Cookaholics Bulletin Board

This is new to me, I had no clue. But I found something call sous vide supreme which is too rich for my blood, but I did watch several of the videos and it looks like something that is worth having if you can afford it.

I am guessing there are other ways of achieving the same goal. Does anyone know how to do this on the cheap?

I did some further research and it appears that if your careful you can do this on the stove top by regulating the temperature of the water and using a high grade zip lock bag. I also found a couple of lower cost alternatives about $160 that doesn't look to bad, although I would need to fight a little for it, I am always getting myself into trouble with these offer things. Boy that steak looked unbelievable, for me right now I need something special to interest me, I have pretty much not appetite and the only thing I find attractive is soup broth.

Thanks,
Barry

If you have an instant read thermometer and patience, you can go for it. I used the low setting on a crock pot, checking it every five minutes with my Thermopen and turning the pot on and off to regulate heat when I started playing with sous vide. I also am using ziplock bags (the freezer sort without a slide) though I have graduated to a manual air pump. I spent the money on a PID controller to handle the temperatures on the slow cooker these days. Very worth while investment. Next time I'll buy an air bubbler to keep the water moving and not layering thermally.

Right now we are finishing 25 burgers done sous vide over last evening and today for a burger bash. All cooked to within 1 degree of specified "done-ness". We'll finish by deep frying just before serving. Douglas Baldwin's tables (online here) are my standard reference for time and temperature.


Note: Bigger water heaters (food warmer/electric roaster/large rice cooker) are coming so that the long prep time won't be quite so necessary, even for the small to medium parties held at home.

Steve, your really into this stuff and it sounds great. As far as your original question, I am 66 and always have had Med Rare beef and even pork a little pink, although chicken I don't mess around with, I cook that well done. As far as I know I have never had a bad affect. I am little Leary of ground meats and will do them med rare only if I grind them.

I have a pretty good heavy pot and my skews I made for Char Siu will old the bag nicely. I am guessing that everyone takes the cheap way out at first before they buy fancy equipment.

Barry