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Not sure where else to post it, but this edX course looks very interesting, at least for an untrained home cook like myself. And the Advisor/Expert list reads like a who's who of awesome.
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Sep 29, 2013 18:50
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One more question about sous vide. I'm enjoying the heck out of things I've made with it, but I think I'm limiting myself. For example, tonight I'm cooking the barbecue pork chops off serious eats. The temp is 140 and will be there for about 4 hours. For sides I'm planning on some veg and a starch like sweet potatoes. It seems limiting that I'm just using the sous vide cooler for the pork chops. Would I be able to throw in a bag of slice zucchini seasoned with s/p and another bag with the sweet potato in it? The temps would probably have to be different though, as I think I read you should do veg at 190. I think my problem is that I'm thinking of it as a one-pot wonder, which maybe isn't its intention? Instead it's good at doing one thing excellent at a time? Which leads to another question:pre-cooking in advance. I swear I've read on some websites that they will take some steaks, cook at 130 for a few Hours, then freeze until ready to use. Once ready, thaw to room temp and a quick sear and they are good to go. Am I misreading that or is that a good way to go? Will it affect the taste? Man, we really need a sous vide thread done by someone more knowledgeable than myself!
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Sep 29, 2013 19:27
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You're reading that right. We routinely cook a giant batch of things at once and freeze what I don't need. Since it's already vacuum sealed, freezing is simple and there's no perceptible texture loss (for me). The key is to limit the time in the danger zone as much as possible. Fill up another container with a couple quarts of cold water and ice, and drop your food to be frozen in there for about 30 minutes. Having all that cold fluid up against the bags will very quickly bring the temperature down, and you can drop everything in your freezer at that point to finish off. When you're ready to reanimate, remember everything is already "cooked" and you're just thawing. The rule of thumb is that things need to be at least 120 for it to not feel cold in your mouth. I usually put it in a puddle around 120-130 for 40-50 minutes for normal size steaks & chops. Then cut the bags, sear and serve as normal.
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Sep 29, 2013 19:55
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Every time sous vide comes up I keep pimping the $100 Dorkfood device because it's cheap enough that you can buy two and get your meat and veggies going the same day.
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Sep 29, 2013 19:56
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Steve did you say you were going to write up a SV thread this weekend or should I put together an outline?
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Sep 29, 2013 20:01
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Hed posted:Steve did you say you were going to write up a SV thread this weekend or should I put together an outline? I said I would if nobody more knowledgable volunteered. If you want to, go for it
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Sep 29, 2013 20:03
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deimos posted:Not sure where else to post it, but this edX course looks very interesting, at least for an untrained home cook like myself. Thanks for posting this! Signed up. Looks cool. Would be nice if they provided a list of necessary materials though. I'm guessing I don't have most of the fancy powders I'll need.
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Sep 29, 2013 20:15
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Goon posted:Thanks for posting this! Signed up. Looks cool. Would be nice if they provided a list of necessary materials though. I'm guessing I don't have most of the fancy powders I'll need. I think it's because it's more theory than practice, at least that's how it reads.
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Sep 29, 2013 20:39
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What's the difference between cooking a meat for say 2 hours vs 4 hours vs 24 hours? I mean it's all going to hit that magical temperature at the same time no matter how long you keep it there so why not just do it the minimum time?
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Sep 29, 2013 20:52
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Certain meats (typically tough meats) contain a lot of connective tissue. Connective tissue contains collagen. When you slow cook tough meats, the collagen fibers unravel and become gelatin, which is soft and gives the rest of your foods a very pleasing texture. This is not something that can be rushed, so you can't turn up the heat and convert the collagen into gelatin any faster without overcooking the muscle. Now if you're talking about meats without connective tissue (steaks), then yeah there's not any benefit to sticking it in SV any longer than necessary, but it is convenient in some cases to know that you can pull your food out later than intended and not worry about it being any worse. For example, if you have guests who are arriving late. Steve Yun fucked around with this message at 21:05 on Sep 29, 2013 |
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Sep 29, 2013 21:02
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Technically you can rush it, pressure cookers can break down collagen in as little as 35 minutes, but it will change the flavor, and more importantly the texture, of the meat. Pork Ribs cooked 7 hours @75°C will be flaky. 48 hours @65°C will be soft enough to cut with a fork and 48-72 hours @60°C will retain much more of the "normal" texture while breaking down the collagen and tasting exquisite. Essentially the breakdown occurs at (IIRC) 74°C, but most reactions like this also occur but much slower at lower temperatures. The lower the temp the less cooked the meat and the better (IMHO) the texture and flavor. The tougher and more used (by the animal) a cut of meat is the more it benefits from slow and low. Chuck steak is another cut that benefits from slow and low, but you only need ~24hr for medium rare instead of multiple days.
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Sep 29, 2013 22:11
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deimos posted:I think it's because it's more theory than practice, at least that's how it reads. Oh my, I just found a series of seminars that the course is based on: http://www.seas.harvard.edu/cooking I would go to every single one of those.
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Sep 29, 2013 23:28
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deimos posted:Not sure where else to post it, but this edX course looks very interesting, at least for an untrained home cook like myself. yeah that looks pretty awesome if you wanna learn some technique though, just read read read. I keep cooking books/magazines on the shitter and probably make it through 10-15 pages a day. there are tons of fun videos on youtube, and excellent basic books on technique, like harold mcgee's poo poo, which I'm sure you probably have - or my favorite, Madeleine Kamman's "the Making of a Cook". (http://www.amazon.com/The-New-Making-Cook-Techniques/dp/0688152546) train yoself! you'll get there man. 
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Sep 30, 2013 05:36
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Sansaire or Anova? I've been wanting one for a while now and I am going to get one.
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Oct 3, 2013 20:40
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LTBS posted:Sansaire or Anova? I've been wanting one for a while now and I am going to get one. Anova is out now, so it has that going for it. Near as I can tell from the serious eats previews/reviews, the Anova has a pump outlet nozzle you can position while that Sansaire has a spring loaded clamp as opposed to the screw down clamp the Anova has. How value these features is an exercise left to he reader. I'll happily post a mini Sansaire review once I get mine.
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Oct 3, 2013 20:47
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I've the Anova. I'm quite happy with it so far. The screw-on clamp is very sturdy and well built, but because it is threaded, if you're securing it to something with a significant lip, like a cambro bin, it gets to be a little awkward and putting it on/taking it off requires first-world-problems levels of effort. I put it on the first time and haven't bothered to take it off since. So if you're planning on taking it off of the container every time and are going to attach it to something with a lip, lean towards the sansaire. Otherwise, it's been great. Excellent build quality. Sound device.
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Oct 5, 2013 08:50
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Goon posted:So if you're planning on taking it off of the container every time and are going to attach it to something with a lip, lean towards the sansaire. Otherwise, it's been great. Excellent build quality. Sound device. The rubber part of the screw clamp can be removed, and on cambros that lets you put it under the shorter part of the lips (then you align the rubber part and keep closing). Voila, perfectly stable Anova.
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Oct 5, 2013 22:53
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deimos posted:The rubber part of the screw clamp can be removed, and on cambros that lets you put it under the shorter part of the lips (then you align the rubber part and keep closing). Voila, perfectly stable Anova. I was able to get mine on without taking the rubber off. Was just saying that because of how wide the cambro lip is, it takes a lot of screwing/unscrewing to mount it/take it off.
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Oct 6, 2013 06:35
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Sous vide thread is up: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3573640
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Oct 6, 2013 07:46
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So we're getting ready to register for our wedding and are trying to figure out what we want. Have 12" Cast-iron skillet 12" Tramontina stainless steel skillet 8" Victorinox chef's knife Baking stone Kitchenaid stand mixer Cheap set of nonstick skillets & pots Muffin tin Ninja Master Prep (kind of a food processor) Big programmable crock pot Digital scale Measuring cups & spoons Colander and mesh strainer Ceramic mixing bowls Ikea wood cutting boards that we abuse Grater and plane Thermoworks' instant-read thermometer below the Thermapen Thinking we should register for: Knives (going to go to a store and try out a few different brands to see what I'd like) Pots & pans (should we go whole-hog and register for All-Clad or is the difference between it and, say, Calphalon going to be lost on me?) Enameled dutch oven Food processor Blender Thermapen Stick blender Silpat Stainless steel mixing bowls A nice wooden cutting board or two Are there any Kitchenaid stand mixer attachments worth having? How about a probe/wire leave-in thermometer? -- I'd love one that I could use with really high heat for bread as well as meat. We'll probably register for some odds and ends like utensils, prep bowls, etc. Are vacuum sealers practical to store/save food? What else should I consider?
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Oct 6, 2013 16:42
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If you're already going to have a chef's knife and the skillets and the nonstick pots, I don't see why you'd need to register for knives and pots & pans. It might be too minor to bother with, but a coffee grinder is nice for grinding spices (that or a mortar and pestle, although the latter is more work). A mandoline can be nice to have if you make certain stuff. I've heard the pasta thing for a Kitchenaid mixer is cool if you want to make pasta, but I've never used it.
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Oct 6, 2013 17:30
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TychoCelchuuu posted:A mandoline can be nice to have if you make certain stuff. Be sure to also register for emergency room vouchers and band-aids.
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Oct 6, 2013 17:51
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If you cut yourself, just but a bandaid on it and get back to work you big baby.
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Oct 6, 2013 18:02
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TychoCelchuuu posted:If you're already going to have a chef's knife and the skillets and the nonstick pots, I don't see why you'd need to register for knives and pots & pans. It might be too minor to bother with, but a coffee grinder is nice for grinding spices (that or a mortar and pestle, although the latter is more work). A mandoline can be nice to have if you make certain stuff. I've heard the pasta thing for a Kitchenaid mixer is cool if you want to make pasta, but I've never used it. well I figured for your wedding you try to register for stuff that'll last pretty much your lifetime, hence the nicer stuff to replace the budget stuff I bought in college.
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Oct 6, 2013 18:17
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dakana posted:well I figured for your wedding you try to register for stuff that'll last pretty much your lifetime, hence the nicer stuff to replace the budget stuff I bought in college.
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Oct 6, 2013 19:14
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dakana posted:So we're getting ready to register for our wedding and are trying to figure out what we want. I have the pasta roller/cutter, citrus juicer, and meat grinder attachments and have used them each only once or twice. They work well but are a pain to setup and clean up so they're rarely used. Of them the pasta roller is probably the most useful, but making fresh pasta is kind of a pain in the rear end (but worth it--although when I crave fresh pasta I just go to a nice Italian restaurant).
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Oct 6, 2013 19:16
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If you don't already have the mixer, and attachments aren't too important for you, look at the Breville stand mixer. It's really nice.
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Oct 6, 2013 20:34
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Is there a huge difference in Food Processors? I just want to make some hummus and pesto and basic spreads like that.. Do I need a $300 fuckoff model for some unknown reason over a $35 one? I have a blender already but can't make some spreads easily in it (food gets caught and pushed around too easily). I'm looking for something small, like for 1 or 2.
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Oct 6, 2013 22:04
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I'm sure food processors that would do a bad job exist, but I bought one for $20 at a garage sale that couldn't have been much more than 3 times that when it was new and it has never let me down.
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Oct 6, 2013 23:03
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You all recommended Shun's knives. I was looking at the premier - it is very beautiful, but some reviewers thought it was too brittle and/or needed sharpening too frequently. Any thoughts on this? I'm getting it as a special gift to a chef friend, and need some good opinions.
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Oct 7, 2013 01:19
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Pretty sure we've all recommended against Shuns, they are overprices for what they are. Knives for chefs are a fairly personal thing, so we need some more details, what kind of knife, what do they already have, what price range. Knowing what kind of handle would also be good. Also yeah as CdC says check the knife thread
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Oct 7, 2013 01:26
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Go check the knife thread, none of us would recommend Shun knives. They're over priced. e: and, imo, never buy knives for chefs. We all have different preferences on blade height, handle shape, hardness, etc.
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Oct 7, 2013 01:27
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ZoneManagement posted:You all recommended Shun's knives. I was looking at the premier - it is very beautiful, but some reviewers thought it was too brittle and/or needed sharpening too frequently. Any thoughts on this? I'm getting it as a special gift to a chef friend, and need some good opinions. Oh god, my mom (I love her dearly) bought me a Chef's and Santoku knife and they were TERRIBLE. Great quality, beautiful, but the handles were not at all comfortable for me. The Chef's also had a blade that was waaaay too large for me to comfortably use, while the Santoku had too small a space between the handle and countertop when slicing. If your friend cares at all about his knives, take him shopping with you, or give him money to buy his own.
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Oct 7, 2013 01:40
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I have Shun classics and I like them quite a bit. I did buy them before the price hikes though.
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Oct 7, 2013 02:35
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Do any of these stick SV appliances have a delayed start timer? Ideally I would like to set up my eggs in the evening and wake up to them. I take it you can't leave the eggs cooking for too long? On that note,cCan you overcook meats? Say if I wanted to leave them in a bath all day while I'm at work?
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Oct 7, 2013 03:18
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Why does this question keep coming up? I mean, eggs would be okay overnight at room temp, but most things would be a temperature danger zone nightmare. Cook your eggs in advance. Chill them. Crack the eggs and poach them quickly whenever you want to eat them. One thing that's a bit hard to grasp (at first) about temperature controlled cooking is that things can still overcook without overheating. So you can sous vide a mid rare filet, and still overcook it. It's best to look at recommended times for sous vide cooking and extrapolate from there. An extra hour on 72 hour short ribs won't matter nearly as much as an extra hour for something like salmon. But to answer your last question, anything requires long cook times can be left unattended. I leave short ribs in all the time when I'm at work, or even out of town. For things like yogurt I start the night before to have ready for breakfast.
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Oct 7, 2013 04:00
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I use a Shun Elite and it has served me well for five years, plus I think it's pretty.
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Oct 7, 2013 04:29
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I don't think anyone is saying that Shun is low quality, just that they're too expensive. I also use a Shun, and I'm very happy with it.
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Oct 7, 2013 06:28
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Shooting Blanks posted:I don't think anyone is saying that Shun is low quality, just that they're too expensive. I also use a Shun, and I'm very happy with it. fwiw, I think shuns are awesome knives. they look stunning, seem to be good quality, I've cut with a few friend's knives, etc. there are a few things I don't like about their handles, but on average they seem very well balanced, and I'd be happy to use one any day. I think the hating on shun comes mostly from industry folks. there are other knives out there that will cut and look just as nice, it's just shun seems to be mostly marketed towards upscale consumers, which of course any industry person who cares about knives is probably gonna resent or pusshaw or whatever. I try to be pretty thrifty, and there are some good knife bargains, but to me shuns don't really seem *that* overpriced. a ~$70-$90 knife going for $130, but they do look pretty. so if you like the way they feel, I'd say go for it. just my two cents
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Oct 7, 2013 06:37
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Shuns are nice knives for filthy casuals who don't share my love for blue #2 kawaii kitchen katanas. Basically they're the most well known and readily available Japanese cutlery. 95% of the high end knives you can find online will never sit in a store's display case, and certainly not in some mall outlet with replica WoW swords and dragons holding crystal balls somewhere in Kansas. And because most people want to hold a knife before they purchase it, most people will never own a $300 internet-only gyuto. In order to notice and appreciate the difference between a Shun blade and something of greater caliber you have to know and appreciate more than how it looks. Shuns are pretty knives with good handles and a decent edge made of decent metal. They're a pain to sharpen compared to carbon steel and the Damascus patter is just an acid etch, but otherwise, they're alright. Sure, you can get something made of a better alloy than vg10, which will hold a slightly keener edge for slightly longer and sharpen quicker for less...but the biggest performance difference (at least with the Shun Classic line) will be the profile of the knife (Shuns are more German, gyutos are patterned after the French) and the geometry of the blade behind the edge. For those reasons alone I'd recommend either a Shun French profile chef's knife or a regular gyuto. But is that really worth spending hours/days trawling through websites looking for the perfect knife? No, not really. Just get a Shun for now.
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Oct 7, 2013 09:00
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