For you texture people, you have to try turkey breast. If you think chicken is weird in the sous vide, turkey comes out like an alien material.
Wow on the salmon. Really buttery. Went at 117 and it was in there for probably 90+ minutes (timer was for 45 but was doing other stuff before I got to it).
Just salted and peppered 2-inch filet mignon for dinner tonight. I like it medium-rare, so I’m thinking 129 for 2 hours. Any advice? I’ve also got a small creme brûlée butane torch that I may try to use while searing in my cast iron skillet to see how that goes.
If it's your first time skip the torch. 129 for 2 hours is perfect (although I usually use ribeyes, not filet). Make sure the steak is very dry after coming out of the bag - just pat it with some paper towel until dry. Get the cast iron pan really, really, really hot. Like as hot as you can before putting the steak on. Don't use olive oil - use an oil with a higher smoke point so it gets hotter. Add the steak, count to 15 and flip it. It can help to move it around the pan while flat as you do this. Count to 15 and flip it. Add thyme and butter and count to 15 while spooning the melted butter over the stop of the steak on an angle, flip it and count to 15 while spooning. At this point you should see a nice dark char. Then put it on its sides for around 10-20 seconds as you move it around the sides to char the sides. That's it.
Screwed up and put chicken breast in late. What’s the least amount of time at 145? It’s pretty thick and close to 1 lbs. The sous vide guides only have it broke down at 140 and 150.
Just did a grass fed (read: expensive) bone in ribeye. Came out hard and chewy despite looking like the correct color - it was incredibly lean for a ribeye, so I think fat is important.
That makes sense. Grass fed isn't more expensive because it gives a higher quality product. It is more expensive because grass doesn't build as much fat on the cow and the timeline from calf to slaughter is longer so more money is tied up. Because there is less fat, grass fed beef doesn't marble as well as grain fed. The reason people rationalize it is because grass is a more natural diet for cows and some people care just like some people are vegetarian, vegan, etc.
I ended up doing an hour at 145 and 30 minutes at 150. That was the best chicken breast I’ve had since the first time I did it sous vide. I think I’m finally getting the searing down. Like others have said, I think the quality of chicken breast makes a big difference. This was from the deli opposed to chicken from Costco that a froze which turned out rubbery.
Filet turned out really well tonight. Tasted as good as any restaurant filet I’ve had. Only thing I want to improve is getting a little more crust. I was afraid to overcook the center by searing too long, and didn’t get it as crispy as I wanted. Think I’ll try the creme brûlée torch next time. My wife made some fantastic mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli in the instant pot as well. Spoiler
My family split a grass fed cow with another family back in the summer. I was pretty excited to get some quality meat, but I was pretty disappointed with it. Every cut tastes gamey/grassy which isn’t a flavor I want in my steaks. I don’t think we’ll be doing it again.
Huge bone in chicken breasts came out perfect tonight.... 145 for 3 hours. My pollo tango continues...
The last few times I've done steaks I've done them at 125 for about an hour and a half. For searing, I've been doing cast iron on the grill as hot as it can get. It gets hotter than the range, plus it keeps the smoke outside. However it's still not giving me the sear/char that I want.
How long do you guys let the steak rest before/after the sear? Still waiting on this damn container to get here so just been researching this thread and watching YouTube until it arrives.
Do you pat it dry before searing? Not sure what the issue might be for you.... it’s not going to get “black/burnt”. Should be dark brown though.
This is actually really important. Seems like a little thing but it does make a big difference. Also, moving the steak around while searing like they show in the Joule/Serious Eats video makes a big difference.
Think of it this way; if your steak is not dry, any moisture has a max temp of 100C and then boils off which uses a lot of energy to convert the water to a gas, which cools the surface. So even if your pan or grill is super hot, any moisture between the pan and the steak limits the max temp. The more dry you can make the steak the hotter the sear can get. I made this mistake several times before I figured it out.
All encompassing inferior product at a premium price. I do the same with gluten free products as well because I don’t have celiac.
all this chicken talk made me do a few big breasts. 140 for 2. seared and ate the first one for lunch. moister than any other chicken i've had. sliced the other 3 up and simmered in a fajita sauce for lunch for a few days. tried a little after simmer and was fantastic. good stuff
Made some Apple Butter Pork Loin yesterday, was fantastic: Coated in salt/pepper and a generous amount of apple butter from Cracker Barrell, but in the bath at 145 for 2 hours. Seared off on the grill.
I did some wings last night (no pictures because I’m a bad person). 2 hours at 147.2 then flash fried them for 4 min at 350. It’s such a great way to do wings, the meat is super tender and juicy but the skin gets crispy.
Tried a skirt steak. The temp was fine obviously but 90 minutes or so wasn't enough time to break it down to make it any more tender than you'd expect from a tougher cut. I think it would need more time. Still good tho.
Finally bought one this week and tried my hand at two good sized pieces of salmon. Probably the best piece of salmon I've ever had.
Bought two 2" ribeyes today. Cooked them for two hours at 129. Incredible. Had already eaten most of my vegetables when I thought of taking the last picture.
I'd say my favorite was a Tuscan spice mixture I found online. But literally salt and pepper does the trick if nothing else. Always tender and perfect.
I do a teriyaki one that we love but I put my teriyaki marinade on fucking everything and it’s amazing. Equal parts olive oil, white wine, and soy sauce. Minced ginger and garlic. Dried basil and crushed red pepper. Great on pork, chicken, fish, steak, anything.
So I think the quality of the chicken breast and maybe how long it has been in the freezer may come into play? I had some Publix brand (that I’ve had turn our great plenty of times) that was in the freezer for 4 nights turn out pretty damn rubbery. Last night made some Tyson brand chicken for the first time and put it straight from the package into the bag and into the bath and it was one of the best turnouts I’ve had. Both were pretty thick breasts 2hr @140
I’ve noticed this with chicken and steak now. If the meat has been frozen it’s not great, which sucks if you’re trying to buy it in bulk.
I definitely think there are two dependencies on whole frozen meat thing. Quality of the meat first, and second the manner in which it was frozen. My wife has the theory that the meat tastes better when it fully thaws out. I don't buy that personally though.
I freeze chicken breast regularly and usually they turn out fine, obviously the longer the freeze the higher the risk. I never fully thaw, I put it in the bath frozen and add an extra hour