FoodBanter.com - Sou Vide issues, anyone?

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14-09-2005 05:44 PM

Sou Vide issues, anyone?

I'm getting interested in cooking Sou Vide (the French-developed low
temperature cooking in vacuum bags).

However, since you cook at very low temperatures (eg, fish at 140 degrees F.
for 30-40 minutes, until the internal temperature gets to 135 degrees), you
don't kill organisms by temperature (although even with normal cooking of
fish, you don't get that hot anyway). It works great for fish, even, moist
results, tender.

If anyone has scientific knowledge about this to impart (not just opinions),
that might be a good topic in the FAQ.

I gather the FDA has done some work on this, in order to review and approve
its use by food service/airlines. I just don't know where that information
can be located.

Bob (this one)

14-09-2005 06:46 PM

wrote:

> I'm getting interested in cooking Sou Vide (the French-developed low
> temperature cooking in vacuum bags).
>
> However, since you cook at very low temperatures (eg, fish at 140 degrees F.
> for 30-40 minutes, until the internal temperature gets to 135 degrees), you
> don't kill organisms by temperature (although even with normal cooking of
> fish, you don't get that hot anyway).

If you're at a center temperature of 135°F and surfaces are at or above
140°F, you've killed most of the critters. Temperatures even this low
are bacteriostatic.

> It works great for fish, even, moist
> results, tender.
>
> If anyone has scientific knowledge about this to impart (not just opinions),
> that might be a good topic in the FAQ.

It's a complex and very fussy culinary approach. Too many hazards for
the imprecise. It takes a fair amount of money to do it correctly.

> I gather the FDA has done some work on this, in order to review and approve
> its use by food service/airlines. I just don't know where that information
> can be located.

I used sous vide, before it was called that, in my restaurants. The
applications available to commercial users are outside the scope of most
home kitchens because of the steady-state precision necessary. The
largest percentage of foodservice application isn't really sous vide
cooking. It's rewarming (rethermalizing! Love jargon.) already cooked or
partially cooked foods.

Pastorio

Brian Mailman

14-09-2005 10:14 PM

wrote:

> I'm getting interested in cooking Sou Vide (the French-developed low
> temperature cooking in vacuum bags).

Is that the one that has something like beef stew cooked at 125:F for 36
hours? Saw something like that on GMA a month or so ago.

B/

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