Congratulations! They're awesome. Search this forum for lots on the subject. Check posts by 2ManyDiversions for lots of inspiration.

Start here at Serious Eats. I cooked filets for us tonight, sous vide. They were perfect. I’ve never cooked veggies sous vide, but I hear they are wonderful. I bought mine primarily to pasteurize eggs...which I’ve never done in the 3 years I’ve owned it. 🙄

bbstx - Every year I say I’m gonna pasteurize the eggs for eggnog. Every year I don’t get around to it. I came close this year but then decided I’d take the 1/20,000 risk of salmonella over the risk of messing up the eggnog. Somehow I messed up the eggnog.

Nana - My rec is think of something that really benefits from an edge to edge uniform doneness that you might not get perfectly every time. i’ve recently done a couple tenderloins. I know I’ve spoken negatively about SV beef but I’m either changing my mind or I‘m happier with leaner cuts like tenderloin than I am with say strip steaks. 125 for 2 hours or a bit more, then grill open. Pork’s another - thick chops or a loin roast, something you want perfectly cooked not over not under.

I want to play with more veggies. But if they’re anything like the asparagus which I love, they’re more about technique than precision. I drop the bag in off-simmer water for none minutes and done.

I came to say exactly what Pllllog said. When 2MD got hers there were many discussions about it, and she learned to absolutely love hers. She would freeze her meat with marinade already on it, then sous vide.

Here is a discussion that Plllog posted

Plllog's sous vide thread

And one from 2MD

2MD discussion

Happy Reading!!

I'm guessing it was not an asked for gift. 😒. I totally get it. The learning curve is not fun if not at all excited.

I always recommend boneless pork loin cut into thick chops. It is inexpensive for testing. The last batch I seasoned, food savered, probably six packages, (six meals), SousVide right away, had one pack for that nights meal, then froze the rest. An overnight thaw and into a cast iron to sear. Excellent quick meal. All cooked perfectly and ready to go from the freezer.

(if you like pork)

The beauty is that any protein or veg you like, will hold the temp and perfect determined done temperature, in a window of time, (not all day!) but often 2-4 hours. Mine sits off to the side away from other preps. It is ready and waiting. Meal delayed, no problem.

I pasteurize eggs often.

And recently, with an abundance of veg like golden beets, radish, winter squash...seasoned with shallots, garlic, fresh thyme, lemon...SousVide bath, then into the freezer for cold salads or into a sauce pan for warm with fresh greens. For me now I'm avoiding waste. Just another kitchen tool. A welcomed one. After 5-6 years I find it more than handy. But not necessary. Once a month? Then this past week a few times.

"I'm guessing it was not an asked for gift. 😒"

Good guess! I haven't a lot else to do this winter given the situation so I will look at it as a " project ". The pork sounds like a good start , I am a disaster with pork chops. I also am poached egg challenged so I'll play with that.

Thanks everyone for your thoughs and tips. The kids spent a lot on it so I intend to give it my best shot.

Don't let the fancy french name "sous vide" fool you. It is nothing more than a cooking appliance that can cook at very low temperature accurately with a timer.

Why is that a very useful cooking tool?

1. Food safety - It allows you to cook meat to the lowest safe temperature without the use of a thermometer, regardless how big the meat is and even if you cook the meat from frozen.

2. flexibility of cooking time - You don't need to check the food every few minutes. It is not easy to overcook using sous vide.

3. Less meat shrinkage - Low temperature cooking gives you more meat for less money.

There, start cooking with your new toy.

dcarch

@foodonastump, according to Serious Eats, cooking temps of beef under 130 degrees should be limited to 2.5 hours max, which I’m sure you already knew. However, the article never specifies what the danger is.

@Nana H, I notice that the article I linked urges you to buy a Cambro container. Pffft. You don’t need a special container. I use my 16 qt stock pot or my small Igloo Cube. The one time that I cooked a chuck roast for 24 hours, I used Press ’n’ Seal to cover my Igloo cooler.

The filets I cooked last night cooked at 132 for 4 hours. There was very little evaporation.

"bbstx

@foodonastump, according to Serious Eats, cooking temps of beef under 130 degrees should be limited to 2.5 hours max, which I’m sure you already knew. However, the article never specifies what the danger is.-----"

For longer cooks, I dump the steak into boiling water for a few seconds, the sous vide bag and the seasonings inside the bag too are boiled. Everything touches the steak gets boiled also.

dcarch

Thanks bbstx- My experience has me shying away from longer cooking times so I realize I’m not going for pasteurization but rather aim for “heat through“. 2-2.5 hours seems to do that for small/med cylindrical roasts like beef tenderloin. I’ve thought about food safety and kind of figured that‘d be safe but never read up on it. So SE is is saying 2.5 max, and I see Douglas Baldwin says 4. I think I’ve been safe enough but it’s good to note. I see on DB’s site his pasteurization chart starts at 131°, so that‘s in line with the limit SE mentions.

bbstks we had a spare large BRITA container (moved from a well to filtered city water). Hubby cut a hole just the right size and it works great! I've seen these britas at the thrift store as low as $5!

Nana, I love mine. I can finally enjoy chicken breasts. The outer part would always fatally dry out before the inner part was safely cooked.