Eli5: What’s so special about sous vide cooking that can’t be done via other cooking methods?
In: 3670
One thing I haven’t seen mentioned is that things…happen when meat is held at an elevated temperature for an extended period of time. Lots of flavorful but tough cuts become flavorful and soft.
I sous vide beef ribs at 132F for 3-4 days and the result is a beef rib you can cut with a fork. It’s soft like a braised beef rib, but firmer and less stringy. Ever de-boned a chicken thigh with just your index finger? Cook one at 158F for more than 24 hours and you can try it yourself.
A couple of notes on long sous vide:
1. Salt is your friend. Don’t oversalt, but add what you would normally add to the dish.
2. You must be above the pasteurization temperature.
3. Avoid things that bacteria would use for food. Bacteria will die eventually, but they might reproduce enough to change the flavor. Salt is really the only thing that penetrates over time anyways, the rest can be added later.
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