While I prefer kitchen spontaneity and am generally turned off by ultra-precise cooking techniques, the promise of perfectly cooked brisket and lamb was too much to resist.
I've been keeping an eye on ebay and recently found myself a water bath for $50. According to UPS, I'll have it one Thursday. I can only say that Alla does not share my excitement about a new kitchen toy. In fact, I've promised to get rid of our unused bread machine in order to make room for the water bath.
The only component that remains is the bagging. With Grant Achatz's reassurance that I don't need a vacuum sealer to cook Sous Vide (see here), I proceeded to plan the following first try Sous Vide dinner as I did my weekly grocery shopping at Andersons. My intention for now is to use Ziploc freezer bags.I got all of my cooking times and temperatures from Nathan Myrvold's cooking tables in this egullet thread as well as Douglas Baldwin's Sous Vide Guide. Another excellent resource for Sous Vide info and techniques is this article by Dave Arnold of the French Culinary Institute.
The recipes, for better are worse, are my own improvisations with what I had in front of me at the grocery store. I'll post a followup with how things turned out at the end of the week.
The recipes, for better are worse, are my own improvisations with what I had in front of me at the grocery store. I'll post a followup with how things turned out at the end of the week.
The plan is as follows:
- 24 Hour Brisket
- Sous Vide radishes, potatoes, and asparagus
- Pears poached in cassis and balsamic vinegar
(1) 24 hour Brisket
The promise of perfectly cooked proteins was my reason for trying sous vide. Considering that brisket is one of my favorite cuts of red meat (with Lamb shoulder coming in a close second), it was an obvious choice for a first foray into sous vide cooking. Prep is simple: season with salt and pepper, 24 hours at 135 (medium rare), then sear in a smoking hot pan. Slice, and serve.
(2) Mixed Vegetables
Because the starches in fruits and vegetables require higher temperatures to break down than the collagen in meat, I plan to cook the veggies and pears the day before. After they are done, I'll try a few and chill the rest in an ice bath and refrigerated until we are ready to eat the beef the next day.
My idea here is simple, I will sous vide the vegetables in individual pouches for 2 hours at 183 F in salt, pepper, herbs de Provence and some Irish Butter. Toss everything together later and serve as a side.
No frills here, just looking to see what the process does to starches and cell walls. In theory, the results should be interesting because while 183 F is hot enough to break down starches, it is insufficient to denature pectins. We'll see.
(3) Pears poached in cassis and balsamic vinegar.
If I'm trying vegetables, its only reasonable (and almost no extra work) to poach some fruit as well.
My family has grown black currants since we've owned houses here in the States. Most years, we also made preserves from the berries. Their flavor remains one of my favorites.
When I first tried cassis, my impression was that it would go very well with an acid for highlighting veggies or fruit. The plan here per this suggestion is 3 hours at 167 F.
Posts
