Sous Vide Cooking - A Game Changer in the Kitchen

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I was first introduced to the sous vide way of cooking during one of my visits to a local Starbucks. While waiting for my order I noticed some round quiche looking items in their display case. I asked the barista what they were and she told me they were sous vide egg bites. I had never heard the term "sous vide" before -- but they looked good and I was hungry, so I decided to try them. Needless to say they were delicious, moist and flavorful.

I decided to do more research on what exactly sous vide cooking was.

The term “Sous Vide” is french and literally translates to “under vacuum”. French chefs are known for vacuum sealing meats complete with marinades, herbs or spices that they then seal in a bag and drop into a large pot of water. There is no way to overcook meat in a sous vide cooker as the water never comes to a boil. It cooks the meat gradually from the inside out at a specific temperature set on the sous vide thermometer. Rare steaks cook at 130 degrees. They usually take 1-2 hours but you can leave them in as long as you want because the sous vide will never cook the meat to more than the designated temperature.

While it does takes longer to cook using the sous vide method, simply set the temperature, prepare the meat, in a sealed bag (I prefer the reuseable Stasher Bags) and walk away. Even if you get sidetracked and totally forget you are cooking in the sous vide, it will never overcook it. Here I am cooking a rib eye in a 1 gallon size Stasher Bag at 130 degrees for 2-5 hours, then I finish it on the cast iron pan. Perfectly cooked every time! I have even put a steak completely frozen in a Stasher bag and cooked it for 6-8 hours and it cooks perfect to rare at 130 degrees.

This sous vide method of cooking is also more sustainable, even if the sous vide method of cooking takes longer cooking times 3-12 hours depending on the cut of meat. There are many different studies that have shown that energy consumption using the sous vide method of cooking is still considerably lower that traditional forms of cooking like the stove or oven which use a higher energy output in a shorter amount of time.

Want to save water too? You can also reuse the water in the sous vide container for more than one time because the water does not get dirty or contaminated with the foods you cook in it. I do suggest you change the water after two uses. But instead of pouring the water down the sink use it to water your plants.

The Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker works great with lesser expensive cuts of meat that tend to be tough even when slow cooked over several hours in an oven at 275 degrees or crock pot. I tend to cook flank steak or brisket overnight and they come out moist and juicy every time. Simply finish these cuts the same way as steaks - finish on the grill or cast iron pan.

Cooking turkey breasts and chicken breasts in the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker is great too. Simply set the designated internal temperature for poultry, when the water reaches that temperature drop the breast into a silicone reusable bag with any seasonings you desire, drop into the water bath, and walk away. Once the cooking time has finished, I will remove the chicken or turkey breast from the silicone bag, transfer it with a bit of ghee or olive oil in the oven for 20 minutes, or on the grill to brown the outside.

Did you know that many high end steak houses use the sous vide cooking method. They will cook several steaks at the same time in a water bath at 130 degrees. Once the cut of meat is ordered it is then finished on their grill. Serves a perfect steak every time.

I absolutely love cooking with my Anova Precision Sous Vide Cooker. It even comes with a Bluetooth app. I can take any meat, poultry or fish, set the desired temperature and it cooks to perfection every time. I even used the Anova Precision Sous Vide cooker to make my holiday batch of Balsamic Fig Jam. Just last week I cooked a tuna steak to perfection.

For lazy weeknight dinners in this age of food prep and meal delivery services, I precook my meat in the sous vide, freeze it and then defrost when the mood strikes. This really saves me a lot of time in the kitchen. And, this way of cooking is less messy. Clean up is a breeze.

So next time you plan a dinner party and you are faced with preparing pork chops or even Chateaubriand, drop them into the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker, and focus on the rest of your meal, or maybe even sit on your patio with a nice glass of wine and relax. When your guests arrive take them out and finish them off on the grill or sear them in a cast iron pan right before serving. You will get rave reviews about your amazing cooking and your guests will think you worked all day in the kitchen.

Check out the Anova Precision Sous Vide Cooker here