25 Sous Vide Recipes to Try ASAP (2024)

FAQs

What should I try first with sous vide? ›

Steak is held up as the best example of just what sous vide can do, so it's probably one of the things that you'll want to try first. It's heartbreaking when you leave an expensive piece of steak just a little bit too long and wind up making it tough and dry, but thankfully, sous vide takes away all the guesswork.

Produce that no longer looks completely fresh or already smells strange is, of course, no longer suitable for the sous vide procedure. This particularly applies to fish and meat that is cooked at relatively low temperatures.

Stay Out of the Danger Zone

The biggest concern, especially with sous vide, is food shouldn't be out of the refrigerator at temperatures below 127°F (52.8°C) for more than 3 or 4 hours.

He doesn't seem to be an especially outspoken proponent of sous vide cooking, possibly due to a long-ago scandal where patrons of his restaurants felt cheated when they found out that their meals had been prepared in advance and heated up via this "boil in a bag" technique, but he does have a pretty dramatic method for ...

Ziplock and Glad brand bags are made from polyethylene plastic, and are free of BPAs and dioxins. A good rule of thumb is that when a bag is rated as microwave safe (which requires FDA approval) you can use it for sous vide. Even Dr. Schaffner agrees.

Tough Cuts of Meat

Prepare the meat with generous salt and any other desired seasonings, then cook for a long time at a low temperature. The best meat to sous vide for 48-72 hours at 135°F (57°C) is beef brisket, while pork shoulder can be cooked between 24-36 hours at 165°F (74°C).

The sous vide method is perfect for almost any cut of steak, whether you decide to go for a classic ribeye or opt for a chunky porterhouse. However, it is important to note that you should choose a cut of meat that is 1 to 2 inches in thickness for the best results.

Because of the relatively low temperatures used in sous vide, one major consideration is the Danger Zone. The 'Danger Zone' is a range of temperatures where bacteria particularly thrive and multiply. It's generally defined as 40F to 140 F, or 4.4C to 60C .

Risks. Sous vide products are exposed to the same risks as other foods during preparation, cooking, cooling and reheating. Risks that could lead to food poisoning include: food held in the temperature danger zone (5°C–60°C) for long periods could allow harmful bacteria to grow.

What is the best protein to sous vide? ›

Meats are particularly well suited to sous vide cooking, especially beef, pork, lamb, chicken, and duck.

With enough time, most food pathogens are killed at 130°F/54.5°C, according to the FDA and Baldwin. For our sous vide recipes, this is our magic number. We cook almost everything either at or above that temperature.

For example, many chefs recommend that sous vide steak should not be cooked for longer than four hours because the connective tissue begins to break down and the steak can become mushy. If the recipe says to cook something for between one and four hours, it's probably not recommended to cook it for 12.

Rare sous vide steak (120°F/49°C): Your meat is still nearly raw. Muscle proteins have not started to contract much and will have a slippery, wet texture. Chewier cuts, like hanger or flap meat, will be particularly tough at this stage. Fat has not yet started to render, so fattier cuts will have a waxy texture.

The best meat to sous vide for 48-72 hours at 135°F (57°C) is beef brisket, while pork shoulder can be cooked between 24-36 hours at 165°F (74°C). Results are always tender and juicy, making for perfect leftovers in sandwiches, tacos, or any other dish calling for shredded meat.

Sous vide is a great cooking method but it's a one trick pony. If you want to cook a piece of meat to an exact internal temperature, perfectly, sous vide is the best method. A long slow soak in a sous vide bath will transform a tough piece of meat into a hunk of tenderness as well, but that's all sous vide is good for.

When to Sear After Sous Vide. If you want good flavor and crust on your food, you will always want to sear it when it is done cooking. Even if you do a pre-sear, the crust itself will go away and can only be established by searing it after the sous vide process is over.