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  #91   ^
Old Sun, Oct-18-09, 08:11
Nancy LC's Avatar
Nancy LC Nancy LC is offline
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Posts: 25,843
 
Plan: DDF
Stats: 202/185.4/179 Female 67
BF:
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Location: San Diego, CA
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I turned the turkey into turkey Thai curry. I just didn't care for the turkey at all! I'm not sure if it was Sous Vide that just concentrated the flavors too much, or if I'm just not liking turkey anymore. I went through a turkey craze years ago and ate a whole lot of it, but after that I kind of lost the love. So I'm planning to have a non-turkey thanksgiving at my house!
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  #92   ^
Old Sun, Oct-18-09, 08:27
bike2work bike2work is offline
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Posts: 4,536
 
Plan: Fung-inspired fasting
Stats: 336/000/160 Female 5' 9"
BF:
Progress: 191%
Location: Seattle metro area
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I'm ambivalent about turkey too. Once every 2 - 3 years is about right for me.

I'm going to try some pseudo-sous vide cooking today, without all the proper temperature controls. It just sounds like so much fun! I have several other thermometers. WF had chuck roast on sale for a good price so I bought a four-pounder to make a pot roast. Pot roast is supposed to be well-done anyway, so if I medium-rare doesn't happen I won't be upset. It won't be like ruining a steak.

I'll put a few seasonings and some fat in the bag, find time and temperatures from that doc you referenced, cook it longer to compensate for the lack of precise temperature controls, and then finish it in the oven or on the stove. Does that sound reasonable?
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  #93   ^
Old Sun, Oct-18-09, 08:31
Nancy LC's Avatar
Nancy LC Nancy LC is offline
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Posts: 25,843
 
Plan: DDF
Stats: 202/185.4/179 Female 67
BF:
Progress: 72%
Location: San Diego, CA
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I have a Polder thermometer that's similar to this:
http://www.amazon.com/Polder-Cookin...k/dp/B00004S4U0

That'd be ideal for DIY sous vide!

Cooking longer is ok. I just would be worried you can't get the temperature low enough. Even on my lowest setting on the stove top it seems like the water is just at a simmer. I don't know. Maybe it wouldn't get that hot if I didn't turn it up to start with. Hmmmm.... If you're cooking beef and the temperature is too high you might not want to cook longer.

I wonder if maybe the lowest setting on your oven might work?

Also, you can take the internal temperature. And because it's a roast, any bacteria is likely to be on the outside so just make sure the internal temperature gets to what you want, assuming you use ziploc bags, that shouldn't be too difficult. Although you generally want a longer cooking time for a chuck roast to break down the fibers.

Well, I'll be real interested to see how it turns out! I haven't done a roast yet!

Last edited by Nancy LC : Sun, Oct-18-09 at 08:38.
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  #94   ^
Old Sun, Oct-18-09, 08:42
Nancy LC's Avatar
Nancy LC Nancy LC is offline
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Posts: 25,843
 
Plan: DDF
Stats: 202/185.4/179 Female 67
BF:
Progress: 72%
Location: San Diego, CA
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I was just thinking about this stew recipe I have. Basically a lamb stew with a lemon-y sauce made from lemon and egg. It seems like it might be adaptable to sous vide. Perhaps I'd have to precook the lamb though, I'd probably like it to be well-done. Although egg curdling has to happen a little highish temperature, so it might be just fine for the lamb. I think there was some wine in this... so I might need to precook the lamb and wine stuff, at least get a sear on the lamb and cook off the alcohol from the wine.
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  #95   ^
Old Sun, Oct-18-09, 13:09
bike2work bike2work is offline
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Posts: 4,536
 
Plan: Fung-inspired fasting
Stats: 336/000/160 Female 5' 9"
BF:
Progress: 191%
Location: Seattle metro area
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Getting the temperature low enough is not a problem if you have a pot big enough. I just tested a sixteen quart pot of water for two hours and was able to maintain 132 - 134 degrees F. I have one burner that's electric which I think will be more constant and safer than gas. And with a 16 quart pot on it, I have it on "3" on the dial, I can go lower if need be.

I was restrained with the seasonings after your comments about flavors being intensified. I used salt, 4 whole peppercorns, 1 whole small dried red chile, 2 whole peeled garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of dried thyme and 1/2 teaspoon of fennel seed for four pounds of chuck. The chuck is well marbled and has a layer of fat on the outside too, so I left out the butter I was going to use. I hope I don't regret that.

The sous vide document says I need to do this pot roast for 24 - 48 hours! Holy moly! I guess it'll be chicken for dinner tonight. Hmmm ... maybe those thighs could go in the pot too.

The lamb stew sounds delicious. Avgolemono sauce is under-utilized. It's always so delicious I wonder why I don't do it more often.

ETA: After looking back at the doc, I realized that I forgot to cut the whole roast in half. I had to open it up again so I added the butter after all.

Last edited by bike2work : Sun, Oct-18-09 at 13:24.
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  #96   ^
Old Sun, Oct-18-09, 15:52
Nancy LC's Avatar
Nancy LC Nancy LC is offline
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Plan: DDF
Stats: 202/185.4/179 Female 67
BF:
Progress: 72%
Location: San Diego, CA
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Ohhhhh... you went for fresh garlic? That's one of things I was read can be a problem. You see, the garlic isn't going to cook at 130 so I think it's going to taste strongly of raw garlic. You are using a ziploc bag so you can always fish it out. Or perhaps you could precook the garlic?

I hope your roast turns out great!

At 130ish it'll be quite red inside. I was trying to think how to cook my pork shoulder roast. Maybe 140-145. I don't think anyone would care for pork at med. rare. I just stuck my 1/4 pork shoulder into the fridge to start defrosting. I should be ready for it in a few day.

I'm getting a little frustrated trying to get duck! In the past my market would order it for me but they won't now. Grrrr! I guess I'll have to go to the Asian market. Maybe while I'm there I will buy some pork belly too!
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  #97   ^
Old Sun, Oct-18-09, 16:47
bike2work bike2work is offline
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Posts: 4,536
 
Plan: Fung-inspired fasting
Stats: 336/000/160 Female 5' 9"
BF:
Progress: 191%
Location: Seattle metro area
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I turned on an adjacent burner and accidentally got it up to 140 F. My attempts to cool it off gently have failed and it's been at 140 for an hour now. <sigh> Good thing I chose pot roast; I don't expect medium-rare when I think of pot roast.

It's hard to grasp that after cooking 24 - 48 hours the garlic will still be raw. I'll take your word for it, though. The flavor can't have permeated too much at this point since I left it whole. Garlic powder tastes "off" to me. I'll go with sauteeing it.
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  #98   ^
Old Sun, Oct-18-09, 17:24
Nancy LC's Avatar
Nancy LC Nancy LC is offline
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Posts: 25,843
 
Plan: DDF
Stats: 202/185.4/179 Female 67
BF:
Progress: 72%
Location: San Diego, CA
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Yeah, veggies really need to be cooked around 180 to soften and mellow. I was thinking about maybe baking a head of garlic and separating out the cloves and freezing them. Then they'd be ready to pop in. Meat has a lot of enzymes at work breaking it down (decaying it etc) but veggies not so much.

Hey, could you add some cool water to your bath? You could always take out some of the hot and add some cold. Stir it a bit. Or take your pot off the burner for a while.

But it seems like 140 is a pretty good temperature for a roast, maybe even a little higher.
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  #99   ^
Old Sun, Oct-18-09, 18:51
Nancy LC's Avatar
Nancy LC Nancy LC is offline
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Posts: 25,843
 
Plan: DDF
Stats: 202/185.4/179 Female 67
BF:
Progress: 72%
Location: San Diego, CA
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I think I've perfected custard! 155, ceramic bowl upside down on the bottom so the eggs won't be in direct contact with the hottest part. Then a plate on top to keep the bag submerged. I mix it up in the blender, pour it into a regular ziploc bag, try to remove as much air as possible. Other than coming out a bit salt due to the sort of butter I used, and not quite lemony enough, the texture is just about perfect.
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  #100   ^
Old Sun, Oct-18-09, 19:02
Nancy LC's Avatar
Nancy LC Nancy LC is offline
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Posts: 25,843
 
Plan: DDF
Stats: 202/185.4/179 Female 67
BF:
Progress: 72%
Location: San Diego, CA
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This is a good thread, gets better as it goes along.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php...nt/page__st__30

Not for you and me but...
Quote:
caramelized yoghurt--drain yoghurt and season lightly
when thick place in a bag and seal
cook 170 degrees for 24 hours
yoghurt caramelizes and breaks a little bit
puree in blender with spoonful of uncooked yoghurt

uses: panna cotta, vinaigrette, chaud froid, dressings, marinade, glazes, bisquits basically anything you want


Quote:
One aspect of sous vide cooking we have not discussed is the difficulty of maintaining very low heat on a gas burner for any length of time, especially without a simmer burner. I have recently solved that problem by buying an induction cook top.


Quote:
One of my favorites is making carrot puree sous vide. Just some carrots,honey,cardomom,butter,salt and pepper; cook until very tender in the bag(in a pot of water) and puree in a blender with a little cream.

Last edited by Nancy LC : Sun, Oct-18-09 at 19:45.
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  #101   ^
Old Mon, Oct-19-09, 08:01
Nancy LC's Avatar
Nancy LC Nancy LC is offline
Experimenter
Posts: 25,843
 
Plan: DDF
Stats: 202/185.4/179 Female 67
BF:
Progress: 72%
Location: San Diego, CA
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How's the manual sous vide coming? Don't forget to add water! I've heard of people letting them go dry accidently.

I gave my cat a SV egg this morning, he loves it!

Oh! Just scarfed down two SV eggs myself and thought how nice they would be to take to work. You could just make them ahead of time then before you eat them, drop them in a cup of hot water for awhile and heat them back up again.

Last edited by Nancy LC : Mon, Oct-19-09 at 08:59.
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  #102   ^
Old Mon, Oct-19-09, 09:11
capmikee's Avatar
capmikee capmikee is offline
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Posts: 5,160
 
Plan: Weston A. Price, GFCF
Stats: 165/133/132 Male 5' 5"
BF:?/12.7%/?
Progress: 97%
Location: Philadelphia
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We have an induction cooktop!

I often use it for stock and it is really very good at maintaining a low temperature for long periods of time. Plus, it's extremely safe - nothing gets hot but the pot and the food.
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  #103   ^
Old Mon, Oct-19-09, 09:45
bike2work bike2work is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 4,536
 
Plan: Fung-inspired fasting
Stats: 336/000/160 Female 5' 9"
BF:
Progress: 191%
Location: Seattle metro area
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The manual sous vide heard you last night, Nancy, and without any intervention on my part settled on 144 F. It's been there for over 15 hours. I'm surprised at how steady the temp is -- I can't resist looking every 30 minutes. I think it's the enormous stockpot that's stabilized the temp. Adding water is easy because the hot water from the faucet seems to come out at the same temperature. Which makes me think that the water heater could be a big sous vide bath .... Don't worry, I won't try it.

I need to decide how long to cook the pot roast. The guidelines were 131 F for 24 - 48 hours. Oh ... since I had to cut it in half (the guide from colorado.edu said to) I could take half out today and put the other half back. Maybe I'll do that.
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  #104   ^
Old Mon, Oct-19-09, 09:46
bike2work bike2work is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 4,536
 
Plan: Fung-inspired fasting
Stats: 336/000/160 Female 5' 9"
BF:
Progress: 191%
Location: Seattle metro area
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by capmikee
We have an induction cooktop!

I often use it for stock and it is really very good at maintaining a low temperature for long periods of time. Plus, it's extremely safe - nothing gets hot but the pot and the food.

And easy to wipe clean, from the looks of it.
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  #105   ^
Old Mon, Oct-19-09, 09:50
Nancy LC's Avatar
Nancy LC Nancy LC is offline
Experimenter
Posts: 25,843
 
Plan: DDF
Stats: 202/185.4/179 Female 67
BF:
Progress: 72%
Location: San Diego, CA
Default

Hey, if you raise the heat just a tiny bit you could make those coddled eggs I love so much. 148 for 45 minutes. Maybe they'd be fine at 144.

I'm glad to learn about induction cooktops because I might just do that for my next range. My current one is 13 years old.
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