How to Sous Vide Anything (2024)

Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog

5. Rest, Dry, and Sear (If You Need to)

Once your steak/chicken/salmon/whatever is cooked to the desired temperature, take it out and let it rest, in the bag, for 15 to 20 minutes. (To be honest, we’re not sure if this actually does anything, but we’re hoping it gives the protein a chance to soak up any of the seasoned juices in the bag.) At this point your meat is fully cooked, and is safe to serve. Some proteins are delicious served as-is—boneless, skinless chicken breasts, say, or a delicate fillet of salmon are ready to be sliced, plated, and served. But others, like a perfectly medium-rare steak or a slab of tender pork belly, want to be crisped before serving for optimum deliciousness. In that case, remove the meat from the bag, dry it off as thoroughly as possible with paper towels, and sear it off on all sides in a ripping-hot pan until a beautiful, crackling crust forms—since the meat is already fully cooked, this should only take a minute or two on each side.

Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog

6. Serve (or Save)

Et voilà! Dinner is served. But the real beauty of sous vide cooking is in the possibilities for meal planning and prep that it opens up. If you aren’t serving your sous vide creation right away, dunk it in a bowl of ice water to cool it down as quickly as possible, and then transfer it (still in the bag) to the fridge, where it should stay good for up to 7 days, or to the freezer where it will keep for up to a year. Cook up four or five chicken breasts and bring them for lunch all week. Get a bunch of steaks to a perfect medium-rare on Thursday night, and all you have to do is give them a quick sear on Friday night for a nearly hands-off dinner party. The possibilities are endless—go forth and sous vide!

How to Sous Vide Anything (2024)

FAQs

How to Sous Vide Anything? ›

Sous vide cooking offers unparalleled control over whatever it is you are trying to cook, whether it's steaks and chops, shrimp and lobster, vegetables, or even large cuts of meat like pork shoulders and legs of lamb.

Can you cook anything sous vide? ›

Sous vide cooking offers unparalleled control over whatever it is you are trying to cook, whether it's steaks and chops, shrimp and lobster, vegetables, or even large cuts of meat like pork shoulders and legs of lamb.

Can you sous vide in something other than plastic? ›

You can use glass jars to sous vide anything from beans to pickles, custards, grains, cakes, infused co*cktails and even cold brew coffee? It's endlessly recyclable, meaning you can use it again, and again . . . and again!

What can you not do with sous vide? ›

Raw sous vide food storage is not safe. Pack and refrigerate uncooked ingredients, and you can wind up with some funky food: Veggies will ferment more quickly, and raw meats and fish will end up with a shorter shelf life. Your best bet? Cook or freeze immediately after packing for safe and long-lasting results.

What can you sous vide other than meat? ›

CHEESECAKE, BREAD PUDDING, STEAMED PUDDING, POT DE CRÈME, OR CRÈME BRÛLÉE. WHY SOUS VIDE? An unstirred sous vide bath is a perfect bain marie for cooking those oven recipes requiring a water cushion and constant low temperatures.

What is a disadvantage of sous vide? ›

If you're not careful about cooking times (as specified by the product manufacturer), your food can become contaminated. In addition, if your food is not properly vacuum sealed, or your food becomes contaminated during prep, cooking sous-vide poses an additional threat.

Can you sous vide eggs? ›

Sous vide soft-boiled eggs with a just-solidified yolk and those elusive solid whites. Eggs are an excellent candidate for sous vide because you can get consistencies of yolk that are impossible otherwise.

Are Ziploc bags sous vide? ›

The only Ziploc® brand bags that should be used for sous vide cooking are Ziploc Endurables®. These bags are made with durable and reusable platinum silicone which can withstand extreme temperatures, up to 425°F.

Can you sous vide with aluminum foil? ›

Cover your sous vide pot.

Any cover at all will help stop the evaporation and heat loss from the surface. It can be as simple as Saran Wrap/cling film, or aluminum foil for higher temperatures.

What are the risks of sous vide cooking? ›

These risks include the potential for survival and growth of bacteria that can grow under the anaerobic (absence of oxygen) conditions created by the vacuum packaging, e.g. Clostridium botulinum. Remember, some foods may not be suitable for sous vide cooking.

What is the best thing to sous vide? ›

The Best Foods To Cook Sous Vide
  • Tougher Cuts of Meat. What's important to remember here is that a 'tougher' or 'cheaper' cut of meat, doesn't necessarily mean a 'worse' cut. ...
  • Eggs. Eggs are one of the most popular foods to cook sous-vide for a couple of reasons. ...
  • Pork. ...
  • Lamb. ...
  • Carrots. ...
  • Filleted Fish. ...
  • Liver. ...
  • Fillet Steak.

What is the first thing I should sous vide? ›

Let us help you and take the guesswork out of what to make first. These 5 things are a MUST to make with your new immersion circulator! A steak is 100% the #1 thing you need to make with the sous vide!

Do chefs like sous vide? ›

The Precision

When you're working in a professional kitchen, there's no room for error, and things have to be done exactly by the book. This is where sous vide really comes into its own, allowing chefs an unparalleled level of control over their dishes.

Do you need to vacuum seal for sous vide? ›

No, vacuum sealing is not necessary for sous vide. In fact — and this isverycounterintuitive — foods inside a sealed vacuum bag aren'tunder vacuumat all! A vacuum is defined as a space that contains little to no air [or matter, generally speaking].

What foods can you cook sous vide? ›

The Best Foods To Cook Sous Vide
  • Tougher Cuts of Meat. What's important to remember here is that a 'tougher' or 'cheaper' cut of meat, doesn't necessarily mean a 'worse' cut. ...
  • Eggs. Eggs are one of the most popular foods to cook sous-vide for a couple of reasons. ...
  • Pork. ...
  • Lamb. ...
  • Carrots. ...
  • Filleted Fish. ...
  • Liver. ...
  • Fillet Steak.

Do real chefs use sous vide? ›

For those who don't know, sous vide is a cooking method where food is vacuum sealed and cooked in a water bath under low temperatures, making it extremely tender and perfectly evenly cooked. Heston Blumenthal, the celebrity chef and master of molecular gastronomy, is one of the many big-name sous-vide fans.

Do restaurants really use sous vide? ›

Sous vide is a cooking technique that has been used in professional kitchens since the mid-1970s. Remarkably enough Sous vide has only really been on the rise in recent years. In more and more catering kitchens, (chef) chefs are discovering the possibilities of vacuum cooking.

Is sous vide like a slow cooker? ›

Unlike a slow cooker, a sous vide device is mobile. This is due to the fact that the heating element is not integrated into a pan, as with the slow cooker.

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