sous-vide « Me&MyTorch: Adventures in Taste, Sous Vide & Blowtorchery

Sous Vide Porterhouse Steak

By Rob, on June 13th, 2012%

Air dried in the fridge for 48 hours, bagged with salt & pepper, cooked at 132F for 5 hours. Finished 45 seconds per side on a 600 degree Green Egg. Tender, beautiful, perfect.

The resulting meal: Mache salad with lime vinaigrette, avocado, slow cooked bacon nibs, grilled red onions, cherry tomatoes, sharp cheddar, and of . . . → Read More: Sous Vide Porterhouse Steak

I don’t know exactly what country style ribs are, but I saw them staring at me in the store with those well-marbled, fatty eyes that I just can’t refuse. So I got a few pounds. I know they’re pork, obviously, but they’re boneless and thick, and looked a lot like pork shoulder.

Anyhow, I threw them in . . . → Read More: Sous Vide Country Style Ribs

Sous Vide Short Rib

By Rob, on January 15th, 2012%

When I found grassfed short ribs at Whole Foods, I braised them along with pork belly in mustard, chicken stock, and herbs. That was a week to remember. So naturally I wanted to explore these marbled wonders further, and to me, there’s no better lens to examine a protein under than sous vide.

I bagged them with . . . → Read More: Sous Vide Short Rib

Sous Vide Pork Loin, Round 2

By Rob, on January 14th, 2012%

I anxiously got out of bed this morning to de-bag what I hoped was porcine alchemy. Last time I did loin, it was a la tenderloin, at 140 for a scant 2 hours. It was decent for sandwiches, but still not a tenderloin. Go figure. This time around, I decided to really blast the collagen and . . . → Read More: Sous Vide Pork Loin, Round 2

72 Hour Sous Vide Chuck

By Rob, on June 13th, 2011%

Well I must say that I have never had a steak this tender before in all my life. It was so tender that it was confusing my brain as I ate it. And it was impossibly rich, with no sauce whatsoever. This very well may be the most extreme steak anyone could ever have. For real. FULL POST

8 Hour Sous Vide Sirloin Steak

By Rob, on May 31st, 2011%

Move over NY strip – your brother is making headlines. 8 hours under water and the lowly sirloin is beefier, more tender, and just plain better than any strip I’ve had. Except that one I did for 12 hours. This was just as good though and considerably less expensive.

Sirloin is generally relegated to crappy diners’ steak and eggs. Every now and then you will see a nice dry aged one pop up in a fine dining restaurant, but not often. It’s a cheap cut that can range from horrible to decent, but never quite the same as a great ribeye or NY strip. At least not conventionally. FULL POST

Sous Vide Beef Shin aka Shank

By Rob, on May 26th, 2011%

I used to buy half shanks all the time and braise them in red wine for about 9 hours at 250 with a handful of garlic, rosemary, and 3tbs black pepper. This is the “Hunters” preparation that Jamie Oliver suggests, and its really tasty. I was excited to get to the essence of this cut, sans strong aromatics, and at a nice medium doneness. FULL POST

Sous Vide Pork Belly

By Rob, on May 19th, 2011%

I can’t tell you how good it feels to be so strongly reminded why sous vide and blow torching are so amazing. This was nothing short of insanity, and it was exactly what I needed to get back into water cooking mode.

If you have had braised pork belly, then you have an idea of what I’m . . . → Read More: Sous Vide Pork Belly

22 Hour Leg Of Lamb

By Rob, on March 6th, 2011%

Wow. Just wow. I can’t believe it took me this long to do lamb in the SVS. Luckily I got 5lbs of boneless leg from Costco, so I’ll have plenty to eat for a while.

This was actually the opposite of what I expected flavor-wise. Instead of a more concentrated lamb flavor, it actually mellowed out a bit, becoming more like prime rib…with just enough extra complexity.

I tried out a new technique that proved to be quite successful. Before bagging, I sprinkled cumin, rosemary, salt, pepper, and garlic powder over the meat, then used my needled tenderizer to really get the flavor in there, and also guarantee tenderness. In all reality, it didn’t need any help with the tenderness, but the flavor definitely seemed enhanced.

After the Jacquard, I bagged with some fig conserves and cooked for 22 hours at 135. After a quick 1 minute sear on each side with some blow torching assistance, I sliced off a piece of the tenderest, juiciest lamb I’ve ever had. Perfect.

FULL POST

12 Hour NY Strip

By Rob, on February 21st, 2011%

I’ve always been a ribeye type of guy. Big beefy flavor and generous marbling make it a smashing success every time. Except there’s one problem – H won’t eat it because of the vein of fat that usually (deliciously) runs through the middle of the cut. Enter NY Strip. This cut is less beefy, but less fatty – . . . → Read More: 12 Hour NY Strip

Sous Vide Porterhouse Steak

Sous Vide Country Style Ribs