The Basics of Sous Vide
Microwave Wattage & Usage
January 16, 2019
Prevent Cross-Contamination
January 18, 2019
What is Sous Vide?
Sous Vide is a method of cooking where ingredients are placed into a bag and then submerged into a water bath or combi oven and held at a specific temperature. It doesn’t sound glamorous, but the results prove otherwise. Once the food has reached the desired temperature it’s removed, seared or finished appropriately and then served.
Chefs love cooking Sous Vide because of the exceptional temperature control and uniformity. Food is cooked evenly without dry edges or rare centers. This is especially useful for cooking meats and seafood where precision and control is critical. The closed bag system creates a humid environment that effectively braises food leaving them moist and tender.
When vegetables are prepared via Sous Vide they retain more vitamins and nutrients without losing texture or taste.
Equipment Required
There are only a few pieces of equipment needed to cook sous vide cooking. A thermal immersion circulator, a vacuum sealer, and a large pot or container. The thermal immersion circulator consists of a circular pump, a heating element, a temperature probe, and control circuitry which measures and controls the temperature. This is inserted into a large pot of water and then set to a specific temperature. The pump draws water up, heats it and then returns it to the pot while simultaneously circulating the water to ensure the temperature is precise. The plastic bags prevents juices from entering the circulating water and keeps the moisture inside the bag.
TIP: For long or high-temperature recipes it's best to have an actual vacuum sealer to ensure the seal is more secure and so that water doesn’t enter the bag.
Temperature and Time
When cooking sous vide you will notice you have to cook food at a lower temperature for a longer period of time. That leads us to the question of whether or not this is safe. As many people know, any food held in the so-called temperature “danger zone” (between 40°F and 140°F) for more than two hours can present a risk of food-borne illness. However, this temperature range isn't set in stone, which means there is room to go above and below that. Harmful bacteria can’t grow above that temperature, and at around 135ºF, most bacteria will actually be destroyed after a few hours.
Since sous vide is more precise than traditional cooking methods it can be argued that it is safer than traditional methods. Many of the circulators will alert the user when you've entered the "danger zone" so you can adjust the temperature when that happens.
