To Sous Vide or NOT Sous Vide?


 
I have a few of two brands, Joule and Anova. While both connect with Bluetooth I don't bother. I use them for LOTS of things but especially long-cooked meats (like lamb shanks, short ribs, brisket) that I'm not planning to smoke (although one can, and I have, I don't smoke as much as I used to); for fried chicken (sous vide till cooked, batter or bread then fry till coating is crisp in just a few minutes - best fried chicken; and for numerous vegetables (183˚F is the bomb). Mostly I use sous vide to save me active, hands-on time (that's the case with all the typically braised meats) and for a better finished end result (definitely the case with fried chicken and vegs). For larger or more complicated dinners (complicated because of the quantity of main dishes and/or sides) sous vide equipment is a life saver.
 
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I hope this doesn't constitute a hijack of Jeff's thread but for you sous vide experts what have you found to be the best tool(s) to keep your food submerged?
 
First, getting rid of the air in the package. Can't stress that enough. Mostly I vac seal, sometimes use the submersion method (works best with particularly full packages). Mostly I do not need to use additional weights to submerge. On the occasions I do, I simply clip a ss knife or spoon to the bag.
 
K Kruger said:
First, getting rid of the air in the package. Can't stress that enough. Mostly I vac seal, sometimes use the submersion method (works best with particularly full packages). Mostly I do not need to use additional weights to submerge. On the occasions I do, I simply clip a ss knife or spoon to the bag.
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When I sous vide meat it begins well from a vac seal but after the food shrinks my bag is like a balloon.
 
I poked a small hole thru a vac bag once doing blade chops. It let some air in but really more water.
Now for bony things like ribs and chops I do the submersion method Kevin mentioned with Ziploc Freezer bags.
You could also fill up a ziploc bag with water and lay that over your bags.
 
K Kruger said:
or fried chicken (sous vide till cooked, batter or bread then fry till coating is crisp in just a few minutes - best fried chicken;
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Now that's something I wouldn't of thought of. Thank you!
Edit: Do you add or do anything to the chicken before the SV? Times ,temps, details please:)
 
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Salt. Sous vide setup: 155˚ (68˚C). Separate a chicken as usual, or just buy it already in pieces. If using a typical ~4-pound bird (or the equivalent), use a scant 3 teaspoons table salt and salt the pieces all over. Bag dark pieces together; bag breast pieces together. Put the bag with breasts in the fridge. Put the bag with dark meat in your setup and sous vide 2 hours. Add the bag of breasts from the fridge, let the water return to temp and go 1 hour more. Meanwhile, make a mix of flour and spices (whatever your usual) and salt to taste. Buttermilk in a bowl on the side.

Heat 3 inches of good frying oil to 400˚. When your sous vide time is done, remove the chicken from the bags and pat dry. Dip each piece in buterrmilk then your flour mixture ( - for crispy; for crunchy dip in buttermilk then flour mix then buttermilk again then flour mix again); hold on a rack. Fry the pieces until they're the crispness/color your prefer (usually 2-3 minutes is all) then remove and serve immediately or hold in a pre-warmed oven on a rack. (The chicken was cooked already sous vide, remember, so all you need to is get the color and crispness to your liking and you're go to go.)
 
K Kruger said:
Salt. Sous vide setup: 155˚ (68˚C). Separate a chicken as usual, or just buy it already in pieces. If using a typical ~4-pound bird (or the equivalent), use a scant 3 teaspoons table salt and salt the pieces all over. Bag dark pieces together; bag breast pieces together. Put the bag with breasts in the fridge. Put the bag with dark meat in your setup and sous vide 2 hours. Add the bag of breasts from the fridge, let the water return to temp and go 1 hour more. Meanwhile, make a mix of flour and spices (whatever your usual) and salt to taste. Buttermilk in a bowl on the side.

Heat 3 inches of good frying oil to 400˚. When your sous vide time is done, remove the chicken from the bags and pat dry. Dip each piece in buterrmilk then your flour mixture ( - for crispy; for crunchy dip in buttermilk then flour mix then buttermilk again then flour mix again); hold on a rack. Fry the pieces until they're the crispness/color your prefer (usually 2-3 minutes is all) then remove and serve immediately or hold in a pre-warmed oven on a rack. (The chicken was cooked already sous vide, remember, so all you need to is get the color and crispness to your liking and you're go to go.)
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Kevin, would that method work finishing in an air fryer vs oil. I normally only cook for me and my wife. Old hearts. 😁
 
Lew Newby said:
Kevin, would that method work finishing in an air fryer vs oil. I normally only cook for me and my wife. Old hearts. 😁
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Yes. Spritz your air fryer with oil as usual; spritz both sides of breaded chicken with oil then air fry. I’d likely still go with 400 - maybe 375. But, again, you’re not cooking the chicken as it’s already cooked, just getting the breading colored and crisped.

I’ll add that the chicken is cooked and by that I also mean safe to eat. With young chicken (as the vast majority sold in this country are) you might get some color (pink, red)?near or in bones. NOT an issue. Doesn’t happen always but it can. Lack of pink is NOT an indicator of safe, contrary to what I’m sure you’ve read too many times to count (“cook till the juices run clear...” - wrong), and the presence of pink is NOT an indicator of unsafe. Only temp will tell you.

Note that you can always go 3 hours with the dark meat first. I would not go more than an hour with the white (lest it overcook) but you can halve the breast halves crosswise or, for more surface area to crisp, lengthwise, before cooking to make the pieces smaller, still keeping to the last hour fir the breast inclusion.
 
K Kruger said:
Salt. Sous vide setup: 155˚ (68˚C). Separate a chicken as usual, or just buy it already in pieces. If using a typical ~4-pound bird (or the equivalent), use a scant 3 teaspoons table salt and salt the pieces all over. Bag dark pieces together; bag breast pieces together. Put the bag with breasts in the fridge. Put the bag with dark meat in your setup and sous vide 2 hours. Add the bag of breasts from the fridge, let the water return to temp and go 1 hour more. Meanwhile, make a mix of flour and spices (whatever your usual) and salt to taste. Buttermilk in a bowl on the side.

Heat 3 inches of good frying oil to 400˚. When your sous vide time is done, remove the chicken from the bags and pat dry. Dip each piece in buterrmilk then your flour mixture ( - for crispy; for crunchy dip in buttermilk then flour mix then buttermilk again then flour mix again); hold on a rack. Fry the pieces until they're the crispness/color your prefer (usually 2-3 minutes is all) then remove and serve immediately or hold in a pre-warmed oven on a rack. (The chicken was cooked already sous vide, remember, so all you need to is get the color and crispness to your liking and you're go to go.)
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Thanks for the details. Sous vide fried chicken is something I’ve never heard of before but will definitely be trying soon! Really like the idea of the thorough doneness of the dark meat.
 
I wanted a sous vide but couldn't really justify the price for how much I'd be using it, sort of like a microwave that's best for reheating Chinese food. I ended up finding a 900w blutooth/wifi Anova being sold online for $50. Bought it with a clear conscience! Ive used it 4 times in the past 3 months, once for reheating pulled pork (perfect) and 3 times for cooking 2 inch thick pork chops (perfect). Best of luck in your decision.
 
BFletcher said:
I hope this doesn't constitute a hijack of Jeff's thread but for you sous vide experts what have you found to be the best tool(s) to keep your food submerged?
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I make sure all of the air is out and if it’s still not cooperating I use a plate.

I love using my anova, but I won’t use it for steaks. It doesn’t give me the texture I like and prefer from doing it on the grill or a pan. But for anything else it’s amazing, chicken, pork chops, whole lambs leg for thanksgiving! There’s some really fun things to do with it.
 

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I have had a Anova for three years and use it a couple times a month. Thick pork chops are my favorite which I finish in a Cast iron pad on the stove or on the griddle plate on my Weber gas grill. I have done several briskets with it and finishing ina smoker and they have turned out very good. Alton Brown and his Serious Ears site have a good article on sous vide and brisket which I have followed. I like the Bluetooth option because I can put frozen meat in the bath in the am before work and start it later in the afternoon from my phone. If we are late getting home the meal isn’t overcooked.
 
Mark H said:
They make pickling extremely easy. Brats come out perfect and infused alcohol is awesome.
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I need to hear more about sous vide brats, and why this is what you are doing, to eat or to pickle???.....but more importantly infused alcohol that needs the heat. I almost infused many times but heat is something new for me.....even a PM would be great.
 
I bought an Instant Pot Aura Pro (no pressure) slow cooker that has built in sous vide on an Amazon Treasure Truck sale but I yet to use it as its packed for my upcoming move to Idaho. I also have the wand type of sous vide that I have used extensively and it works really well. I once used it on tri tip steaks. One of the reason I love tri tip is it has a chew to it. After sous vide, its texture was like eating filet mignon or tenderloin. It was great but I missed the chew! Here's a link to the Instant Pot Aura Pro.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GB8C52S/?tag=tvwb-20
 
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