"jmcquown" > wrote in message
...
> Margaret Suran wrote:
>> NEW YORK REGION | March 9, 2006
>> Chefs Looking for Tenderness Meet Tough New York Rules
>> By DANA BOWEN
>> New York City's health department is cracking down on a French cooking
>> method that the city says has not been approved for restaurants.
>>
> http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/09/ny... 070&emc=eta1
>
> Okay, if I'm reading this correctly, Sous Vide basically means they are
> packaging and then cooking the food in sealed "boil'n bags".
>
> I see no reason to think this is upscale or gourmet cooking since the
> Jolly
> Green Giant has been doing this with frozen food for years As for food
> safety, why wouldn't it be?
>
> Jill
>
>

Sous vide is very different from the "boil in bag" meals that most people
are familiar with. THe fundamental principle is that you cook the food at
the desired final temperature. For example, for a medium rare lamb chop you
want an internal temp of 145 degrees, so the bag containing the chops and
seasonings is cooked in a 145 degree water bath. It can never go above 145
so cannot be overdone, and the prolonged cooking lets the flavors meld. Some
things such as meats may be quickly browned after the sous vide cooking.

The health concern comes from the fact that the food is never raised to a
temperature that is known to kill bacteria.

--
Peter Aitken