George wrote:

>>>> http://www.cookingforgeeks.com/blog/...diy-sous-vide/
>>>>
>>>> For those of you who are 'tinker' inclined.
>>>
>>> Someone should make a unit that drops into a standard cooler (Igloo,
>>> Coleman, etc.). One could do wonderful things with those inexpensive
>>> cryovaced USDA Select beef tenderloins, and other even cheaper cuts.
>>> We have a local store that sells those Select subprimals. I should
>>> suggest to them that they consider investing in a commercial sous vide
>>> cooker.
>>
>> Obviously I'm missing something here. If you take a cheap, tough piece
>> of meat, and cook it to rare all the way through, won't you end up with
>> a rare, cheap, tough piece of meat?
>>
> You just process the tougher cuts at a lower temp for a longer time (> 24
> hours). That breaks down the connective tissue and turns the collagen into
> gelatin similar to braising only much better. So you could get the great
> beefy taste of say chuck and have it tender but not almost flavorless like
> a filet.

There are plenty of tough cuts which don't *have* the connective tissue you
mention. Cooking them for a long period of time just makes them dry, since
the proteins contract and drive the water out. Round is an example of that
kind of cut, and many cuts from the chuck have that same issue. If you want
connective tissue, you need something like brisket, shank, oxtail, or ribs.
Any large muscle with little connective tissue will not become more tender
with prolonged cooking; the best thing to do is cook them quickly to rare,
or (for maximum tenderness) eat them raw.

Bob