I bought a Sous Vide Cooker a little while back. Mostly for cooking fish, because I suk at cooking fish other than frying. I haven’t messed up a piece of fish since. It’s great for cooking about anything.
Just wondering if anyone else has been using one?
Swordfish
Salmon
Sheepshead
Pork Loin
Pork Loin
Remnants of a NY Strip
Never even heard of one until you started posting about it on FB, and I don’t consider myself kitchen ignorant. They do seem like a clever innovation. The grill marks and crispy/browned surface, is that done after the Sous Vide cooking? If not frying, I just cook most of my fish in the oven, or on a grill, at at 400 degrees for 15 or 20 minutes depending on thickness. Usually, a little olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper. You can use the same technique with fancy sauces, or keep it simple.
Pioneer 222 Sportfish
Yamaha 250
I know it’s simple, but I either end up with overcooked dry fish, or fish that’s rare in he middle because I’m scared I’m over cooking it. The one thing I like less than overcooked fish, is cooked fish that’s raw in the middle. I like to cook thick pieces of fish and I rarely “nail it”.
That’s why I like sous vide so much. The fish is done exactly the same from edge to edge. Moist, juicy, but firm. It won’t under cook, or overcook. It cooks it exactly how you set it. It’s almost bullet proof.
How do you know how long to cook it?
Pioneer 222 Sportfish
Yamaha 250
Part of the crazy part is you almost can’t overcook things. Since the water is set a certain temp, and never gets above that, what you’re cooking never get’s above the set temp, hence it never get’s overcooked. But, things cooked to long will begin to break down, like when you slow cook a pot roast for hours and it gets stringy tinder. I’ve seen recipes that cook a big chuck roast for 24hrs. It ends up rare and as tender as a filet. It’s a weird concept to wrap your head around, but it’s really cool.
I cooked the swordfish for 45 minutes, the salmon for 1 hour, sheepshead around 45 minutes. The pork roast was for 3 hours, NY Strip 2.5hrs. I’ve done burgers twice, cooked for an hour and they were the best burgers I’ve ever had.
Dam, I’m sold,where did you get yours and what brand was it?
quote:
Originally posted by smanDam, I’m sold,where did you get yours and what brand was it?
I wasn’t 1000% sold. I read a ton of reviews on Amazon about the different brands. The 2 biggest complaints were they quit working soon after purchase, or didn’t keep the desired temp. I didn’t want to deal with shipping one back, etc, so I got a basic one from Wal-Mart. $80 out the door. I figured if I didn’t like it, or it broke I’d take it back no questions asked. So far it’s been flawless. I also like that it’s all the way manual. The fancier ones have wifi, phone apps, passwords, blah blah blah. The thing only needs to do three things. Heat the water to the temp you want, keep it at that temp, for as long as you set it for.
You-tube and google sous vide cooking. It’s pretty amazing. I like to cook so it’s been really fun for me learning a new style of cooking!
This might give you a better idea about the one I’m using and how it works.
Salmon
Sheepshead
Sheepshead
NY Strip Prep
And if you’re into soft boiled eggs, which I love, and struggle to cook them. They come out perfectly every time. Cooked at 165-degrees for 12 minutes. Perfect every time!
Soft Boiled egg.
Thanks,cooking and eating is one of the few things I have left. I can’t burn them beer joints down like I used to.haha
I just picked one up at Sam’s… it was staring me in the face so I bit. Looks really good Hoppy. So on the top pix, you grilled/finished the stuff afterwards? for like 3 mins?
Capt. Garry Coats
Folly Beach & CHS
@DolphinChartersSC
I use this link a lot for cooking temps and times. It has a lot of good general sous vide info as well.
https://www.seriouseats.com/2015/06/food-lab-complete-guide-to-sous-vide-steak.html
So far, I’ve finished the salmon and sheepshead in a ripping hot nonstick skillet with a little olive oil. The swordfish I finished on a pretty hot cast iron grill pan. Steaks, burgers, and pork roast finished on the grill. Did stuffed pork chops and I finished them in a skillet
Pork Chops stuffed with cornbread and andouille sausage dressing. That was pretty dern good. Finished them in a skillet
Just out of the bag
just out of the bag
Finished Pork Chop
At what temp are you cooking the fish
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Originally posted by touchdownAt what temp are you cooking the fish
I’ve done them between 127 and 130
How do you do the grill marks and sear? Additional time on a hot grill or something?
BG
quote:
Originally posted by btodagHow do you do the grill marks and sear? Additional time on a hot grill or something?
So far, I’ve finished the salmon and sheepshead in a ripping hot nonstick skillet with a little olive oil. The swordfish I finished on a pretty hot cast iron grill pan. Steaks, burgers, and pork roast finished on the grill. Did stuffed pork chops and I finished them in a skillet
The sear is an important part of the process. Unless you’re doing sous vide vegatables
Thanks for posting this Hoppy, never heard of Sous Vide. After several searches on the internet and your delicious looking pictures, this is something I want to try. Sounds like the foods cooked this way are even more nutritious.
Thanks. Like I said, fish turns out perfect every time. Not over cooked and dry, or under cooked and raw. Moist and juicy side to side. It keeps meats juicy and makes them more tender. I hope you enjoy it!
This was my first “long cook” with my sous vide cooker. A 2.1# Eye of Round Beef Roast. A notoriously tough and dry cut. I cooked it at 129 degrees for 19 hours. It was tender, delicious, beefy, and between rare and medium rare. Almost fork tender, but not quite. Also a little drier than I hoped. Still, it was by far the best Eye of Round I’ve ever had. Had it with some Horsey Sauce. Bombaliscious! Not sure if next time I should decrease the cooking temp, or increase the cooking time. I’ll dial it in
Eye of Round Beef Roast