Any interest in sous-vide?

[Arjon]

I got an immersion circulator a few months ago, so I have some experience, although I'm still no more than an advanced newbie. In any case, I thought I'd create a thread for anyone who might be interested in discussing this method, sharing tips and/or recipes, asking questions, etc.

I'll start with a tip for anyone who might like to try a form of sous-vide without investing in a circulator. It can be done using an insulated cooler (one with a lid is far preferable) and a quick-read thermometer. It's a bit finicky getting the water bath to the desired temp and holding it there since whatever you're cooking draws heat from the water, fairly quickly at first, then less and less rapidly as the cooking process goes on.

This means that early on, it's necessary to checking the water temp and to adjust it by adding hot water every 10-15 minutes until the thing being cooked has warmed enough so the bath cools less quickly.

[Arjon]

One more post to see if there's any interest in this method of cooking. In case there is some, here's another fairly basic tip. It isn't necessary to have a vacuum sealer. For the typical temperature range used for sous-vide cooking, good quality Ziploc-type freezer bags will work fine using the water displacement method to get the air out.

This isn't difficult. It just means slowly lowering the filled, partially-closed freezer bag into a container of water (I usually use the stock pot that I will then use to do the cooking). As the bag is lowered, the water pushes the air out through the part of the opening that's not closed, and gradually closing the opening keeps water from getting in. At the end, the bag will be almost fully immersed just as the last part of the opening is closed.

The entire immersion process only takes a couple of seconds. It's easier and faster to do it than to describe it. If the above isn't clear, I suggest finding a video on the web.

I'm no expert on the sous-vide method, so I welcome other tips if anyone has any to share. I'll also try to answer basic questions, but be aware that I can't do things like suggest which circulator is best for you since I've only used one.