Cooking Sous-Vide at Home

Presented by

Presenter: Mike OettingAdult Services Librarian

What We’ll CoverPresented by• What is it?• Why sous-vide?• History• Food safety• Equipment• Step-by-step

Pulled Pork Cooked

Sous-Vide

What is sous-vide food preparation?

Presented byLiteral translation: “under vacuum.”

Practical definition: cooking vacuum-sealed food in a temperature-controlled water bath.

Why cook using a water bath?

Presented byWater conducts heat 24 times as effectively as air*. • Example: oven vs. water at 200

° F• Ensures even heat distribution

by the end of the cooking cycle

* www.engineeringtoolbox.com/thermal-conductivity-d_429.html

Why cook sous-vide?

Presented by

• Convenience: cook while you’re at work• Can hit desired serving temperature every

single time (e.g. medium rare)• Can extend food’s time in water bath by

minutes or even hours without overcooking (e.g., to serve late dinner guests).

• Improved texture and flavor• Excellent consistency of results• Easy to feed a crowd** DC chefs prepared a nine course meal for 400 Hurricane Katrina evacuees in 2005 using sous-vide techniques.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/04/AR2005100400271_pf.html

A Brief History

Presented by1. France in the 1970s: Georges

Pralus and Bruno Goussalt2. Championed by Thomas Keller,

Heston Blumenthal, Grant Achatz and other innovative chefs since the mid 2000s.

A Brief History (Continued)

Presented by3. A few years ago, cooks at home

began to try sous-vide. The 2010 book Cooking for Geeks gives instructions for hacking a slow cooker.

4. In 2013 a kickstarter.com project for the $200 Sansaire Sous Vide Circulator attracts public attention for its low price.

popsci.com/article/gadgets/2014-going-be-best-year-yet-home-sous-vide

Today, sous-vide is making headlines in popular media…

Food Safety

Presented byThe temperature range between 40° F and 140° F is widely considered the danger zone for harmful bacterial growth in food.

However, food cooked at temperatures as low as 131°F can be safe if cooked long enough. This is key for sous-vide. Refer to time and temperature tables for details on safe cooking.

www.fda.gov/ucm/groups/fdagov-public/documents/image/ucm182777.gif

Equipment

Presented byVacuum sealer ($50 and up). FoodSaver is a popular brand.

Also consider the water displacement method using Ziploc freezer bags.

Equipment (Continued)

Presented byImmersion Circulator/Hot Water Bath• Anova ($200)• Sansaire ($200)• Nomiku ($300)• Sous Vide Supreme Demi

($330)• DIY using slow cooker and PID

temperature controller ($100-$150).

Equipment (Continued)

Presented byHot Water Vessel• Food-safe

polycarbonate container (Cambro is a popular brand)

• Large Stock Pot• Plastic Cooler:

16-20 quarts

Equipment (Continued)

Presented by

Accessories for Hot Water Vessel• Lid: with hole for circulator• Cling film: to stop evaporation• Ping-Pong balls floating on

water• Insulation for container:

helpful for long cooking times

Equipment (Continued)

Presented by

Optional: Butane Blow Torch• Iwatani (~$30)

makes a popular model used in the restaurant industry. Offers a quick way to sear food.

Fuel is readily available in Asian markets.

Sous-Vide Step-by-Step

Presented by1. Preparation

(marinades, rubs, aromatic herbs and

pre-searing)2. Vacuum sealing

Sous-Vide Step-by-Step (Continued)

Presented by3. Immerse bag in hot water bath. Refer

to Time and temperature tables*

* Excerpt of time and temperature table from: www.sousvidesupreme.com/en-us/sousvide_cookingtemperatures.htm

Sous-Vide Step-by-StepiOS App: Sous Vide Dash

$4.99 on App Store

Computes time and temperature needed to pasteurize food and reach desired level of doneness (e.g. medium rare).

Sous-Vide Step-by-Step (Continued)

5. When will you serve the food?

a) Immediatelyb) Within a couple of hoursc) Days from now

Sous-Vide Step-by-Step (Continued)

Presented bySearing: If serving immediately, you should sear the protein after blotting dry to create a Maillard reaction (browning). You can use a:• Cast iron skillet• Grill• Deep fryer• Butane torch

Sous-Vide Step-by-Step (Continued)

Presented byIf serving in the next couple of hours, you can hold the food in the hot water bath provided the temperature is above 131° F.

Great for groups, late arrivals at dinner parties, etc. Simply finish dish by searing as required.

Sous-Vide Step-by-Step (Continued)

Presented byIf you won’t be serving for days, rapid chilling in an ice bath is necessary prior to storage. We must get the food’s temperature down below 40° F quickly before placing in refrigerator or freezer.

Stored food can be reheated and finished as needed.

Closing Thought

Presented by''If you're patient, and you try different temperatures and different times, at some point you'll achieve a taste from the product that's better than it's ever tasted before. I'm not exaggerating….”“Under Pressure,” New York Times, August 14, 2005http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/s/sous_vide/index.htm

Chef Dan BarberBlue Hill RestaurantNew York City