Cast Iron cooking

[40Arpent]

I don't like sous vide cooked meat. It doesn't sear and just doesn't taste the same to me. It looks un-appetizing as well.

Step 1: season or marinate meat
Step 2: sous vide
Step 3: sear on the grill or in a pan

Sounds like you forgot step 3.

 

[karlac]

Step 1: season or marinate meat
Step 2: sous vide
Step 3: sear on the grill or in a pan

Sounds like you forgot step 3.

Mais cher, where you been, you?

 

[ed308]

Would love to try Sous Vide. I notice burgers come out much larger. But is the taste that much better?

 

[karlac]

Would love to try Sous Vide. I notice burgers come out much larger. But is the taste that much better?

Only been doing it for a few weeks, but it depends.
I will say that IME the better the cut of meat, the better the outcome.
And, within a much longer time frame of cooking, in both time and temperature

Success appears to have a lot to with the amount of connective tissue versus muscle in the cut.

Cooked an el cheapo rib steak that was overall tough to chew due to the connective tissue, but the actual muscle itself was awesome in flavor and tenderness. A balancing act between time and temperature, as with all types of cooking, so experimentation is necessary for your setup.

Thus far the best proteins I've cooked sous vide are salmon and chicken breast, both of which tend to be too overcooked for my preference. Cooked sous vide, both are awesome ... flavorful and tender, with just the right texture ... left too long in the bath at the same temp and the naturally tender meats will tend to get a mushy texture.

Lots of guidance on youtube ... just be ready to separate the wheat from the chaff, as the BS content is pretty much you would expect on youtube.

This was chicken breast, cooked sous vide and seared in a hot cast iron skillet, with olive oil. The "pot liquor" left in the bag after cooking was added to the searing skillet, cooked down, and made a helluva gravy/sauce.

 

[40Arpent]

"Thus far the best proteins I've cooked sous vide are salmon and chicken breast"

I know you're a pro with the residual heat method of cooking pork, but you HAVE to sous vide some thick center cut chops (followed by a quick sear). You're welcome.

 

[40Arpent]

Mais cher, where you been, you?

Still waiting on my lunch/coffee invite. I'll shoot you a PM soon, catch up a bit.

 

[karlac]

"Thus far the best proteins I've cooked sous vide are salmon and chicken breast"

I know you're a pro with the residual heat method of cooking pork, but you HAVE to sous vide some thick center cut chops (followed by a quick sear). You're welcome.

Just experimented with a small pork tenderloin, sous vide; turned out good, just not spectacular.
Very tender and juicy, but it lost too much texture.
Going to cut the time down to 1 1/2 hour from 2 1/2, at 135F.

 

[karlac]

Still waiting on my lunch/coffee invite. I'll shoot you a PM soon, catch up a bit.

Retired, spent late spring through the fall fishing in AR.
Just go back in town in late Nov.
Fixing to PM you, and voila, you showed up today.

 

[ed308]

I may have to try it. It is slower which is a negative for everyday meals. I'm usually looking for fast when I'm hunger. Usually do burgers, chicken, steak and etc on my BGE. Maybe one day.

 

[TheDan]

I don't like sous vide cooked meat. It doesn't sear and just doesn't taste the same to me. It looks un-appetizing as well.

You have to pat the surface dry and get your pan or grill screaming hot before you sear. It should only take several seconds to get some color on it. Also people tend to make the mistake of putting oil or butter in the bag with meat. While cooking with butter is normally amazing, you don't want to do it with sous vide as it dilutes the fat already in the meat. You just end up washing away a lot of the fat soluble flavors.

 

[acorneau]

Just a heads-ip for those near a Costco... They have a two-skillet set (12" and 10.25") with two silicone handle protectors for $25. I checked the pricing on Amazon and they normally go for $55.

I don't need the 10.25" skillet but the 12" will come in handy. I'll probably sell the smaller one for 10 or 15 bucks and come out with a $30 skillet for $10!

 

[acorneau]

Mish-mashing this thread and the "What's for dinner?" thread a little bit.

Hit a cast-iron trifecta with tonight's dinner... Caramelized onions in the #5 skillet; roasted red potatoes in the #8 skillet; grilled a thick pork chop (which has thick cast-iron grates). Mmm, good eats.

 

[NewToTX]

I didn't look at all posts but has enameled cast iron been discussed here?

Currently own 2 lodge pans: One of the meat sweats and one for fish. Hard to beat fish from a cast iron.

 

[ed308]

I've got a couple Le Creuset cast iron pans. I like mine. East to clean up compared to a regular cast iron.

 

[NewToTX]

I've got a couple Le Creuset cast iron pans. I like mine. East to clean up compared to a regular cast iron.

We have one Le Creuset 3.5 QT dutch oven. Love it but the only issue is it's just the wife and I. Only time we use it is to cook a feast when friends come over.

 

[TxStetson]

We have one Le Creuset 3.5 QT dutch oven. Love it but the only issue is it's just the wife and I. Only time we use it is to cook a feast when friends come over.

You don’t hafta fill it to the top. You can keep the level of the contents low and use it as a skillet.

 

[NewToTX]

You don’t hafta fill it to the top. You can keep the level of the contents low and use it as a skillet.

Just the size of it makes it a pain to clean after. So if we are using it we going big. lol

 

[ed308]

We have one Le Creuset 3.5 QT dutch oven. Love it but the only issue is it's just the wife and I. Only time we use it is to cook a feast when friends come over.

One word..., leftovers!

 

[NewToTX]

Oh and I was incorrect. It's a 9.5 QT pot.

 

[TxStetson]

Oh and I was incorrect. It's a 9.5 QT pot.

In that case, I understand, not an every day cooker.

You need to buy a smaller one.