The Everything Guide to Cooking Sous Vide (9 page)

Can the bags be reused again?

No, bags should not be reused for another sous vide cooking session. Since they were used to cook meat or other food, one can never be sure that they have been thoroughly cleaned, especially in the corners and crevices of the bags. It is best to just throw them in the garbage or rinse and place them in the recycling bin.

It is essential that the bags are safe for cooking at sous vide temperatures and lengths of time and that they are made with plastics free of a number of harmful chemicals and toxins. BPA (bisphenol A) and phthalates are two chemicals that are dangerous if leached into food or anything you consume. This definitely applies to sous vide cooking and it is important to make sure that proper plastics are being used. Many brand-name vacuum seal bags and zipper lock food bags manufactured and sold in the United States and Canada use plastic that is free of these harmful chemicals. These bags meet FDA standards and are safe for sous vide cooking. If there is concern regarding any particular bag or company, the best thing to do is to contact the company directly and ask them what is in their plastic bags and how they are made.

Cooking Safely

Food safety is important with any cooking method. Bacteria and pathogens can be on or in food that has been cooked in the oven, on the grill, in the smoker, or even in the deep fryer. It is important for the home cook to understand food safety and take precautions to prevent the multiplication of harmful bacteria. Sous vide is not immune from these food safety issues. In fact, because the temperatures are lower than traditional cooking, it is essential that home cooks take proper safeguards to ensure that they are caring for and cooking food properly.

The “danger zone” refers to the temperature range between 40°F and 140°F. It is termed the danger zone because bacteria and other pathogens multiply at a rapid rate in this range. The longer it takes for the cooking process to move meat through this range, the greater the risk there is in food being contaminated with hazardous bacteria such as salmonella, E. coli, listeria, and
Clostridium botulinum
. These are serious pathogens that can cause a wide range of illnesses from issues as minor as a fever or an upset stomach to serious health problems.

People often think of food safety and the reduction of pathogens in relation to a certain temperature. In many recipes and instructions on food packages, it will say to cook food to a specific internal temperature. Although cooking to that specific internal temperature will make the food safe, that is only part of the story. Time is also a factor, along with temperature, for reducing pathogens and making food safe. So, this means that meat can be cooked to a lower internal temperature and it can be deemed safe to eat if it is held at this lower temperature (or above) for a longer period of time.

All this information is a guide, and in no way is it meant to cover all aspects of food safety. For more information about cooking food safely, using sous vide or any other method, please consult with the FDA, USDA, or your local public health office.

Sous vide cooking safe, but it is essential to follow proper cooking temperature and time guidelines. The operations manual of your sous vide machine likely has detailed information regarding temperatures and times for different sorts of meat. There are also plenty of resources online that can provide all the information you require for cooking food safely. Also, Appendix A has Time and Temperature Charts (used with permission of Eades Appliance Technology, LLC/SousVide Supreme,
www.sousvidesupreme.com
), for cooking all sorts of meat in a sous vide water bath. It is important to note that this information is a guide, and there are many other factors that come into play that can impact the length it takes to properly cook and in some cases pasteurize a piece of meat. Some factors include the shape, size, and thickness of the cut of meat. Obviously, the thicker a piece of meat, the longer it will take to cook and be safe to eat. In some cases, the meat may be too thick to cook and pasteurize safely and it may be necessary to cut it into smaller portions.

It is important to note that most harmful bacteria reside on the outside of the meat. This does not include poultry like chicken and turkey that can have salmonella on the inside of the meat. But, for most other meats, the inside of the meat is generally considered sterile and free of these forms of bacteria. Ground meat is a different story because any harmful bacteria would be mixed throughout all the meat. Also, a knife or meat tenderizer that pierces the meat can send bacteria into the middle core of a solid piece of meat.

Here are a few tips for cooking safely:

• Purchase the highest-quality meat from a respected butcher or supermarket.
  
• Take great care to prepare the meat in a sterile environment, regularly cleaning knives, tools, cutting boards, countertops, and your hands.
  
• Package, cook, and consume the meat as soon after purchase as possible.
  
• Make sure that when the meat is being stored it is in the fridge or freezer, in a proper temperature-controlled environment.
  
• Read and follow FDA and USDA guidelines (or your local public health office) for the proper temperature and time for cooking meat.
  
• Take greater care if you or someone you are cooking for is more susceptible to illness (e.g., the elderly, pregnant women, infants, others). In these cases, cooking at a higher temperature is advised.
  

There are some amazing resources for cooking food safely using sous vide. One of the best tools available is in fact an iPhone/iPad app made by PolyScience. This app, called Sous Vide Toolbox, allows you to input the type of meat, including its size, shape, and thickness. Then you input the planned cooking temperature and the beginning temperature of the meat (usually a fridge temperature). This app will then calculate the time it will take to cook and pasteurize the food so that it is safe for consumption. It is impressive because you can make some minor adjustments, like increasing or decreasing the temperature by one degree or two, and immediately the app will make the adjustments and show the new time it will take to cook and pasteurize the food. This app is a minimal cost and it is an invaluable tool, providing a wealth of useful information.

Chapter 4

Advanced Techniques

Sous vide opens the door to many different culinary possibilities. Some people delve into this with the desire to expand their skills in the kitchen and make fancy dinners that will amaze their guests. Other people see sous vide mainly as a convenience. The ability to submerge meat in the water bath and not fear overcooking it is extremely appealing. There are home cooks who love the “set it and forget it” mindset of sous vide and embrace the thought of life being less stressful with sous vide in the home. Both of these mindsets are accurate and that is one of the fabulous things about sous vide cooking. It is a highly versatile cooking technique that can both advance your culinary skills and make life a whole lot easier!

Innovative Methods with Sous Vide

Sous vide is a fine way to keep cooking simple, as it is a surprisingly effortless method. It is understandable that anyone who hasn’t tried cooking sous vide may feel like it is overwhelming and complicated, but that could not be further from the truth. Sous vide can be quite basic, using standard foolproof techniques every time. Its ease and straightforwardness is one of the significant advantages of sous vide. But, it doesn’t end there. Anyone who wants to can use sous vide to create new and advanced culinary creations. Molecular gastronomy merges food and science to redefine cooking, food presentation, and plating. Sous vide is a regularly used cooking method in molecular gastronomy and modern cuisine in general.

There are a number of tools that the modern chef uses alongside sous vide. The following is a list of a few kitchen gadgets that can expand the sous vide enthusiasts landscape.

All these tools and others are available for purchase online through many different sources like Amazon, Williams-Sonoma, and more. There are many different brands, products, and models, so be sure to read online reviews to discover what is best and what will fit your culinary needs.

Handheld Smoker

The ability to infuse smoke into foods that have been cooked in the sous vide opens up a whole new exciting element to this culinary sphere. A handheld smoking device uses wood shavings to create smoke that passes through a tube and into a bag or other container. The smoke penetrates the food to give it a wonderful hint of smoky flavor. It is also possible to plate a finished dish and cover it with a glass serving dome. The smoke can be sent into the dome and this allows the food to sit in that smoky environment, providing an enhanced taste experience. Companies like PolyScience and 100%Chef make handheld smoking guns that are an excellent addition to any foodie’s arsenal.

Here are a few recipes found in this book that work very well with handheld smokers:

• Chicken with Tomato Pineapple Chutney
  (Chapter 8)
  
• Salmon with Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Compound Butter
  (Chapter 11)
  
• No-Fuss Scallops
  (Chapter 11)
  
• Spicy Butternut Squash Soup
  (Chapter 7)
  

Simply cook each of these recipes according to the written directions. Then, just prior to serving, place the food in a serving bowl or on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Stick the smoking gun’s tube under the plastic wrap and fill it with smoke. Let the smoke rest with the food for a couple of minutes and then serve.

Soda Siphons and Gourmet Whips

Usually, people think of soda siphons or gourmet whips as a way to make seltzer or whipped cream, but this kitchen gadget can do so much more. The gourmet whip has become an essential tool for modern cuisine and is used to make fancy foams, froths, creams, sauces, and even soup. These gourmet whips can be clamped on to the side of a sous vide water bath, allowing the ingredients inside the stainless steel canister to gently cook or simmer. This is excellent for egg-based sauces like hollandaise or anglaise. The iSi Gourmet Whip is an excellent product and a welcome addition to any foodie’s kitchen tool chest.

Here are a couple of recipes that can utilize the gourmet whip with great results:

• Pumpkin and Apple Soup
  (Chapter 7)
  
• Hollandaise Sauce
  (Chapter 5)
  
• Crème Anglaise
  (Chapter 14)
  

Molecular Gastronomy Chemicals

Chemistry is an important aspect of molecular gastronomy. Adding specific food additives or chemicals can produce amazing results. Small amounts of agar, calcium lactate, sodium alginate, soy lecithin, tapioca maltodextrin, and others can change the look and taste of food. With these ingredients home cooks can make foams, gel spheres, films, and emulsions out of food that one never thought possible.