
I’ve been meaning to toy around with this for quite some time. They’re always screwing around with it on Top Chef and everyone raves about the results. As if that weren’t enough, it’s hugely accurate at temperature control so food comes out exactly the way that you want it. Every time.
Sous vide. It sounds like a great idea. Sous vide is french for “under vacuum” and that’s generally the principal by which it gets the job done. Food gets vacuum sealed inside plastic bags and then is cooked in a water bath at a low temperature for hours and hours until it’s done. If the end product needs to be cooked to 150 degrees F, you cook it in 150 degree water. No way that it can get overcooked then. No matter how hard you try there’s no way that piece of meat can go higher than 150 degrees.
It’s simple, elegant, and pretty much foolproof. The only drawback is the equipment. At a minimum you’re looking at $100 for a decent vacuum sealer and $400 for an immersion circulator, which keeps the water bath at a constant temperature. Great for hotels, restaurants, and professional chefs. Ridiculous for the home chef unless you’ve got a trust fund and acres of counter space. I’ve neither. I imagine you’re in a similar situation.
Repurposing a few home items can get you results pretty close to what professionals are producing without shelling out any money at all. Even if you lack any of the stuff I used it’s unlikely you’d spend more than $30 of your hard-earned money to replicate by meager equipment. So what do you need then? Continue reading →