Pictures from my first Sous Vide Supreme meal!

[Rob Babcock]

Okay, guys- here you go! Pics from my first meal out of the Sous Vide Supreme...a couple of nice sirloins! I set the SVS for 131 degrees F, a nice rarish medium-rare. I set the timer for about an hour and a half and walked away.

Here's the package of steaks right out of the bath:



Here's a picture of of inside:



I browned the first one up with my Iwatani torch. Wheee!




The second I seared in a screaming hot pan...




Check out the perfect edge-to-edge doneness! You just can't do that on the broiler, grill or in the oven...



To be continued...

 

[Rob Babcock]

The steak plated up.



...And topped with baby portobello mushrooms, sauteed in bacon fat and deglazed with stock from the vac pouch and some wine.



Lastly, the Sous Vide Supreme prepares for some soft boiled eggs...




Next time!

 

[powerplantop]

I have been wanting one of those. The problem is I am not home enough to justify it.

 

[BigAL]

Very nice & FANTASTIC pix!!!

Great info. Thanks for post'n!

 

[mollyanne]

...well, I never. And what a fabulous result! Looks tender, juicy, evenly cooked to perfection!

 

[FrankZ]

Nice...

Were the steaks everything you hoped they would be with the machine?


And you didn't use that knife on that plate to cut the steak did ya?

 

[Rob Babcock]

Nice...

Were the steaks everything you hoped they would be with the machine?

And you didn't use that knife on that plate to cut the steak did ya?

The steak was incredible.

And no, the knife is just laying there, trying to help me look cool...
Did it help?

 

[Andy M.]

The steak looks awesome! Just how I like them.

Would you say there are any significant differences between a pan seared steak vs. what you had here? How about the torch vs. the hot pan.

 

[FrankZ]

The steak was incredible.

And no, the knife is just laying there, trying to help me look cool...
Did it help?

It helps... :

 

[Nicholas Mosher]

Looks excellent!

I'm actually in the process of designing an immersion circulator for Sous Vide in a lab at the University I attend. That edge to edge pink/red is certainly unobtainable without this process - flawless!

The process I want to try is taking the meat and chilling it after the Sous Vide process, and then searing it on a VERY hot charcoal grill to capture some of that BBQ flavor. Do them all in advance in the circulator, and when people come over steak is on and off the grill in 30-60 seconds. Perfect doneness plus that charcoal grilled flavor.

I assume you have "Under Pressure" by Thomas Keller?

Looks amazing man!

 

[NAchef]

Nice!

I have been wanting one of these also, for now I just like to read about them and look at pics on different forums.

 

[Rob Babcock]

The steak looks awesome! Just how I like them.

Would you say there are any significant differences between a pan seared steak vs. what you had here? How about the torch vs. the hot pan.

The hot pan gave me a better crust. But partly that's because I was concerned about burning the cracked peppercorns with the torch. On the other hand, there was no smoke, splatter or mess with the Iwatani...the pan filled my kitchen with smoke. I may have to try doing one under the broiler. At the moment it's been getting down to -5 or more at night, making it a bit chilly to use the gas grill. Well, assuming it's still under that snowbank!

Looks excellent!

The process I want to try is taking the meat and chilling it after the Sous Vide process, and then searing it on a VERY hot charcoal grill to capture some of that BBQ flavor. Do them all in advance in the circulator, and when people come over steak is on and off the grill in 30-60 seconds. Perfect doneness plus that charcoal grilled flavor.

Yeah, I'd do that if the weather was better. I don't really think there'd be any reason to chill the steak first. If you SV'd it @ 130 it will be almost cool to the touch. You could go right from the bath to the grill, I think.

I assume you have "Under Pressure" by Thomas Keller?

Looks amazing man!

Sadly I don't have it yet. It's been in my cart at Amazon for a year! I just haven't pulled the trigger yet since it's between $45-$50. Still, as there are only a handful of good books on the topic I will eventually break down and get it. Probably the Fat Duck and Alinea cookbooks as well. For now I'm really digging Douglas Baldwin's sous vide book, and of course I'm gathering a lot of tips and recipes from the 'net.

 

[Rob Babcock]

Tonite's meal from the SVS was pork loin. I cut a whole pork loin in two, opting to save one half for later, and seasoned the other with Montreal Seasoning. I then vacuum packed it with a few TBSP of bacon fat and tossed it in the SVS set @ 140 F and allowed it to cook for 6 hours. Once it was done I browned it up on the gas grill.

Wow! My standard method for pork loin is a 350 degree oven, pulling at 134 internal temp and this is a pretty reliable way to get juicy pork. But it's nothing compared to how tender and juicy it is sous vide! For my first crack at pork loin I opted to start at the top end of the temp scale, figuring I can back it off. And I think I'll cook the other half somewhere between 130-135.

So far everything I've done sous vide has been really terrific. My next dish? I've had a chunk of corned beef cooking for a few hours, and my plan is let it go for at least 32 more at 140 degrees.

 

[FrankZ]

You'll note this thread title mentions pictures. We are waiting.

 

[Midnight_Merlot]

Rob, these pics looked so wonderful, that I actually had to stop myself from licking my screen!! LOL!! Kudos to you!! BTW...you have me "sold" on a Sous Vide machine of my own. Funny thing is - is that my DH would have taken a glimpse of your pics & nearly tossed his cookies! He, apparently enjoys boot leather over divinely cooked meats. A+++ on that showing...your turnout REALLY impressed me!!...PS - when can I come over for leftovers? BWAHAHAHA

 

[Rob Babcock]

Bear in mind that you could use SV to cook them done, too...I just don't know why you'd want to! Someone else commented that steaks cooks SV accommodate a lot of different doneness preferences. People who like them rare will probably enjoy an edge-to-edge medium rare that's bursting with meat juices. And those who like their steaks more done will be pleased to find no cold "blue" center.

Sorry for the lack of pork pics...we ate all the evidence before it could be photographed!

 

[Nicholas Mosher]

I think Sous Vide was originally developed for first class meals on the airlines. The flight attendants could basically drop your steak in the water bath, dial in the doneness, and pass out stale peanuts to coach not having to worry about you sending back your medium steak that you ordered medium-rare.

I think I read that in "Under Pressure".

 

[NAchef]

Here is a link that you may be interested in A Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking Guide to SV cooking.

 

[Rob Babcock]

Here is a link that you may be interested in A Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking Guide to SV cooking.

Yeah, that's a good book. I have the PDF downloaded to my computer, plus I have a paper copy of it, too. In fact, it's sitting about three feet away from me right now!

 

[FrankZ]

Hey Rob,

Do you have a clamp type ammeter you could put on this thing while it runs? Kinda interested in its power consumption.