A Practical Guide to Sous Vide
Sous vide master class notes
“You are quite right, according to the research papers I found, collagen begins dissolving into gelatin at 131°F (55°C). While I could be wrong, I suspect the reason Keller chooses 147°F is because the saturated fatty acid palmitic melts at 145°F (62.8°C). In beef and pork, roughly 60% of the saturated fat is palmitic. It takes higher temperatures (above 157°F {69.6°C}) to melt the saturated fatty acid stearic, which makes up 30-35% of the saturated fat in beef and pork. (The rest of the saturated fat, 5-10%, melts below 131°F {55°C}.) “
Auber PID settings
P: 26
I: 339 -> 0, as long as the food ramps up with the cooker
D: 334
Maillardizing wash (reducing sugar + alkali)
100g water
2 to 4g glucose syrup or corn syrup
0.25g baking soda
Eggs
- 148°, 75m — yolk set, whites runny
- 145°, 60m — yolks just runny, “a little too gelatin-like”
- Water must start at low temperature with eggs already in there to prevent overshoot
Fish
113F is recommended but is in “danger zone” — must be cooked + eaten <4 hrs from removing it from fridge/freezer.
Fish sterilization and worms
- Swordfish: 131°, 3h — tender, moist, could be a little more rare
- Tuna: 121° until center was 121° — aimed for 113° but overshot. Center was moist and tender, still could have been more rare
Beef
131° for tender meats, ~151° for braising, 125° for steak but sear first and cook <4 hrs
Why SV steak
On reducing fats
Concern is surface contamination — interior is already sterilized.
Beef cuts chart
- Flank steak: 134° for 24 hours, perfect
- To finish: dry meat, brush a thin layer of canola oil, blowtorch with blue tip 1/4″ from surface, keep the torch moving and slowly brown the surface
Chicken
Must sterilize interior, unlike beef
- Breast tenders: 146° for ~1 hour per A Practical Guide — tender but a little bit soggy?
- Add fresh herbs — permeates the entire breast
Lamb
- Rack of lamb: 132°, 20h — tender, moist, medium-rare, could be a little more tender? == note this is supposedly too long, lamb chops are already tender so you just need to bring them up to temp?
Pork
- Tenderloin, 140° for 1 hr (until center is 140 for 12 mins) – great, juicy
Vegetables
Must be 180°-190° to break down cell walls.
- Green beans: 185°, 30m — overcooked/too soft. blanching works better.
- Carrots, 185° for 1hr in butter — excellent
Fruits
- …
Dairy
- Caramelized yogurt: 170°, 24h — greek yogurt turns foie-gras like, good with honey, might try 180° for more caramelization?
Food safety
- <130°: must be cooked + eaten <4 hrs from removing it from fridge/freezer, since this temperature incubates pathogens. See also this table.
- >130°: core must remain at that temp for time according to this table
- Botulism notes and more… anaerobic environment must be cooked or kept under 36°.
- NathanM on interior/exterior sterilization
- Vacuum does not help kill bacteria
- Interior must reach 128 within 6 hrs
- Jaccard safety
Recipes
Info and forum discussions
Thread: Water baths and immersion circulators
Thread: Sous vide recipes and techniques
Post: NathanM’s general technique
Post: NathanM’s cooking times by thickness — but note he no longer recommends cooking >1°F higher than desired end temp
Post: NathanM on vacuum sealers
