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Showing content with the highest reputation on 01/04/2015 in all areas

  1. We will sometimes take a frozen steak in a heat-safe vacuum bag, sous-vide it to (nearly the) desired internal temperature for an hour, then sear for a few minutes to finish. There have been frequent debates about sous-vide online (for instance eGullet) as to whether one can taste the difference searing first or last, and whether it matters. I'd say yes and no; it is what it is, so adjust. Searing first is simply ancient habit. There's no modern reason to stick to this order. One can still choose this order after rejecting the habit, but please make a free choice! Searing last is forced on users of chamber vacuum machines; one cannot vacuum process hot foods without damaging the machine. Coming up with an arcane rationalization for the virtues of searing last is every bit as silly as searing first out of ancient habit, if one is simply adapting to a technological limitation. Sous-vide then sear is convenient if one can easily rig the bath; an extra half hour hardly matters if life intervenes. For tougher cuts, an extended bath tenderizes in ways no other approach can match. I then save the liquid from the bag, dry the meat carefully, and sear. One can make a quick sauce based on reducing the liquid, or simply give it to the dog.
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