked foods, allowing you to plan. This information from the International Sous Vide Association provides guidelines for pasteurising using sous vide.
- Easier cleanup– When you’re done, dispose of the bag, empty the pot of water, and dry the immersion circulator.
Is Sous Vide Safe?
While there are common sense precautions you should take when cooking sous vide, it is a very safe cooking method. The first key to safety is using fresh, wholesome food. For example, you wouldn’t cook a questionable steak the conventional way and certainly don’t want to cook it using sous vide.
You want to keep the food cold while seasoning and packaging the food. Low temperatures help slow bacterial growth, so keeping food from warming until you cook will keep food safer.
Cook it long enough and hot enough to kill any bacteria. While it’s often recommended to cook the chicken to 74°C to kill anything bad, you can get the same safe results by cooking it at 60 degrees for two hours. It’s all about matching time with temperature. The one caveat is cooking below 55 degrees won’t kill harmful bacteria. If you cook something below 55 degrees- like seafood- you want to cook it for a very short period, around 20 minutes for most fish.
Some chefs recommend searing meats before cooking them sous vide to kill surface bacteria. In this case, you would sear it, then cool it before packaging it.
And if you’re going to cool the pouch without opening it, drop it into an ice water bath to cool it quickly.
What Can I Do With Sous Vide?
A lot of the focus with sous vide cooking seems to be making the perfect steak. But it goes well beyond the simple steak. Below is a short list of other valuable uses for sous vide.
- Pork belly
- Yoghurt
- Sweet custards
- Cooked root vegetables
- Duck confit
- Oysters
- Lamb Shanks
- Bone Broth
- Risotto
- Mashed Potatoes
Should I Get A Sous Vide?
Whether you’re an amateur cook or an experienced home chef, sous vide cooking can simplify and make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. With minimal preparation, you can “fire and forget” your dinner, giving you time to relax with friends or use that time to prepare accompanying dishes.
Beginner’s Guide To Sous Vide Cooking: Summing Up
While it may seem intimidating at first, once you incorporate sous vide into your regular cooking repertoire, you’ll soon realize how valuable a tool your immersion circulator is.
FAQs
Q1. What Are Some Cons Of The Sous Vide Method?
- Time-Consuming: Sous vide cooking can take significantly longer than traditional cooking methods. For instance, a steak might take hours instead of minutes to cook.
- Limited Browning: Since sous vide cooks at lower temperatures, it doesn’t produce the Maillard reaction responsible for food browning and flavour development. As a result, foods often need to be seared or finished in another way to achieve a browned exterior.
- Equipment Cost: Sous vide equipment, especially high-quality immersion circulators or water ovens, can be expensive.
- Space Requirement: The equipment can also take up a fair amount of space in the kitchen, especially if you’re using a large water bath.
- Plastic Concerns: There are environmental concerns related to using plastic bags, especially if they are single-use. Additionally, some people have health concerns about cooking in plastic, even if the bags are BPA-free and food-safe.
- Risk of Bacterial Growth: Sous vide cooking can risk bacterial growth if not done correctly. Foods need to be heated and held at certain temperatures to ensure safety.
- Texture Limitations: Some people find that certain foods, especially vegetables, have a different texture when cooked sous vide compared to traditional methods.
- Learning Curve: While the technique is straightforward, achieving perfect results might require experimentation and learning.
- Overcooking: While sous vide reduces the risk of overcooking due to its precise temperature control, leaving food in the water bath for too long can still lead to overcooked textures.
- Energy Consumption: Depending on the duration and temperature, sous vide cooking can consume more energy than traditional methods, especially for long cooking times.
- Limited to Certain Foods: Not all foods are suitable for sous vide cooking. It’s best for meats and certain vegetables but not ideal for everything.
- Bulk Cooking Limitation: Cooking large quantities or large cuts of meat can be challenging due to the size limitations of the water bath and the need for even water circulation.
Q2. Is It Possible To Get A Good Crust Cooking Meat by Sous Vide?
- Pre-sear: Before sealing the meat in the bag for sous vide cooking, I sometimes quickly sear in a hot skillet for about a minute on each side. This helps to develop some initial flavour. After the sous vide process, I’ll sear it again to enhance the crust.
- Post-sear: After the meat has finished cooking sous vide, I remove it from the bag, pat it dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture, and then sear it in a very hot skillet or grill. This step is crucial. The drier the surface of the meat, the better the sear I can achieve.
- High Heat: I use a skillet that retains heat well, like cast iron. I get it smoking hot, add a high smoke-point oil, and then sear the meat quickly on each side. This gives me a beautiful, caramelized crust without overcooking the inside.
- Torching: Another method I’ve used is a culinary torch. After the sous vide process, I torch the surface of the meat until I get a nice, browned crust. This method is especially useful for areas that are hard to sear evenly in a skillet.
- Grilling: If I’m in the mood for some grill marks and a smoky flavour, I’ll throw the sous vide-cooked meat on a preheated grill for a minute or two on each side.
- Dry Brining: Before cooking sous vide, I sometimes sprinkle the meat with salt and let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. This process, known as dry brining, helps to season the meat and can also assist in achieving a better crust during the searing process.
- Herbs and Butter: I often add butter and fresh herbs to the skillet during the post-sear. As the butter melts and browns, it imparts a rich flavour to the crust.
Q3. What Happens If My Food Cooks Too Long?
If food cooks too long, it can become over-tenderised, losing texture. However, it won’t overcook in the traditional sense due to precise temperature control.
Q4. Can I Add Aromatics To The Bag?
People often add aromatics and herbs like thyme, garlic, and spring onions to make their food more flavourful.
