The advantages of sous vide
The sous vide cooking technique has been used for some time in the catering industry, mainly by (star) chefs. One of the main reasons that the cooking technique is now also used by hobby cooks, is the drop in price of sous vide equipment. Now the equipment is affordable and easy to obtain. Therefore, in this blog we are going to take a closer look at the biggest advantages of sous vide cooking. In addition, we will compare the cooking technique with the traditional cooking methods.
Traditional cooking methods
By the traditional ways of cooking we mean cooking the products in an oven or a pan. Heating the pan with gas, an induction hob or a ceramic hob makes no difference. In traditional cooking, the food is cooked by means of a heat source that heats the pan. The food is then heated by the pan. When you use an oven, the air around the food is heated. The pan or the air is much hotter than we want it to be. In fact, much too hot; if the food is left to lie around for too long, it will burn...
By traditional cooking techniques is meant the following techniques:
- Baking or searing
- Steaming
- Simmering
- Stevens
- Roast
- Braising
- Boiling or blanching
- Candying
- Poaching
- Wokken
Preparation temperature
The temperature in traditional cooking methods is often too high. This makes it difficult to determine when the product is perfectly cooked, because it cooks very quickly at a high temperature. If you take it out of the pan or oven too soon, the product is still raw, but if you take it out of the pan or oven too late, it is overcooked. In the traditional way of cooking, chicken breast is cooked in the oven at, say, 200℃ for twenty minutes. However, this temperature is way too high. Chicken is cooked at a minimum temperature of about 60℃. So, the chicken breast is cooked in the oven on a temperature which is more than three times higher.
Preparing at the core temperature
Sous vide cooking is the perfect solution. With sous vide cooking, the product is cooked through the heat transferred by the water. Because you can set the temperature very precisely, the food cooks exactly as you want it.
You want a steak rare? 51 degrees. I prefer it medium-rare: 61 degrees. Well done? Sixty-seven degrees.
The time is less important here. Depending on the thickness, a certain time is chosen, as the heat must have enough time to reach the core of the product and convert the proteins. After the minimum cooking time has passed, the food can remain in the water bath until the rest of the dish is ready. Even then, you still have a perfect cuisson.
The 8 biggest advantages of sous vide
- Constant result
With sous vide, the temperature is constant, so the food is cooked exactly at the temperature you want, every time. - You determine the result yourself
The temperature can be set to the exact degree, allowing you to determine exactly how you want your food to cook. - Prepare larger quantities at once
Want to cook 6 steaks at the same time? With sous vide cooking that's no problem at all. And with a larger pan you can even cook for 20 people at the same time! - More tasteful food
Thanks to sous vide cooking, your food will be more tasty. Meat remains extremely tender. Fish stays juicy. Vegetables keep their nice bite. - Healthier
Because the products are packed airtight, nutrients and vitamins are preserved. This way you eat healthier. - Simple
Anyone can cook sous vide, from home cook to chef. Knowledge in the field of cooking is a plus, but certainly not a must. - Effortless
Simply season or marinate, then wrap, and let cook. While your product is cooking sous vide, you don't have to worry about it. Easy right? - Culinary
Put the most tasteful dishes on the table. Products which are normally difficult to cook (asparagus, hareback, etc.) are now transformed into culinary delights.
Because the temperature never exceeds a certain temperature, the proteins in the product cannot be converted any further and the product does not continue to cook. In short: sous vide cooking is easy, takes less effort and the result is better!
I cooked salmon at 52 degrees in the sous vide and served it immediately but guests don't find the salmon hot enough to eat. The salmon is lukewarm compared to the other items on the plate which are hot. That's logical, because the salmon is only 52 degrees. So you can't serve the salmon hotter without changing the texture?
For example, can I sous-vide the leg of lamb beforehand and then reheat it on the day itself until it reaches the right temperature?
Hi Nicolette, you certainly can. I have described below how to do it exactly.
Regeneration
Regenerating or reheating sous vide products can be done in different ways. Below 2 of those ways are highlighted:
1. Turn on the sous vide appliance and heat the vacuum packed products in the sous vide container to a temperature of +/- 50 degrees. The product has already been prepared sous vide and only needs to be warmed up, so this low temperature is sufficient. It depends on the product how long it needs to regenerate. The advantage of sous vide is that the product never becomes overcooked because of the constant low temperature. Of course you can also use the exact temperature at which the product was cooked.
2. Preheat the oven to 120 degrees. Remove the products from the vacuum packaging and place them in the preheated oven. It is important that the oven is not too hot to prevent the products from overcooking. The advantage of the oven is that the product heats up quickly, but the disadvantage remains that the product overcooks more quickly.
When cooking my last portion of goulash meat, there appeared to be a small tear in the bag. The water in the container was turning all brown - not ideal for hygiene. I suspect the crack occurred when I lifted the bag out of the 64 degrees C hot water to release an air bubble. It sometimes happens that bags float when gases are released from the meat. And when the bag floats, the contents are no longer heated from all sides...
On the site of Anova, I saw that people used a peg to attach the bag to the edge of a pan. Maybe that's a good way to let the air escape? Would that also work for a souvy pan?
Hi, Paul,
What a pity to hear that the sous vide cooking of the goulash did not go perfectly well. Despite the fact that our sous vide bags are extra sturdy, it can sometimes happen that a tear appears in the bag. To prevent the bags from floating you could think of weighting them down by putting a spoon or something similar in the bag. The pegs can indeed be used to let air escape and prevent water getting into the sous vide bag if it is not closed properly and completely.
It is possible to use pegs on the sous vide container, however this means that you will have to remove the lid, which makes heating the water less efficient. To avoid the use of pegs it is also possible to vacuum pack the meat. I would recommend this for example if you plan to cook spare ribs for 24 hours.
If you have any other questions, please let me know!