Advantages Of Sous Vide Cooking

Sous-Vide Cooking

Sous vide cooking, the secret tool of innovative chefs, is now becoming popular with home cooks. The sous vide method of cooking produces perfectly tender meats and tender-crisp vegetables without any danger of overcooking. If you are new to the idea of sous vide cooking, it may take a little getting use to; but once you eat a meal cooked sous vide, you’ll understand what the fuss is about.

What is Sous Vide?

The French term sous vide means “under vacuum”, but a vacuum isn’t needed. Sealed in a plastic bag, the food simmers in a water bath that is kept at the right temperature for the desired degree of doneness. For example, if you prefer your steak cooked medium, the water bath is set to 145 degrees. Once the steak reaches 145 degrees, it is perfectly cooked to medium doneness. A quick sear to brown the outside and it is ready to eat.

The water bath temperature is set to the desired final temperature so it is impossible to overcook the food. In conventional cooking method, food dries out and changes in texture as the temperature rises. A few minutes too long in the oven or pan can make a big difference in the flavor, moisture and texture of the food. In sous vide cooking, once the desired temperature is reached the food can remain in the water bath for a few extra hours, if necessary, with no change in the quality of the food. This means that the cook can produce food at the exact degree of doneness every time--vegetables perfectly tender crisp, meat moist and tender--never