Sous Vide is a cooking technique that was thought to be only limited to professional cooks and chefs. This is a technique that utilizes precise temperature control to deliver consistent high-quality results. Sous Vide meals can usually be found in high-class restaurant and 5-star hotels. But due to the availability of precision cooking equipment you can now use these techniques while preparing your meals at home.
Sous vide or “under vacuum” in French refers to a process in which you vacuum-seal your food in a bag. You then cook the food to a precise temperature in a water bath. This technique produces consistent results which one can find impossible to achieve using other cooking methods. You might think that sous vide is a complicate technique to master but you can be very wrong. To do this technique you usually just do these 3 simple steps:
- Use a precision cooker with a pot of water and set the time and temperature that is required for your meals.
- Then put your meal in a sealable bag and attach it to the side of the pot with a clamp or a clip.
- After the timed precision cooker finishes cooking the meal you can finish by searing or grilling your meal to add a crispy, golden exterior layer.
Sous vide is a proven method that is superior to other traditional methods of cooking, this is because your meat is usually sealed in a bag. But do you need a vacuum sealer for sous vide?
Vacuum sealers can be very expensive and not everybody can afford one, but you can use a Ziplock bag and produce the same results as a vacuum sealer. Ziplocks bags are an efficient and cheap alternative to most vacuum sealers.
If you don’t have a precision cooker then you can still use a regular one but just add a thermometer to your pot. The thermometer can still help you monitor the temperature of the water. In this way you can adjust the heat of your cooker so that it will match the desired heat for your food.
What are the Advantages If You Cook Sous Vide?
Cooking is a well-known way to improve the quality of your meals. Traditional methods of cooking can often cause your meat to be overcooked on the outside but undercooked in the inside. Your meats can often end up having a dry, chewy texture.
When you exposed meats while cooking you lose it flavour and the nutritious parts can often drip out into the charcoal. This type of cooking simply not efficient, that is why expert created the sous vide technique in order to trap the flavour inside the meat while being consistent in the way it is cooked.
Here are a few good reasons why you should try to consider cooking sous vide:
Consistency:
Because you are cooking with precise temperature and precise time while your meat is in a water pot. You can expect a very consistent result on your meal. You can also enhance the flavour of your meats by adding herbs and spices inside your bag. And with a searing finish your meat can look indistinguishable to other meats that were cooked in a traditional way.
Taste:
It is often said that meats that are cooked in its own juices have the best taste. And with your meats cooking while sealed inside a bag with a vacuum sealer, that saying might prove to be true. Sealing it inside a water pot will also insure that your meat will remain tender and juicy while also sealing in all the flavour.
Waste Reduction:
Traditional cooking also causes a lot of evaporation on the part of your meats. This causes it to dry up and results in wastes. On average cooking a steak with traditional methods can make it lose about 40% of its volume due to drying out. A sealed steak cooked underwater in a pot via precision cooking equipment loses just a fraction of its volume. In this way if you start with a half-pound steak beef you won’t end up having a quarter-pound in the end.
Flexibility:
Traditional cooking requires a lot of constant and careful attention. If you miss a moment it may result in the heat being too hot or too cold, and this can be disastrous for your meal.
But by using a precision cooking device you won’t have a problem if the heat is becoming too much because it will automatically adjust itself. And with the timer you can be able sure that the food will be cooked just on time.
Multi-tasking:
And cooking with timer can also free you to do other pursuits as well. With the extra time not worrying about your food you can prepare the sauce of the meat or start making side dishes for your meal. If you forgot something at the grocery you can have the time to go out and purchase it in a nearby store and you won’t have to worry about the meal when you go back.
So there you are reasons why you would try to master sous vide. There are still many more reasons why you should try this type of cooking and you can check them online. And like the restaurant chefs and cooks that consistently create meals and foods that are delicious.
You can also learn to cook like them. In your next party or family gathering, you surprise your friends and family members by cooking like a pro. Not only will you be cooking and serving tender, juicy and delicious meats you can also keep the nutrition locked in as well.
So what are you waiting for? Learn how to cook right now. And if you are interested to be more efficient in the kitchen try and get a precision cooker and a vacuum sealer for your kitchen now. Turn your kitchen from a regular boring “house-wife kitchen” into a “high-class restaurant” kitchen that can create incredible tasty meals.