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*** OFFICIAL NEW *** Sous Vide/Immersion circulator thread. (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Wingnut
- Start date
Cowboysfan8
Footballguy
Ok, I’m in
This one was delivered today
https://www.amazon.com/HadinEEon-Immersion-Circulator-Precise-Temperature/dp/B07ZK34881/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=sous+vide+hadineeon&qid=1593029166&sprefix=sous+vide+hadineeon&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExOVhRSkMwT0xBR0pJJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwODkzOTUzMkFMV0E0TlI5SFlDUSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMjU5ODcyMVRGWkFKNEQ0OUIzRSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX3Bob25lX3NlYXJjaF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl
do I need to buy a big cast iron pan?
will my gas grill do?
This one was delivered today
https://www.amazon.com/HadinEEon-Immersion-Circulator-Precise-Temperature/dp/B07ZK34881/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=sous+vide+hadineeon&qid=1593029166&sprefix=sous+vide+hadineeon&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExOVhRSkMwT0xBR0pJJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwODkzOTUzMkFMV0E0TlI5SFlDUSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMjU5ODcyMVRGWkFKNEQ0OUIzRSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX3Bob25lX3NlYXJjaF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl
do I need to buy a big cast iron pan?
will my gas grill do?
heckmanm
Footballguy
Cowboysfan8
Footballguy
Ron Swanson
Footballguy
A cooler with a hole cut in the lid for the circulator works very well. But you can easily start with any old pot. The cooler is nice for maintaining water level and temp efficiency for long cooks. I have chuck steak in right now for 48 hours and I won't need to top off the water at all.
Cowboysfan8
Footballguy
Thanks for the info
I was wondering if I should have a cast iron for searing purposes
Ron Swanson
Footballguy
Cast iron works well for searing, especially if you heat it up in the oven first. You can also use an infrared burner, searzall, carbon steel pan, or anything else you can get hot enough. Heat source is usually the biggest impediment to a good sear.
Cowboysfan8
Footballguy
What temp and how long would you recommend if I wanted to do a few average (3/4” inch) thickness boneless chops?
Wingnut
Footballguy
I do chops to 137° and usually let them go for at least 2 hours, 3 if I have time.
Then sear and enjoy.
Cowboysfan8
Footballguy
Wingnut
Footballguy
SV tip: don't use raw garlic, cook it first or use garlic powder.
https://www.amazingfoodmadeeasy.com/info/modernist-cooking-blog/more/is-it-safe-to-use-raw-garlic-in-sous-vide
Does Raw Garlic in Sous Vide Taste Good?
The first discussion point with using raw garlic, and the quickest one to discuss, is whether or not raw garlic in sous vide actually tastes good. Most of us are used to adding raw garlic when we cook meat so it is a natural transition to start including it with sous vide.
However, there is a major difference between cooking meat sous vide and roasting or pan frying it, and that is the low temperatures used in sous vide. Because sous vide meat is cooked using low heat, any garlic in the bag won't actually "cook" during the sous vide process. This obviously affects the final dish because raw and cooked garlic have very different flavors. This is also true of any aromatics like onions, shallots, or carrots.
So if you are including raw garlic in your sous vide bag you should be adding it like you would normally use raw garlic to finish a dish. It'll have a sharp, pungent flavor and not the usual cooked garlic flavor. This may be what you are looking for, and if so feel free to add it, but just be aware it will taste different than garlic that is part of a dish cooked with more traditional methods.
For this reason, many people reach for garlic powder for their sous vide cooking instead of raw garlic. You can also cook the garlic ahead of time and then add it to the bag if you want a more traditional garlic flavor, though many people just introduce the garlic after the sous vide process as part of a pan sauce or salsa. If I want a nice garlic flavor I'll often roast a head of garlic while I'm sous viding and then use that as part of the final dish.
https://www.amazingfoodmadeeasy.com/info/modernist-cooking-blog/more/is-it-safe-to-use-raw-garlic-in-sous-vide
Does Raw Garlic in Sous Vide Taste Good?
The first discussion point with using raw garlic, and the quickest one to discuss, is whether or not raw garlic in sous vide actually tastes good. Most of us are used to adding raw garlic when we cook meat so it is a natural transition to start including it with sous vide.
However, there is a major difference between cooking meat sous vide and roasting or pan frying it, and that is the low temperatures used in sous vide. Because sous vide meat is cooked using low heat, any garlic in the bag won't actually "cook" during the sous vide process. This obviously affects the final dish because raw and cooked garlic have very different flavors. This is also true of any aromatics like onions, shallots, or carrots.
So if you are including raw garlic in your sous vide bag you should be adding it like you would normally use raw garlic to finish a dish. It'll have a sharp, pungent flavor and not the usual cooked garlic flavor. This may be what you are looking for, and if so feel free to add it, but just be aware it will taste different than garlic that is part of a dish cooked with more traditional methods.
For this reason, many people reach for garlic powder for their sous vide cooking instead of raw garlic. You can also cook the garlic ahead of time and then add it to the bag if you want a more traditional garlic flavor, though many people just introduce the garlic after the sous vide process as part of a pan sauce or salsa. If I want a nice garlic flavor I'll often roast a head of garlic while I'm sous viding and then use that as part of the final dish.
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Wingnut
Footballguy
Forgot to mention, I like my chops around medium...I'd go 140-143° if you want them more of a med well...
Cowboysfan8
Footballguy
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Instinctive
Footballguy
Cast iron, all-clad stainless steel, normal grill (heat up and close for a while first), searzall, and a charcoal chimney with the grate across the top have all worked well for me.
Charocal chimney my favorite for things that are simple and like the char flavor. The cast iron/stainless steel sear in oil with some garlic and or butter basting is nice for the rest.
Grilling requires you to go to a higher temp because it cooks from the outside in so in order to get the middle what you want you have to go higher to transfer the heat.
With Sous Vide you don't need to worry about that with sufficient cooking time. Set the temp at the likeness of meat you want (there are plenty of temp tables on line for different types of meat). Also, the thickness doesn't necessarily matter because you are cooking at the final temp you want the whole time. The thickness will affect the time of cooking but not the temperature.
Hankmoody
Footballguy
If you're doing sous vide, you HAVE to do picanha. If you don't know what it is, google it. If your butcher doesn't know what it is, tell them it's the rump cap, the sirloin cap, the coulotte. Otherwise send them to the pro. Many US butchers leave it as part of the top sirloin but really the entire cap should be cut off and butchered separately. It's the most amazing flavor I've ever had.
Salt only! No pepper, no garlic powder (ok you can cheat and put garlic powder on occasionally but try it with only salt first for real), no pepper (ever).
I don't like to sear in cast iron. Get a Searzall or even better a Seartec for your propane torch. Much more authentic sear IMO.
eta: It's also very economical. My butcher does it for me for $6.99 a pound. If you gave me a choice of a strip from Mitchell's Ocean House or my home-brew sous vide I'd sneak my picanha in and eat their amazing side dishes.
Salt only! No pepper, no garlic powder (ok you can cheat and put garlic powder on occasionally but try it with only salt first for real), no pepper (ever).
I don't like to sear in cast iron. Get a Searzall or even better a Seartec for your propane torch. Much more authentic sear IMO.
eta: It's also very economical. My butcher does it for me for $6.99 a pound. If you gave me a choice of a strip from Mitchell's Ocean House or my home-brew sous vide I'd sneak my picanha in and eat their amazing side dishes.
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Ron Swanson
Footballguy
Interesting, I was just looking at these the other day. What temp and how long do you sous vide for?
Hankmoody
Footballguy
135 for 3 hours.
edit: It just occurred to me to ask how you like it cooked. I am a hardcore medium rare guy so this is where you'll want to be. I think 150 would give you a solid medium.
I don't eat the fat but don't trim it either, that's the key to the flavor rending that bad boy. If it's properly trimmed you don't need to remove any. If it's not properly trimmed you just need to clean up the edges and corners so you don't have any overlap - never really a need to thin out the top, it's not like a brisket where it gets super hard or thick. Save it and freeze it for addition to your burgers (a later post).
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![[icon]](/data/avatars/m/5/5167.jpg?1660313464){kind=avatar}
[icon]
Insoxicated
Had picanha prepped by a team of Ecuadorian chefs at a BBQ competition I was hosting/judging down in Cuenca, and it was remarkably good.
https://imgur.com/gallery/lu8kPAt
Sous Vide + Sear is the best method for this cut?
Hankmoody
Footballguy
I'd say so. Only other time I've had it was at Tejas de Brasil, a medium-end Brazillion steakhouse and they served it medium well - not my cup of tea.
If you freeze your video early on you'll see how unevenly it's cooked - a runny pink in the center, and darker gray on the outside. That's the difficulty of cooking over high heat like charcoal - the outside will overcook before you can get the center properly cooked. I'd bet if you got a meat thermometer on that puppy it would be about 115. Not super safe to eat and I don't think this would be a good representation of how good this steak can be.
And holy schnikes that thing is thick. Like super think. Like Bryson DeSteroids thick. And no fat cap? I'm wondering if that's even actually picanha. Here's a much better look:
https://i.imgur.com/IQIgQ3pb.jpg
https://imgur.com/gallery/YccfnNg
Searching imgur for picanha makes me sad. All these beautiful steaks with no fat cap, what is wrong with people???
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Sand
Footballguy
Jealous. I haven't been to Cuenca since the only roads going in were dirt roads. I recall my father buying real Panama hats there. And I remember good food there.
Wingnut
Footballguy
For those doing chicken SV, here's a handy pasteurization chart that tells how long you need to hold temps to kill all the bacteria. I usually do boneless chicken breasts at 140-145° and they always turn out incredible (after a sear, of course).
Chicken/turkey pasteurization chart
Chicken/turkey pasteurization chart
Hankmoody
Footballguy
I'm finding that searing chicken with Searzall and Seartec results in a very different flavor than I am used to and am about 50/50 on whether or not I even do it. Most of the chicken I do doesn't get consumed in that form anyway, it will get put into soups or pasta or nachos or something. But for those times I do just eat it as a standalone I have been steering away from searing.
Here's the chart I use for pasteurization:
Poultry
Beef
Source article
I go for about 3 hrs at 146F and have had great results. I always sear after and have used for chili, enchiladas, casseroles, and just by itself for the meat of a meal.
Very consistent texture and always very moist.
Wingnut
Footballguy
I posted a similar one in the cooking thread. Theyre all pretty close in times.
As far as searing, I always use cast iron.
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Cowboysfan8
Footballguy
Daughter got me this one for Father's Day. Happy with it so far
https://www.walmart.com/ip/FoodSaver-Space-Saving-Food-Vacuum-Sealer-Black/717834270
Hankmoody
Footballguy
Good entry level - $30. It does fine, but because it's a less expensive option you have to be careful after a seal, the metal heat strip has a tendency to stick to the bag and tear away from the unit. Just go slowly and watch for it, it's easy to see and peel off. It also has a tendency to get real hot because it's a value unit - just give it about a minute to cool down if you're doing more than a couple of seals at the same time. This was my first one because I wasn't sure I'd stick with the whole sous vide thing and wanted a minimal investment so I'm happy with what I got. I have two now because I sometimes do multiple bags in a session and needed a heavier duty one. The one CBF linked above should be good, and I can also personally recommend this one as well.
Also watch you prices on bags, they fluctuate wildly on Amazon and there are big gougers out there. There are two standard widths - 8" and 11". I keep a couple of each around because lots of bigger things like pork butt or brisket or even a big chuck roast won't fit into 8". I don't wait until I'm low, if I see a couple of 50' rolls for $20-ish I will grab them. You gotta pay close attention though because it's easy to look for 8" bags and think "oh nice they are selling 4 for $35" until you see they are 20' long rolls and that's really a huge ripoff. That's the one bad thing about Amazon.
8" @ 50 feet
11" @ 50 feet
I do re-use bags. I'm a cheapass and while I'm no tree-hugger I also don't mind reducing my carbon footprint when possible and I've avoided throwing 1000's of feet of plastic into landfills so far. At 25 cents per foot that will add up over time too. Cut them as close to the seams as possible and wash them as you would any other dish -warm soapy water or in a dishwasher. Depending on their condition and what I cooked I might cut both the top and bottom seams out so there are no "corners" I have difficulty getting into and cleaning.
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I have never used a vacuum sealer and have had no problems with using Ziploc bags and pressing the air out myself. I don't think It's really needed.
Hankmoody
Footballguy
Definitely could get by that way for cooking only. Water immersion method.
I buy a lot of bulk stuff and take it from the flimsy saran-wrap or porous butcher paper and immediately vaccum seal it for freezer storage. Increases the life and quality a lot. I also make a lot of stuff for neighbors, family friends, my sister's monstrous eating teenagers, and the priests at our church so I cook up a bunch of stuff in advance and vaccum it up to keep it fresher until it can get parceled out to the appropriate destination.
heckmanm
Footballguy
I've started buying these bags for most stuff, and then only using the rolls when I have something that doesn't fit the pre-cut bags. They're great for portioning stuff out to make about 4 servings to a package.Hankmoody said:
Hankmoody
Footballguy
Definitely has uses and the price is right at $18 for 100 feet for sure and I'm snagging a stack.
And this is a great example of my gouging warning above - the qty 100 8x12 is great, that's 100 feet. But the gallon option is qty 20 of 11x16. That's only 26.6 feet but priced at $38.
heckmanm
Footballguy
Wingnut
Footballguy
[icon]
Insoxicated
Found a mom and pop butcher shop with Picanha cap on for $9.99/lb. picking up two tomorrow and trying my first tomm night.
Debating searing in cast iron (not sure if i have one big enough without slicing into steaks) or quickly over high flame.
Hankmoody
Footballguy
You definitely want to cut it into steaks. Check out the video I sourced, he shows you how. Cut the steaks with the grain about 1.5" thick so that when you're eating you cut against the grain. If you can do open flame I recommend it, it's a lot nicer natural flavor.
Hankmoody
Footballguy
[icon]
Insoxicated
It was incredible. I can see why folks insist on keeping the fat cap intact.
Went with Sous Vide Everything method. Used a torch to crisp up the fat cap more while the steak was searing in the cast iron skillet.
Some pics:
https://imgur.com/gallery/FJSEiMb
Second one is in the freezer and will be done the same way,
Hankmoody
Footballguy
That thing is perfectly trimmed, kudos to whoever you got it from. You only did salt, kudos on that too, it's hard to resist slathering it all up but it really doesn't need it. I see you didn't do the 3rd vein thing and left the coxão duro attached. Personally I think it's great and the SVE guys exaggerate its badness so for me bring it on, the bigger the roast the better. Let me know if you decide to go all in on the searing/torch thing, I have a lot of "wish I knew in the first place" items to share.It was incredible. I can see why folks insist on keeping the fat cap intact.
Went with Sous Vide Everything method. Used a torch to crisp up the fat cap more while the steak was searing in the cast iron skillet.
Some pics:
https://imgur.com/gallery/FJSEiMb
Second one is in the freezer and will be done the same way,
Hankmoody
Footballguy
Tonight is bison burgers. Bison is a tough one to get right, easy to overcook and its even less forgiving than beef if you do. I can kind of live with a medium/medium well burger, but not bison. I do most beef at 135 but I've found that 127 is the best temp for bison so I go 2.5 hours minimum to have the best chance for full pasteurization.
[icon]
Insoxicated
Oh I did use a small handheld culinary Torch to blast the fat cap in the skillet while the sides were searing. Worked great! Big difference in texture/flavor of the cap. Must do, IMO.
I cut 5 steaks. 2 were cut from the true heart of the Picanha, and then two from the outsides and then the small corner for snacking while finishing the steaks up.
The heart of Picanha did seem to be noticeably more tender, but the outside was no slouch at all.
Psychopav
Help us, Joebi-Wan Brynobi, you're our only ho
Question: when SV'ing a larger cut of beef like this, do you all typically cut into steaks before immersion, or after resting and before searing (or something else)? I've been doing it before immersion which makes sense to me from a flavor perspective but is pretty messy in terms of prep.Oh I did use a small handheld culinary Torch to blast the fat cap in the skillet while the sides were searing. Worked great! Big difference in texture/flavor of the cap. Must do, IMO.
I cut 5 steaks. 2 were cut from the true heart of the Picanha, and then two from the outsides and then the small corner for snacking while finishing the steaks up.
The heart of Picanha did seem to be noticeably more tender, but the outside was no slouch at all.
For a tri tip i leave it whole all the way through the process until I am ready to serve.
Psychopav
Help us, Joebi-Wan Brynobi, you're our only ho
Hey Gally, what's up! Hope you're staying healthy and happy...
Do you serve the tri-tip in individual steak form, or sliced thinner like a roast?
We don't serve it either way really. I live near Santa Maria which is famous for the "Santa Maria" style BBQ method of over an oak pit coals. So we do that for the searing and then slice it but not thin like for sandwiches necessarily. So kind of between a thick steak and sandwich cut. The beauty of the sous vide for tri tip is that it comes out fork tender (no knife needed) so it works really well in sandwiches even with the thicker cut because it is so tender and easy to bite off a piece.
Ron Swanson
Footballguy
Tri tip also makes great tacos. Just a little cilantro, onion, lime and thinly sliced (against the grain) sous vide and seared trip tip. Serve on up some nice fresh corn tortillas. Oooh boy.
Hankmoody
Footballguy
Picanha is important to cut into steaks pre-bagging so you can get enough salt on the actual meat. As a "roast" the entire top is covered with the fat cap so you wouldn't get much salt/seasoning on it if you didn't. Others you can do whole as long as you have enough surface area to properly season.
Hankmoody
Footballguy
That's a good seque into the next topic for me.
The biggest advantage of SV isn't the perfect cook (yes it is wtf am I saying) but it's actually what it does for cheap meat. Take eye of round. This is very inexpensive meat - $3.99 a pound - and it's a sneaky tasty cut of meat but it's super lean and most cook methods leave it very tough to chew and unpleasant to eat. Viola, SV to the rescue. My best results:
Season the crap out of it with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and habanero powder
Seriously, add more seasoning, it's a super thick roast
SV for 24 hours at 135.
Dry the heck out of it and sear hard over open flame - I use the Seartec for this one.
Now it's no picanha, but for $3.99 a pound you'll be blown away by the result. Very interesting flavor meat and SV really brings that out. Tender enough to enjoy as a steak. Slice thin for roast beef sandwiches and toss some horseradish sauce on it and be the envy of your office. All three of them that still come in.
The biggest advantage of SV isn't the perfect cook (yes it is wtf am I saying) but it's actually what it does for cheap meat. Take eye of round. This is very inexpensive meat - $3.99 a pound - and it's a sneaky tasty cut of meat but it's super lean and most cook methods leave it very tough to chew and unpleasant to eat. Viola, SV to the rescue. My best results:
Season the crap out of it with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and habanero powder
Seriously, add more seasoning, it's a super thick roast
SV for 24 hours at 135.
Dry the heck out of it and sear hard over open flame - I use the Seartec for this one.
Now it's no picanha, but for $3.99 a pound you'll be blown away by the result. Very interesting flavor meat and SV really brings that out. Tender enough to enjoy as a steak. Slice thin for roast beef sandwiches and toss some horseradish sauce on it and be the envy of your office. All three of them that still come in.
Hankmoody
Footballguy
Here's my FAQ that a friend new to SV asked me.
Q: What circulator to get? Only one?
A: Two minimum. It sounds over-the-top but not once you realize you're in the middle of a 48 hour pork butt at 145 but need to toss in some chicken for dinner that needs to get 165 or your SO likes their steak medium well and you eat yours correctly at 135 you'll see why. I frequently do mashed potatoes (190) and whatever protein I'm doing can't handle even a short time in that. Best recommendation is this Kitchen Boss model. It's a nice price and it's the best I have at heating up quickly. I have an Anova Nano and regular Nano also and those are a toss-up. I don't find any benefit to the variable height the Nano has because nothing I do takes a very shallow container so they are pretty much a wash. The Nano is a significantly smaller (wattage) heating element so it will work harder to keep larger baths to temperature. The wifi on either Anova is fun but very hit-or-miss once you leave the house and off the home wifi. When I absolutely need it I will disable wifi on my phone, reboot the Anova, and that seems to keep me connected if I stay on LTE all day. If I had to do it all over again I'd get two (or three) Kitchen Boss units above.
The blashpemous answer is you don't really even need a heating unit if you're just doing steaks and chicken. Most only take a couple of hours to cook so just heat up a pot on the oven, drop a candy thermometer in it, and once it's to temp turn the heat to low (or slightly warmer depending on what temp you need to hold). A few degrees either way isn't going to have any impact so just check the temp every 15 minutes or so to make sure you're not running rogue.
Q: Do I need those fancy containers?
A: No but yes. You can cook perfectly fine in a kitchen pot. The biggest benefit the fancy schmancy ones have is the form-fitting lid. This will prevent heat loss, letting your circulator run less and extending its life and also prevent water evaporation. For short cooks evaporation isn't an issue but most SV units will auto-shutoff if the water gets too low so doing 24 hour ribs does require paying attention. With the lidded containers it's cover-and-forget.
Q: Do I need vaccuum bags and sealer?
A: Nope but they sure make life easier. First off they protect meat from freezer burn like a champ. I buy a lot in bulk when it's cheap (I currently have 60 pounds of pork loin from $1.39 a pound sale) and bag it up the moment I get home from shopping so getting a good seal is important. Plus it makes the food last f o r e v e r. I have left chicken in the fridge for 5 or 6 weeks and expected it to reek when I opened it but it was fresh as the day I sealed it up. You're gonna love yourself when you never again throw out spoiled food. I also cook for a lot of other people/households so they are nice to keep it fresh and it looks classy to hand someone a tightly-packed up roast. If you don't want to invest in a sealer or bags (yet - you will) just get some brand new Ziplock bags and google "water displacement method" to see how you get a perfectly acceptable seal for single-cook use.
Q: I hate it when my meat floats!
A: That's what she said, and it's not a question. This happens as fat renders from the cooking process - all of a sudden you have a big air bubble in there. A good vaccum seal helps to minimize this but it can't be avoided completely. You can weigh the food down with something handy like a wrench or scissors, or something practical like a paperweight, or even somethingridiculous awesome like some sous vide weights in the bag. I also like to rig stuff up so I will use a cooling rack, flip it over so the legs rest up against the lid, and the meat can't get above the water level. The bubble itself isn't an issue, the meat will still cook just fine as long as it's submerged and the air in the bag remains at the right temperature. If it floats that air bubble will be exposed to open air and cool off and that's no bueno. Once you get fully into SV you'll be ready to get the champ of containers which has a built-in rack to prevent this. Just keep the water level above the grate and you're golden. Watch these prices, they get gougy at times, this shouldn't cost more than $60.
Q: What's the best way to sear?
A: Yes. Just yes, sear it. That's the entire point of cooking food, you need to get the maillard reaction going to get those amino acids jumping and those sugars reducing. This can be a pretty religious argument - pan sear, open flame, oven. Whatever you do, do it hot as hell. You want the maillard reaction to get lit up but you don't want to actually cook the meat any more, so 30 seconds at 600 degrees is better than 3 minutes at 400. For pan searing I highly recommend using avocado oil - it's got one of the highest smoke points out there plus it's got high in unsaturated fat vs. saturated fats. Whatever you do do it hot as hell. Can't stress that enough. Just don't burn your house down and if you do for the love of god save the steak first.
Q: Where should I set up?
A: No one really considers this but it's kind of a big deal. I bought a stainless steel kitchen prep table for the basement so I don't clutter up the kitchen with a bunch of toys. The only thing I will stress is get your container as close to the sink as you can - water is heavy at 8 pounds per gallon so it's no easy task emptying a 26-quart container when you need to.
Q: What's the best seasoning to use?
A: Oh great, now I need to write a new FAQ.
Q: What circulator to get? Only one?
A: Two minimum. It sounds over-the-top but not once you realize you're in the middle of a 48 hour pork butt at 145 but need to toss in some chicken for dinner that needs to get 165 or your SO likes their steak medium well and you eat yours correctly at 135 you'll see why. I frequently do mashed potatoes (190) and whatever protein I'm doing can't handle even a short time in that. Best recommendation is this Kitchen Boss model. It's a nice price and it's the best I have at heating up quickly. I have an Anova Nano and regular Nano also and those are a toss-up. I don't find any benefit to the variable height the Nano has because nothing I do takes a very shallow container so they are pretty much a wash. The Nano is a significantly smaller (wattage) heating element so it will work harder to keep larger baths to temperature. The wifi on either Anova is fun but very hit-or-miss once you leave the house and off the home wifi. When I absolutely need it I will disable wifi on my phone, reboot the Anova, and that seems to keep me connected if I stay on LTE all day. If I had to do it all over again I'd get two (or three) Kitchen Boss units above.
The blashpemous answer is you don't really even need a heating unit if you're just doing steaks and chicken. Most only take a couple of hours to cook so just heat up a pot on the oven, drop a candy thermometer in it, and once it's to temp turn the heat to low (or slightly warmer depending on what temp you need to hold). A few degrees either way isn't going to have any impact so just check the temp every 15 minutes or so to make sure you're not running rogue.
Q: Do I need those fancy containers?
A: No but yes. You can cook perfectly fine in a kitchen pot. The biggest benefit the fancy schmancy ones have is the form-fitting lid. This will prevent heat loss, letting your circulator run less and extending its life and also prevent water evaporation. For short cooks evaporation isn't an issue but most SV units will auto-shutoff if the water gets too low so doing 24 hour ribs does require paying attention. With the lidded containers it's cover-and-forget.
Q: Do I need vaccuum bags and sealer?
A: Nope but they sure make life easier. First off they protect meat from freezer burn like a champ. I buy a lot in bulk when it's cheap (I currently have 60 pounds of pork loin from $1.39 a pound sale) and bag it up the moment I get home from shopping so getting a good seal is important. Plus it makes the food last f o r e v e r. I have left chicken in the fridge for 5 or 6 weeks and expected it to reek when I opened it but it was fresh as the day I sealed it up. You're gonna love yourself when you never again throw out spoiled food. I also cook for a lot of other people/households so they are nice to keep it fresh and it looks classy to hand someone a tightly-packed up roast. If you don't want to invest in a sealer or bags (yet - you will) just get some brand new Ziplock bags and google "water displacement method" to see how you get a perfectly acceptable seal for single-cook use.
Q: I hate it when my meat floats!
A: That's what she said, and it's not a question. This happens as fat renders from the cooking process - all of a sudden you have a big air bubble in there. A good vaccum seal helps to minimize this but it can't be avoided completely. You can weigh the food down with something handy like a wrench or scissors, or something practical like a paperweight, or even something
Q: What's the best way to sear?
A: Yes. Just yes, sear it. That's the entire point of cooking food, you need to get the maillard reaction going to get those amino acids jumping and those sugars reducing. This can be a pretty religious argument - pan sear, open flame, oven. Whatever you do, do it hot as hell. You want the maillard reaction to get lit up but you don't want to actually cook the meat any more, so 30 seconds at 600 degrees is better than 3 minutes at 400. For pan searing I highly recommend using avocado oil - it's got one of the highest smoke points out there plus it's got high in unsaturated fat vs. saturated fats. Whatever you do do it hot as hell. Can't stress that enough. Just don't burn your house down and if you do for the love of god save the steak first.
Q: Where should I set up?
A: No one really considers this but it's kind of a big deal. I bought a stainless steel kitchen prep table for the basement so I don't clutter up the kitchen with a bunch of toys. The only thing I will stress is get your container as close to the sink as you can - water is heavy at 8 pounds per gallon so it's no easy task emptying a 26-quart container when you need to.
Q: What's the best seasoning to use?
A: Oh great, now I need to write a new FAQ.
Hankmoody
Footballguy
Went to Kroger yesterday, they had sirloin on sale for $4.99 a pound. Hopeful, I looked into the case and - yep - top sirloin with the picanha still attached. Score! They did trim off the fat cap which makes me sad but it's still gonna be great and for $4.99 a pound you gotta accept it. I have some extra picanha fat frozen that I trimmed from the sides of a poorly trimmed one I bought earlier so I can even recover most of the flavor that way. For those wondering, here's what it will look like:
Top sirloin #1 - top part is picanha
Top sirloin #2 - picanha on the left
These can be pretty hit or miss depending on where they're cutting from or even if they just trim it off - many use it in ground beef - but any time I see sirloin and specifically top sirloin I go hunting for it. Now if I could just get them to cut it more than 1/2" thick - seriously, who does this???
Top sirloin #1 - top part is picanha
Top sirloin #2 - picanha on the left
These can be pretty hit or miss depending on where they're cutting from or even if they just trim it off - many use it in ground beef - but any time I see sirloin and specifically top sirloin I go hunting for it. Now if I could just get them to cut it more than 1/2" thick - seriously, who does this???
