Sous Vide is a method of cooking in a vacuum sealed bag or container where the food is cooked at a low temperature and doesn’t come into direct contact with water. The food is maintained at its precise cooking temperature for a long period of time. This results in evenly cooked food with a tender texture. When you think of traditional cooking methods, you probably think of a hot pan, a big oven, or a grill. But what if you could cook without any of those? What if you could cook a steak, chicken, vegetables, or anything else without having to spend hours in the kitchen? Sous Vide is exactly that. With its low temperature, long cooking time, and precise temperature control, it is a great way to cook without having to be in the kitchen all the time. In this article we will discuss the pros and cons of a sous vide machine, some commonly used sous vide machines, and examples of sous vide recipes.
What is Sous Vide?
Sous Vide is a style of cooking that uses vacuum sealing, an airtight container, and precise temperature control to cook food to perfection, yielding consistently juicy and tender results every time. To cook food in a sous vide machine, you seal the food inside a bag, put it inside an airtight container, and then seal the container as well. The container is then placed inside a water bath, often using a sous vide machine’s built-in water bath. The precise temperatures used for sous vide cooking make it an ideal method for preserving the food’s natural flavor.
Sous Vide Machine Types
- Analog Temperature Controlled - The oldest type of sous vide machines, analog controlled devices use a dial to set the desired temperature. This type of sous vide machine is not very accurate, and it’s often difficult to get it to set the temperature you want. - Digital Temperature Controlled - Digital temperature controlled sous vide machines come in a wide variety of models. One major advantage of this type of device is that they are very accurate and can easily be programmed to your desired settings.
- Programmable Temperature Controlled - Programmable temperature controlled sous vide machines are even more user-friendly than DTCs. They have an easy to use touchscreen interface that allows you to control the desired settings with ease.
Sous Vide Pros
- Tender and Juicy Meat - Sous vide is a great way to make tender and juicy meat. By cooking your meat in a very low temperature, it is able to retain a lot more moisture inside the meat.
- Healthy and Natural Foods - Sous vide also makes it possible to make healthy and natural foods like vegetables and fruit. There are no chemicals or preservatives added during the cooking process.
- Easy Cleanup - Cleanup is a breeze because there is no mess or additional dishes from the cooking process.
- Can Preserve Freshness - Because sous vide cooking uses very precise temperatures, you can preserve the freshness of foods by cooking them without any oxygen exposure.
- No Risk of Overcooking - With sous vide, you can carefully control the amount of time it is cooked for, thus eliminating the risk of overcooking foods.
Examples of Sous Vide Recipes
- Sous Vide Steak - Sous vide steak is a great choice for those who are looking for a healthy and natural way to prepare meat. With sous vide, you will be able to prepare steak that is tender and juicy.
- Sous Vide Sushi - Sous vide sushi also makes for a healthy and natural way to prepare sushi. You can prepare your sushi rice without using any chemicals or preservatives and then seal it in an airtight container before placing it in the water bath for sous vide cooking.
- Sous Vide Chicken - Chicken is a very versatile and healthy protein, which makes it the perfect candidate for sous vide. With the right amount of time, you can get sous vide chicken that is tender, juicy, and flavorful.
- Sous Vide Vegetables - Sous vide vegetables are a great way to get some variety into your diet. The benefits of sous vide don’t stop at meat and fish; you can also use this method to prepare vegetables.
Final Words: Should You Use a Sous Vide Machine?
Sous vide machines are great at cooking food to perfection, but the downside is that it can be very time-consuming to get the timing down. The only way to guarantee good results is to spend a lot of time experimenting and practice. If you are looking for a quick and convenient way to cook, a traditional stove or an oven may be a better option for you. Sous vide machines are also extremely expensive and require a lot of practice and precision to produce consistently good results. A traditional oven or stove can be used to make almost as good results without requiring you to be as precise. That said, if you are willing to put in the time, a sous vide machine is a great investment.