Cookaholics Bulletin Board

The finish is a good point. I usually cook skin-on, and want a nice brown crispy skin so my finish is fairly aggressive. If it wasn't skin-on, the finish might be shorter/cooler (esp if there was a sauce), and a few degrees higher may well be in order.

I normally cook for about 3 hours, this is with the thigh not flatted out but more of a 'roll' (typically also with the leg, but not always). You certainly don't need 3 hours for safety, but it seems to give a nice texture. Unlike breasts, you don't rapidly go into mushy land with extended cooking. With a 3 hour cook, i'll usually cook ahead and 're-therm'.

Tonight we got to try our first longer cook: flap meat steak at 129 for 48 hours. It was amazingly tender, but a touch too medium for me after a very short sear to get some crust. I'll go 2 degrees lower next time and try again.

I served some halved tiny new potatoes roasted in a few tablespoons of leftover duck fat from the confit from Sunday and they were the perfect combination of creamy and crispy. I also added a bunch of kale sauteed with the leftover duck fat (after the potatoes moved on on to broiling cut side up the last few minutes) with a bunch of garlic and datil pepper vinegar.

I just wish I had opened a bottle of wine. My husband asked me to marry him again. It was a heck of a meal for a Tuesday night!

Thank you all for your suggestions!

--Lisa

edit: left out a word

Just wanted to say thanks. We finally had a good night to pull some of those Publix lobster tails out of the freezer where they ahve been languishing, and they were very good at 140 for 15 mins.

--Lisa

I broke down and bought some of those aforementioned humongous lobster tails for Christmas Eve dinner. Two of them are just over a pound each (with shell) and the other two are about 1/2 pound each. I am planning to sous vide them with butter and slice into medallions (so I will cook a bit longer or maybe at a degree or two higher so they slice well) so that everyone gets an equitable serving. The medallions will go on a warmed platter with some melted butter.

Is there any issue with multi level sous vide? I am thinking that once I have them out of their shell, I will measure at the thickest point, bag individually and cook in stages (largest in first, second largest in second, etc) and have them all end at the same time. Does anyone see any problems with this approach before I ruin all this lovely lobster?



Thank you. Here is a pic of the one pounders with some silverware for scale.

--Lisa

My brain just kicked in (it must be the ice wine). Would it make more sense to slice pre-cooking and cook only for the length of time that the slices needed? Say 3/4 thick? Good idea? Bad?

--Lisa

This instructions that came with mine said to do just what you described.

Reporting back for posterity - I decided at the last minute to slice the lobster before cooking, I sliced one inch thick, bagged six medallions to a bag with a bit of Kerrygold butter and a pinch of kosher salt and cooked for 15 mins at 145. (I knew my dad would not be up for rare / soft seafood). When they were done, I drained the bags into a colander and then plated on a warmed oval platter in an overlapping pattern and drizzled with more melted butter. The presentation was perfect and people were able to take what they wanted.

3 lb, 8 oz of lobster (including shell) fed four of us with six medallions left over. I kept the liquid from the cooking bags (butter and lobster liquid) and will be making some lobster ravioli with the leftovers today.

--Lisa

My, My, I'm totally licking my chops. That lobster sounds wonderful. I have strep throat for Christmas this year, so not sure what I'll be having. Oh, well, I've been eating pretty well for several weeks now. Our son was married this past Sunday (Oi). It was beautiful, but it has made the holiday's a little nutty....

Merry Christmas All!
Karen

Karen,

Congratulations on the wedding! Feel better soon - you must have just worn yourself out.

--Lisa

Received a Nomiku for Christmas from my daughter and her boyfriend so will be rereading all the postings here with keen interest...