Sous Vide

[Geor!]

I've never had sous vide cooking, but really don't see the appeal. I've seen it utilized on various shows and praised, but essentially, you're boiling in a bag. Shocking.

[YALE]

I've never had sous vide cooking, but really don't see the appeal. I've seen it utilized on various shows and praised, but essentially, you're boiling in a bag. Shocking.

Nope.

[Geor!]

Nope.

Simmering? Bathing in lukewarm water? Whatr?

[8mpg]

I've never had sous vide cooking, but really don't see the appeal. I've seen it utilized on various shows and praised, but essentially, you're boiling in a bag. Shocking.

There is a lot of appeal...

1. You cant overcook the food
2. You can cook meats for a very long time (see my 72 hour short ribs) that will allow fats and collagen to break down
3. You can PRECISELY smoke foods using the Alton Brown method and a sous vide
4. You can perfectly cook eggs. Custards are much better off this way
5. You can cook a big batch and leave it until its ready like catering but it will still be cooked correctly 5 hours later

You cant knock it until you try it. Id put my home made steak against yours any day.

[bcoop]

That shit looks great to me! Which steakhouses cook their steaks this way?

You're much more likely to find it in steakhouses in hotels, for reason #5 in Tim's post. Also, banquet type food. Where they are feeding a shitload of people at once. There is an upward trend of sous vide becoming more common. And from an operation standpoint, it's only logical. Continued technology development in equipment has made it more feasible, they gain much greater control in consistency, and keep labor costs down because anyone can do it if they have a proper Chef in control.

[YALE]

Simmering? Bathing in lukewarm water? Whatr?

Protein denaturation by heat.

[AdamLX]

Thomas Keller is a world known chef that uses sous vide

I got lucky and he was at French Laundry when I got in two years ago.

[Geor!]

I got lucky and he was at French Laundry when I got in two years ago.

Don't you have to get in by lottery, basically? And they choose the date for you as well? I'm not sure what pricing is like there as I've never looked into it, but I would expect something over $500 for two?

[BMCSean]

I got lucky enough to find out Chick-fil-A will do nuggets sous vide if you call ahead....

[AdamLX]

Don't you have to get in by lottery, basically? And they choose the date for you as well? I'm not sure what pricing is like there as I've never looked into it, but I would expect something over $500 for two?

It's the biggest pain in the ass to get reservations. The reservations are done 60 days out at a precise time and are basically booked within seconds of being available. The menu is a nine course prix fixe that changes daily. It's $270 per person which includes tip. It's ridiculous, but worth it for the culinary experience if you're into that stuff.

[YALE]

I'd like to add, before anyone gets too worried about it, that sous vide is a perfectly safe process. 56* can kill beef pathogens in as little as 5 minutes, so while it looks like it isn't a very high temperature, after an extended period, there should be absolutely nothing alive in there.