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1.) DParker - 03/15/2016
...all of the air out of plastic bags!
I wish I'd posted this earlier, because any feedback I get now telling me not to buy a FoodSaver "GameSaver" Deluxe vacuum sealer is going to be too late to save me. But maybe some other good can come from a discussion on the subject in general.) After a week of scouring the intertubez for reviews (both written and video format) on the various models of kitchen vacuum sealers as well as the best available deals my eyes were starting to bleed. And just as I thought of starting this thread to see if anyone here had any topical wisdom to share up popped an Amazon "Lightning Deal" on the aforementioned [URL="http://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-GameSaver-Deluxe-Vacuum-Sealing/dp/B0018ESBVM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458075439&sr=8-1&keywords=FoodSaver+GameSaver+Deluxe+Vacuum+Sealing+Kit"]GameSaver Deluxe[/URL] model (never mind the price at that link, I got it for $91.10 + tax w/free 2-day shipping). As the name implies, "Lightning Deals" are VERY limited time offers, and you have to move really quick to snap up the better deals. Since there was only about 5 minutes remaining on the offer I did a quick search of reviews and the model specs and decided to pounce on it. It'll be here by Friday.
So, let's try to salvage the situation with a few general questions for those of you who might have experience with these gizmos:
[LIST=1]
[*]My plan is to use the thing mostly for two purposes (though I'll certainly try other things as well): A) Getting much more freezer life out of meats (including game, if I ever manage to kill anything again) and other goodies by avoiding freezer burn via vacuum-packing, and B) vacuum-packing for [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sous-vide"]sous vide[/URL] cooking (follow that link if you've never heard of "sous vide"). I expect my needs to be for relatively low-volume use...maybe a couple lbs of food per week at the most. Did I make a good choice? I know there are other models more geared toward low volume use, but I figured at the price offered I might as well go with something a little more capable, even if not one of the higher-end models.
[*]Most of what I've read so far is that the FoodSaver brand bag rolls are the best for use with their machines, but I've also seen a couple of opinions to the contrary (though I don't recall the specific brands that were cited as alternatives). Any thoughts on that?
[*]Any general tips, tricks, useful comments, insults or just mean-spirited taunting you'd like to offer?
[/LIST]
And if anyone here DOES know what "sous vide" is...or better yet, has actually done it...we can start a thread on that too, because my next kitchen hardware purchase is going to be for one of these (the digital gizmo sticking out of the pot..and yes, that's a steak in a plastic bag sitting in hot water, believe it or not):
I wish I'd posted this earlier, because any feedback I get now telling me not to buy a FoodSaver "GameSaver" Deluxe vacuum sealer is going to be too late to save me. But maybe some other good can come from a discussion on the subject in general.) After a week of scouring the intertubez for reviews (both written and video format) on the various models of kitchen vacuum sealers as well as the best available deals my eyes were starting to bleed. And just as I thought of starting this thread to see if anyone here had any topical wisdom to share up popped an Amazon "Lightning Deal" on the aforementioned [URL="http://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-GameSaver-Deluxe-Vacuum-Sealing/dp/B0018ESBVM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458075439&sr=8-1&keywords=FoodSaver+GameSaver+Deluxe+Vacuum+Sealing+Kit"]GameSaver Deluxe[/URL] model (never mind the price at that link, I got it for $91.10 + tax w/free 2-day shipping). As the name implies, "Lightning Deals" are VERY limited time offers, and you have to move really quick to snap up the better deals. Since there was only about 5 minutes remaining on the offer I did a quick search of reviews and the model specs and decided to pounce on it. It'll be here by Friday.
So, let's try to salvage the situation with a few general questions for those of you who might have experience with these gizmos:
[LIST=1]
[*]My plan is to use the thing mostly for two purposes (though I'll certainly try other things as well): A) Getting much more freezer life out of meats (including game, if I ever manage to kill anything again) and other goodies by avoiding freezer burn via vacuum-packing, and B) vacuum-packing for [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sous-vide"]sous vide[/URL] cooking (follow that link if you've never heard of "sous vide"). I expect my needs to be for relatively low-volume use...maybe a couple lbs of food per week at the most. Did I make a good choice? I know there are other models more geared toward low volume use, but I figured at the price offered I might as well go with something a little more capable, even if not one of the higher-end models.
[*]Most of what I've read so far is that the FoodSaver brand bag rolls are the best for use with their machines, but I've also seen a couple of opinions to the contrary (though I don't recall the specific brands that were cited as alternatives). Any thoughts on that?
[*]Any general tips, tricks, useful comments, insults or just mean-spirited taunting you'd like to offer?
[/LIST]
And if anyone here DOES know what "sous vide" is...or better yet, has actually done it...we can start a thread on that too, because my next kitchen hardware purchase is going to be for one of these (the digital gizmo sticking out of the pot..and yes, that's a steak in a plastic bag sitting in hot water, believe it or not):
2.) Swamp Fox - 03/15/2016
[QUOTE=DParker;40205[*]...My plan is to use the thing mostly for two purposes (though I certainly plan to try other things as well): A) Getting much more freezer life out of meats (including game, if I ever manage to kill anything again) and other goodies by avoiding freezer burn via vacuum-packing, and B) vacuum-packing for [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sous-vide"]sous vide[/URL] cooking (follow that link if you've never heard of "sous vide"). [/QUOTE]
I'm sorry to say that the only thing I can contribute is that I thought maybe this was going to have something to do with
"I saw pickled head cheese"
or
"I am blind drunk"
but then again, I was never very good at Latin.
But at least I would have had some experience to share...
I'm sorry to say that the only thing I can contribute is that I thought maybe this was going to have something to do with
"I saw pickled head cheese"
or
"I am blind drunk"
but then again, I was never very good at Latin.
But at least I would have had some experience to share...
3.) bluecat - 03/15/2016
I purchased a Food Saver years ago and have not regretted it one bit. The only thing I would have mentioned is to make sure your unit would take Food Saver bags (they are readily available at Walmart etc.) and you say it does, so yippy.
We just recently purchased a new upright freezer to replace a small chest freezer and lo and behold down at the bottom (chest freezers are notorious for losing packages) was a package of deer meat from four years ago. I thawed it out and it tasted like it was processed yesterday. No freezer burn or funny flavors.
A great investment DP.
btw, I don't know what sous vide cooking is and am too lazy to goggle it, so I'll be expecting a thread on that in the near future.
We just recently purchased a new upright freezer to replace a small chest freezer and lo and behold down at the bottom (chest freezers are notorious for losing packages) was a package of deer meat from four years ago. I thawed it out and it tasted like it was processed yesterday. No freezer burn or funny flavors.
A great investment DP.
btw, I don't know what sous vide cooking is and am too lazy to goggle it, so I'll be expecting a thread on that in the near future.
4.) bluecat - 03/15/2016
Oh, yours is a Food Saver. Better yet.
5.) DParker - 03/15/2016
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;40207]but then again, I was never very good at Latin.[/QUOTE]
Well, [i]sous vide[/i] is French (meaning "under vacuum"), so there goes that excuse. :wink
[QUOTE=bluecat;40208]I purchased a Food Saver years ago and have not regretted it one bit.[/quote]
I'm glad you said, "years ago". The most consistent complaint I've read (which admittedly are in the minority when it comes to customer reviews) is with regard to durability of many of the FoodSaver models, with a lot of them crapping out in only a year or so of moderate use. But if you've had one for multiple years and it's still going then that makes me feel better.
[QUOTE=bluecat;40208]A great investment DP.[/quote]
Also good to hear.
[QUOTE=bluecat;40208]btw, I don't know what sous vide cooking is and am too lazy to goggle it, so I'll be expecting a thread on that in the near future.[/QUOTE]
It's a cooking technique that was developed in it's current form relatively recently (the late '60s), and has only VERY recently become popular with home cooks, owing primarily to the advent of much lower-cost and more convenient immersion cookers, like the one shown in my original post. The commercial-grade water bath units that have been used by restaurants for decades are generally too large and expensive for home use. There are several benefits to the technique, the most often cited being:
[LIST=1]
[*]Precision. Sous vide works by heating water to and maintaining it at the exact temperature at which you want your food to end up, and then cooking it at that temp for an extended period of time.
[*]No worrying about overcooking. Because the environment in which your food is cooking is the exact temperature you want your finished product to be, in most cases it's nigh impossible to overcook anything, even if you leave it in the water longer than you planned (of course, there are some limits to that).
[*]Even cooking throughout the food item. This feature really shines with....drum roll please....steaks. Traditional high-heat methods cook the steak to varying degrees of doneness from the outside in, and the best result you can get is that most of the inerior is done the way you prefer, with it gradually being "over done" the closer you get to the exterior. With sous vide every part of your steak is cooked to exactly the same doneness. Set the water temp to 130-134 degrees and you get a perfect medium-rare everywhere. When you take the steak out of the bag all you need do to finish it is place it either on a very hot grill or cast iron pan (or broiler, in a pinch) for no more than 0.5-1 minute per side to sear and produce a Maillard reaction (which is what makes the tasty "crust" on the outside), but without cooking the interior of the meat any more than it already is.
[*]Because the food is contaied in a vacuum-sealed bag throughout the cooking process it retains more moisture. Yet another benefit for meats.
[/LIST]
Yeah, I know...cooking steak in a plastic bag in hot water reeks of the worst sort of heresy. But everything I read about the results says it works...so I'm keen on trying it.
Well, [i]sous vide[/i] is French (meaning "under vacuum"), so there goes that excuse. :wink
[QUOTE=bluecat;40208]I purchased a Food Saver years ago and have not regretted it one bit.[/quote]
I'm glad you said, "years ago". The most consistent complaint I've read (which admittedly are in the minority when it comes to customer reviews) is with regard to durability of many of the FoodSaver models, with a lot of them crapping out in only a year or so of moderate use. But if you've had one for multiple years and it's still going then that makes me feel better.
[QUOTE=bluecat;40208]A great investment DP.[/quote]
Also good to hear.
[QUOTE=bluecat;40208]btw, I don't know what sous vide cooking is and am too lazy to goggle it, so I'll be expecting a thread on that in the near future.[/QUOTE]
It's a cooking technique that was developed in it's current form relatively recently (the late '60s), and has only VERY recently become popular with home cooks, owing primarily to the advent of much lower-cost and more convenient immersion cookers, like the one shown in my original post. The commercial-grade water bath units that have been used by restaurants for decades are generally too large and expensive for home use. There are several benefits to the technique, the most often cited being:
[LIST=1]
[*]Precision. Sous vide works by heating water to and maintaining it at the exact temperature at which you want your food to end up, and then cooking it at that temp for an extended period of time.
[*]No worrying about overcooking. Because the environment in which your food is cooking is the exact temperature you want your finished product to be, in most cases it's nigh impossible to overcook anything, even if you leave it in the water longer than you planned (of course, there are some limits to that).
[*]Even cooking throughout the food item. This feature really shines with....drum roll please....steaks. Traditional high-heat methods cook the steak to varying degrees of doneness from the outside in, and the best result you can get is that most of the inerior is done the way you prefer, with it gradually being "over done" the closer you get to the exterior. With sous vide every part of your steak is cooked to exactly the same doneness. Set the water temp to 130-134 degrees and you get a perfect medium-rare everywhere. When you take the steak out of the bag all you need do to finish it is place it either on a very hot grill or cast iron pan (or broiler, in a pinch) for no more than 0.5-1 minute per side to sear and produce a Maillard reaction (which is what makes the tasty "crust" on the outside), but without cooking the interior of the meat any more than it already is.
[*]Because the food is contaied in a vacuum-sealed bag throughout the cooking process it retains more moisture. Yet another benefit for meats.
[/LIST]
Yeah, I know...cooking steak in a plastic bag in hot water reeks of the worst sort of heresy. But everything I read about the results says it works...so I'm keen on trying it.
6.) Swamp Fox - 03/15/2016
[QUOTE=DParker;40213]
Yeah, I know...cooking steak in a plastic bag in hot water reeks of the worst sort of heresy. But everything I read about the results says it works...so I'm keen on trying it.[/QUOTE]
Sounds like rabbit medallions in white sauce. Violates all codes of manhood, but the French and the Belgians would do it.
Other than that, I generally like Belgian girls. French girls are somewhat like them, but with unfired weapons...
Yeah, I know...cooking steak in a plastic bag in hot water reeks of the worst sort of heresy. But everything I read about the results says it works...so I'm keen on trying it.[/QUOTE]
Sounds like rabbit medallions in white sauce. Violates all codes of manhood, but the French and the Belgians would do it.
Other than that, I generally like Belgian girls. French girls are somewhat like them, but with unfired weapons...
7.) DParker - 03/15/2016
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;40219]Other than that, I generally like Belgian girls.[/QUOTE]
Well, yeah. They have the best beer.
Well, yeah. They have the best beer.
8.) DParker - 03/15/2016
Here's a couple illustrations of why you might want to try cooking a steak this way:
Sous vide on the left, grilled on the right:
Sous vide on the left, grilled on the right:
9.) billy b - 03/15/2016
I started out with a cheap food saver about 15 years ago, it lasted about 10 years, now I have a F. S. 2470 from Wally World, I used to use the bag rolls from F.S. but now I buy Weston 8X12 bags already cut from Atwoods, they work just as good for me when you add it up it's a lot better deal. That being said there is just me & the wifey to eat mostly so I make my portions to fit the bags I buy which is about two meals for us. Let me give you a few tips, if you are bagging something greasy such as brisket ribs or anything that has lots of juice I first wrap it in clear plastic wrap then vacuum seal it, that keeps the grease out of the seal so it seals properly. You can also put your liquidey foods in a plastic bag, squeeze the air out & seal it then vacuum seal it. When I want to seal things that I want to retain the shape IE uncooked stuffed bacon wrapped peppers or something like that, I put them on a baking sheet, put it in the freezer for a couple of hours then shrink wrap then after they are frozen. If I'm bagging crappie I do it two ways, for just Barbara & me I will bag about 10 fillets (according to the size) sometimes less, I put them on a quart bag with a little water then squeeze the air out & seal it then vacuum seal it, it will literally last for at least 2 or 3 years. Sorry for the novel, call me if you have any questions.
10.) Swamp Fox - 03/15/2016
That's good info. I don't have a vacuum sealer, but I've thought about one for a while. Right now, I freeze everything in water, which is bulky.
What's the purpose of the water and the freezer bags with the fish filets? Does the vacuum sealer crush the filet otherwise?
What's the purpose of the water and the freezer bags with the fish filets? Does the vacuum sealer crush the filet otherwise?
11.) billy b - 03/16/2016
I don't use but a little water, it's just the way I've always done it, also it makes them more uniform to stack on each other, sometimes after a good summer catch I might have a bag that has escaped cooking for a couple of years but it's just as fresh as newly caught. I also write how many filets are in each bag with a marker. If I am planning on a big fish fry I just use gallon zip loc bags.
12.) DParker - 03/16/2016
I like the idea of wrapping juicy stuff in some cellophane before putting it in the vac bag. I've read a lot about the fact that the FS units will all draw moisture from wet foods up the inside of the bag and into the vaccum chamber, and often prevent a good seal from being made. Everyone's solution is always to partially freeze the food first to prevent that, but that sounds like wasted time and effort...so I like your solution better. It also sounds like it might offer a little extra protection if the freezer bag gets abraded/ripped a little. Thanks, Billy.
13.) bluecat - 03/16/2016
If you ever try to vacuum seal some jerky, you'll need to wrap the jerky first in something that will protect the sharp edges of the jerky from perforating the freezer bags.
One thing that is nice about the vacuum sealing system is that when you want a piece of meat you can take it from the freezer and just put it in the refrigerator to thaw without worrying that it will make a mess.
One thing that is nice about the vacuum sealing system is that when you want a piece of meat you can take it from the freezer and just put it in the refrigerator to thaw without worrying that it will make a mess.
14.) bluecat - 03/16/2016
[QUOTE=DParker;40221]Here's a couple illustrations of why you might want to try cooking a steak this way:
Sous vide on the left, grilled on the right:
[/QUOTE]
You know you shouldn't be posting meat porn on here right?
Sous vide on the left, grilled on the right:
[/QUOTE]You know you shouldn't be posting meat porn on here right?
15.) DParker - 03/16/2016
[QUOTE=bluecat;40233]You know you shouldn't be posting meat porn on here right?[/QUOTE]
Meat-gazer.
Meat-gazer.
16.) Swamp Fox - 03/16/2016
There should be a way to inject fire into this sad enterprise.
I mean not just at the end so that camp cooks like Cowboy Bob or Pappy the Poisoner could retain some self-respect by adding some sear or grill marks...
How about putting the pot of boiled meat on a wood fire? ...One can retain a thermometer if he wants...I mean, one has already sold his soul on this issue long before we got to the thermometer...
I'd be willing to discuss the different levels of damnation represented by different kinds of thermometers, though.
I mean not just at the end so that camp cooks like Cowboy Bob or Pappy the Poisoner could retain some self-respect by adding some sear or grill marks...
How about putting the pot of boiled meat on a wood fire? ...One can retain a thermometer if he wants...I mean, one has already sold his soul on this issue long before we got to the thermometer...
I'd be willing to discuss the different levels of damnation represented by different kinds of thermometers, though.
17.) DParker - 03/16/2016
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;40240]There should be a way to inject fire into this sad enterprise.
I mean not just at the end so that camp cooks like Cowboy Bob or Pappy the Poisoner could retain some self-respect by adding some sear or grill marks...[/QUOTE]
The sear step at the end isn't for visual effects (though that is a happy side-effect), but for the production of textural and, more importantly, flavor components that are the only real benefits imparted by a high-heat source. It's just that you don't need to keep the steak on the fire for the full duration of its cooking time in order to reap those benefits. The brief sear step is sufficient for that.
I mean not just at the end so that camp cooks like Cowboy Bob or Pappy the Poisoner could retain some self-respect by adding some sear or grill marks...[/QUOTE]
The sear step at the end isn't for visual effects (though that is a happy side-effect), but for the production of textural and, more importantly, flavor components that are the only real benefits imparted by a high-heat source. It's just that you don't need to keep the steak on the fire for the full duration of its cooking time in order to reap those benefits. The brief sear step is sufficient for that.
18.) Swamp Fox - 03/16/2016
That point was not entirely lost on me. It all sounds good on paper, but:
My ancestors fled Ireland so they wouldn't have to eat boiled meat if something bad happened with corn tariffs or potatoes....I'll be damned if I'm going to turn my back on my ancestors, who wanted unborn generations to have a better life, and to live in freedom...
My ancestors fled Ireland so they wouldn't have to eat boiled meat if something bad happened with corn tariffs or potatoes....I'll be damned if I'm going to turn my back on my ancestors, who wanted unborn generations to have a better life, and to live in freedom...
19.) DParker - 03/16/2016
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;40242]That point was not entirely lost on me. It all sounds good on paper, but:
My ancestors fled Ireland so they wouldn't have to eat boiled meat if something bad happened with corn tariffs or potatoes....I'll be damned if I'm going to turn my back on my ancestors, who wanted unborn generations to have a better life, and to live in freedom...[/QUOTE]
I knew it would come down to someone questioning not only my manhood, but my patriotism as well.
The good news is that none of this has anything at all to do with "boiled" meat (or any other substance, for that matter). The water is not only not boiling, it never comes in contact with the food. It's used solely as a convection medium for precision heat transfer.
My ancestors fled Ireland so they wouldn't have to eat boiled meat if something bad happened with corn tariffs or potatoes....I'll be damned if I'm going to turn my back on my ancestors, who wanted unborn generations to have a better life, and to live in freedom...[/QUOTE]
I knew it would come down to someone questioning not only my manhood, but my patriotism as well.
The good news is that none of this has anything at all to do with "boiled" meat (or any other substance, for that matter). The water is not only not boiling, it never comes in contact with the food. It's used solely as a convection medium for precision heat transfer.
20.) bluecat - 03/16/2016
This is Swampy's plea to "Make America Grate Again".
21.) DParker - 03/16/2016
[QUOTE=bluecat;40245]This is Swampy's plea to "Make America Grate Again".[/QUOTE]
I can get behind that.
I can get behind that.
22.) Swamp Fox - 03/16/2016
[QUOTE=bluecat;40245]This is Swampy's plea to "Make America Grate Again".[/QUOTE]
No one expects the Spanish Grilling!
No one expects the Spanish Grilling!
23.) Swamp Fox - 03/17/2016
How's that for science? :wink
I noticed on at least one of the "water oven" (LOL) websites, the claim is made that this form of cooking tenderizes meat. The particular website I'm thinking of says "flank steak is transformed into filet mignon."
Sounds legit. :wink
Any idea if there really is any of this magic going on, besides the kind of tenderizing that happens when you cover corned beef with water in a pot and simmer it for hours? :wink
I noticed on at least one of the "water oven" (LOL) websites, the claim is made that this form of cooking tenderizes meat. The particular website I'm thinking of says "flank steak is transformed into filet mignon."
Sounds legit. :wink
Any idea if there really is any of this magic going on, besides the kind of tenderizing that happens when you cover corned beef with water in a pot and simmer it for hours? :wink
24.) bluecat - 03/17/2016
We'll have to wait until DP attempts to do this. The fact that the meat is not touching the water makes me think the flavor will be retained.
25.) Swamp Fox - 03/17/2016
DP is my technology hamster...
He mentions something or adopts something, and then over the next ten years I'm able to think about whether it's for me...
He mentions something or adopts something, and then over the next ten years I'm able to think about whether it's for me...
26.) DParker - 03/17/2016
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;40262]How's that for science? :wink[/quote]
Well, she's no Kelly Le Brock...but, OK.
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;40262]I noticed on at least one of the "water oven" (LOL) websites, the claim is made that this form of cooking tenderizes meat. The particular website I'm thinking of says "flank steak is transformed into filet mignon."
Sounds legit. :wink[/quote]
Yeah, everything has its overly-enthusiastic supporters. While the more believable sources do all agree that extra tenderization does occur - from additional breakdown of connective tissues due to the extended cooking time - there's no reason I can think of to believe that it magically transforms the beef equivalent of lead into culinary gold.
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;40262]Any idea if there really is any of this magic going on, besides the kind of tenderizing that happens when you cover corned beef with water in a pot and simmer it for hours? :wink[/QUOTE]
Bingo, with the (very important) differences that; A) You're not boiling the meat, nor putting it in contact with the water at all, and B) Because the water is heated only to the target temperature for the meat you're not going to over-cook it.
[QUOTE=bluecat;40264]We'll have to wait until DP attempts to do this. The fact that the meat is not touching the water makes me think the flavor will be retained.[/QUOTE]
That's the theory.
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;40265]DP is my technology hamster...
He mentions something or adopts something, and then over the next ten years I'm able to think about whether it's for me...[/QUOTE]
In the meantime, just keep getting photos of someone's mom through the mail.
Well, she's no Kelly Le Brock...but, OK.
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;40262]I noticed on at least one of the "water oven" (LOL) websites, the claim is made that this form of cooking tenderizes meat. The particular website I'm thinking of says "flank steak is transformed into filet mignon."
Sounds legit. :wink[/quote]
Yeah, everything has its overly-enthusiastic supporters. While the more believable sources do all agree that extra tenderization does occur - from additional breakdown of connective tissues due to the extended cooking time - there's no reason I can think of to believe that it magically transforms the beef equivalent of lead into culinary gold.
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;40262]Any idea if there really is any of this magic going on, besides the kind of tenderizing that happens when you cover corned beef with water in a pot and simmer it for hours? :wink[/QUOTE]
Bingo, with the (very important) differences that; A) You're not boiling the meat, nor putting it in contact with the water at all, and B) Because the water is heated only to the target temperature for the meat you're not going to over-cook it.
[QUOTE=bluecat;40264]We'll have to wait until DP attempts to do this. The fact that the meat is not touching the water makes me think the flavor will be retained.[/QUOTE]
That's the theory.
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;40265]DP is my technology hamster...
He mentions something or adopts something, and then over the next ten years I'm able to think about whether it's for me...[/QUOTE]
In the meantime, just keep getting photos of someone's mom through the mail.
27.) Swamp Fox - 03/17/2016
LOL...:grin:
What they say when our super-hot girlfriends from Canada bring their new water ovens over to show them off:
"So, what would you little maniacs like to do first?"
What they say when our super-hot girlfriends from Canada bring their new water ovens over to show them off:
"So, what would you little maniacs like to do first?"
28.) bluecat - 03/17/2016
:laugh:
29.) DParker - 03/18/2016
My GameSaver "G250" (sounds like an exotic 12-cylinder mid-engine from Italy) arrived today. I don't have anything to freeze yet, so to test it I vacuum sealed some leftover Domino's pizza (that I ordered a couple days ago just by telling my Echo to order it for me. I still had to get off my ass to answer the door when it arrived though. I really need to work on that problem.) I can now verify that it does indeed suck.
Both the vacuum and seal operations completed much faster than I was expecting, based on the video demos and reviews I've been watching. I cut the bag fairly small because I was only sealing 2 slices, stacked...so that surely cut the vacuum time. But the seal time was pretty fast too. Another thing I liked was that there wasn't as much wasted bag beyond the seal as I was lead to believe by the videos. I suspect that the reviewers are all inserting the bag further into the vacuum chamber than necessary,, which causes the sealing strip to be positioned further from the open edge of the bag - hence more waste.
Now if only the corner meat market will have a sale on something good. And if SOMEONE will offer a discount on the sous vide machine I want. ([I]Everyone [/i] had it on sale last month, before I was sure I wanted one.)
Both the vacuum and seal operations completed much faster than I was expecting, based on the video demos and reviews I've been watching. I cut the bag fairly small because I was only sealing 2 slices, stacked...so that surely cut the vacuum time. But the seal time was pretty fast too. Another thing I liked was that there wasn't as much wasted bag beyond the seal as I was lead to believe by the videos. I suspect that the reviewers are all inserting the bag further into the vacuum chamber than necessary,, which causes the sealing strip to be positioned further from the open edge of the bag - hence more waste.
Now if only the corner meat market will have a sale on something good. And if SOMEONE will offer a discount on the sous vide machine I want. ([I]Everyone [/i] had it on sale last month, before I was sure I wanted one.)
30.) Jon - 03/18/2016
DP, it does take some experimenting to keep from wasting the bag material. Cut it too short and you won't be able to get it to seal, cut it too long and you waste the material. There is a perfect medium and it just takes a few times to figure it out. I've had a game saver for about 8 years, used the heck out of it for everything.
31.) DParker - 03/18/2016
Yeah, I cut the bag a little short...trying hard to avoid waste...and almost couldn't close the lid because the leading edges of the pizza slices wanted to get in the way when I had the bag in far enough to reach the vacuum chamber. I do see where a little practice will be required to get that right.
32.) DParker - 03/22/2016
Just an FYI for those who already have a vacuum sealer and make regular use of it...FoodSaver is having a 2-for-1 sale on all of their bags (including rolls...including multi-roll packages). The bags direct from their website are already competitively priced to begin with (unusual for a manufacturer), but when you add the 2-for-1 deal...which includes free shipping...it's pretty hard to beat.
[URL="http://www.foodsaver.com/bags-and-rolls/"]FoodSaver Buy 1 Get 1 Free Offer On All Bags[/URL]
I ordered a 3-pack of the 8"x20' rolls and a 3-pack of the 11"x16' rolls, which came to a total of $30.30, or an average of $5.05 / roll. They cost nearly twice that from Amazon, and even more at WalMart. Even the 5-packs at WalMart average >$8/roll.
[URL="http://www.foodsaver.com/bags-and-rolls/"]FoodSaver Buy 1 Get 1 Free Offer On All Bags[/URL]
I ordered a 3-pack of the 8"x20' rolls and a 3-pack of the 11"x16' rolls, which came to a total of $30.30, or an average of $5.05 / roll. They cost nearly twice that from Amazon, and even more at WalMart. Even the 5-packs at WalMart average >$8/roll.
33.) bluecat - 03/22/2016
Wow, I'll check it out. Thanks.
34.) billy b - 03/22/2016
Thanks DP, that is a great deal, I stocked up, I wonder how long it lasts.
35.) DParker - 03/22/2016
I don't know, but ever since I started looking into this it seems like the FoodSaver site is constantly running sales of some kind. In fact I almost bought a sealer direct from them using the "MEGASALE" promo code until I stumbled across the Lightning Deal at Amazon, which just barely beat FS's deal.
36.) bluecat - 03/23/2016
When looking for this thread, I used the search capability. You have another thread named "Well, this seals it", which would have been appropriate for the Food Saver as well.
While I've got you on the horn I have a question I've always wondered about and because you are our resident steak expert...
When you season a steak before cooking, do you season both sides? I'll hang up and listen.
While I've got you on the horn I have a question I've always wondered about and because you are our resident steak expert...
When you season a steak before cooking, do you season both sides? I'll hang up and listen.
37.) DParker - 03/23/2016
[QUOTE=bluecat;40352]When looking for this thread, I used the search capability. You have another thread named "Well, this seals it", which would have been appropriate for the Food Saver as well.[/QUOTE]
I suspect trying to vacuum seal coffee and/or bourbon in a bag would prove...challenging.
[QUOTE=bluecat;40352]While I've got you on the horn I have a question I've always wondered about and because you are our resident steak expert...[/quote]
Your estimation of my expertise exceeds reality, but I'll see what I can do.
[QUOTE=bluecat;40352]When you season a steak before cooking, do you season both sides? I'll hang up and listen.[/QUOTE]
Always, and that's important. And, here's where I part ways with the real "experts"....
Most purists contend that the only seasoning a quality steak (like a good ribeye, for instance) should receive is salt and a little fresh ground pepper so as to accent the beef's flavor rather than masking it. I agree with that to a point, and for the types of additional seasonings that most people like to throw on a steak thinking they're improving it, when in fact they're just ruining it (garlic powder, marinades, etc). But I've found that the crust on my steaks is greatly enhanced, both in flavor and texture, by a light dusting of Prudhomme's "Meat Magic" (no homo) before the go onto the grill. They key is to cover both sides thoroughly and evenly, but [I]lightly[/I]. That way you get a good consistent crust that complements the texture and flavor of the beef without overpowering it.
And for a real treat...try this: Years ago when we were taking a road-trip to visit the in-laws in NC we stopped for dinner at a nice family place in Tuscaloosa, AL, on whose menu was listed "Blackened Prime Rib with Crawfish Sauce". I'd been a prime rib purist my whole life, preferring to never contaminate the pink juicy goodness of the cut with ANY additives, let alone blackening it with spices AND covering it in a sauce! My sense of decorum was so offended by the very idea that I was compelled to order the abomination just to prove to myself how righteous was my stance.
I couldn't have been more wrong. It was one of the most friggin' delicious things I've ever eaten. Luckily, it's incredibly easy to duplicate if you omit the crawfish sauce. Although the sauce adds a lot to the dish, including work, the blackening the prime rib is enough of an improvement to make it worth trying all on its own. Just cover both sides of a slice of finished rare-to-medium-rare prime rib with a good blackening spice mixture and sear over fires-of-hell heat for about a minute per side. Again, I like Prudhomme's offering here as well:
Bon apetite.
I suspect trying to vacuum seal coffee and/or bourbon in a bag would prove...challenging.
[QUOTE=bluecat;40352]While I've got you on the horn I have a question I've always wondered about and because you are our resident steak expert...[/quote]
Your estimation of my expertise exceeds reality, but I'll see what I can do.
[QUOTE=bluecat;40352]When you season a steak before cooking, do you season both sides? I'll hang up and listen.[/QUOTE]
Always, and that's important. And, here's where I part ways with the real "experts"....
Most purists contend that the only seasoning a quality steak (like a good ribeye, for instance) should receive is salt and a little fresh ground pepper so as to accent the beef's flavor rather than masking it. I agree with that to a point, and for the types of additional seasonings that most people like to throw on a steak thinking they're improving it, when in fact they're just ruining it (garlic powder, marinades, etc). But I've found that the crust on my steaks is greatly enhanced, both in flavor and texture, by a light dusting of Prudhomme's "Meat Magic" (no homo) before the go onto the grill. They key is to cover both sides thoroughly and evenly, but [I]lightly[/I]. That way you get a good consistent crust that complements the texture and flavor of the beef without overpowering it.
And for a real treat...try this: Years ago when we were taking a road-trip to visit the in-laws in NC we stopped for dinner at a nice family place in Tuscaloosa, AL, on whose menu was listed "Blackened Prime Rib with Crawfish Sauce". I'd been a prime rib purist my whole life, preferring to never contaminate the pink juicy goodness of the cut with ANY additives, let alone blackening it with spices AND covering it in a sauce! My sense of decorum was so offended by the very idea that I was compelled to order the abomination just to prove to myself how righteous was my stance.
I couldn't have been more wrong. It was one of the most friggin' delicious things I've ever eaten. Luckily, it's incredibly easy to duplicate if you omit the crawfish sauce. Although the sauce adds a lot to the dish, including work, the blackening the prime rib is enough of an improvement to make it worth trying all on its own. Just cover both sides of a slice of finished rare-to-medium-rare prime rib with a good blackening spice mixture and sear over fires-of-hell heat for about a minute per side. Again, I like Prudhomme's offering here as well:
Bon apetite.
38.) bluecat - 03/23/2016
Has anyone ever seen Paul Prudhomme, Dom Deluise and Luciano Pavarotti in the same place at the same time?
39.) DParker - 03/23/2016
LOL! The Pavarotti connection slipped past me, but I've always thought the same thing about Prudhomme and DeLuise.
40.) bluecat - 03/23/2016
Just ordered 4 rolls using the "MEGASALE" promotion. I'll check their website again before I go to Wally World for replacements. :tu:
41.) Jon - 03/23/2016
I used to season one side and my wife would hurt me if I seasoned hers at all but recently, I have been seasoning both sides with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. I allow it to sit at room temperature for up to an hour before grilling. My wife and I both love how it comes out.
I'll have to try the above mentioned blackened steak seasoning.
I'm also going to try 2 new ways to cook a steak, the "boiling" method as well as smoking in a smoker.
I'll have to try the above mentioned blackened steak seasoning.
I'm also going to try 2 new ways to cook a steak, the "boiling" method as well as smoking in a smoker.
42.) DParker - 03/23/2016
[QUOTE=bluecat;40356]Just ordered 4 rolls using the "MEGASALE" promotion. I'll check their website again before I go to Wally World for replacements. :tu:[/QUOTE]
When I ordered, applying the "MEGASALE" promo code had no effect. It was still just a 2-fer (which it also was without the code). Did it make a difference on your order?
[QUOTE=Jon;40358]I allow it to sit at room temperature for up to an hour before grilling.[/quote]
Yeah, I do that to. I've read repeatedly that it doesn't really make a difference, but it certainly doesn't hurt, so I've not bothered experimenting.
[QUOTE=Jon;40358]I'll have to try the above mentioned blackened steak seasoning.[/quote]
For ribeyes, strips, etc I only use the "Meat Magic", which is not a blackening mix.
The blackening spice version goes on the blackened prime rib I talked about. Although...who knows, it might be as good or better on ribeyes compared with the Meat Magic. I just haven't tried it that way.
When I ordered, applying the "MEGASALE" promo code had no effect. It was still just a 2-fer (which it also was without the code). Did it make a difference on your order?
[QUOTE=Jon;40358]I allow it to sit at room temperature for up to an hour before grilling.[/quote]
Yeah, I do that to. I've read repeatedly that it doesn't really make a difference, but it certainly doesn't hurt, so I've not bothered experimenting.
[QUOTE=Jon;40358]I'll have to try the above mentioned blackened steak seasoning.[/quote]
For ribeyes, strips, etc I only use the "Meat Magic", which is not a blackening mix.
The blackening spice version goes on the blackened prime rib I talked about. Although...who knows, it might be as good or better on ribeyes compared with the Meat Magic. I just haven't tried it that way.
43.) DParker - 03/23/2016
[QUOTE=DParker;40270]And if SOMEONE will offer a discount on the sous vide machine I want. ([I]Everyone [/i] had it on sale last month, before I was sure I wanted one.)[/QUOTE]
Woo-hoo! Just got an e-mail from Target, wherein I learned that they have the Anova Precision Cooker I wanted back in stock, and still at the $149 sale price I missed out on before. Free to-store delivery means I'll be able to pick it up by 4/1.
Hey, wait a minute. April 1st......I wonder.....
Nah! :grin:
Woo-hoo! Just got an e-mail from Target, wherein I learned that they have the Anova Precision Cooker I wanted back in stock, and still at the $149 sale price I missed out on before. Free to-store delivery means I'll be able to pick it up by 4/1.
Hey, wait a minute. April 1st......I wonder.....
Nah! :grin:
44.) bluecat - 03/23/2016
[QUOTE=DParker;40359]When I ordered, applying the "MEGASALE" promo code had no effect. It was still just a 2-fer (which it also was without the code). Did it make a difference on your order?
[/QUOTE]
No, that was a little confusing. I thought maybe I'd get an additional 20% off by putting in "MEGASALE" but every time I checked the box it kept saying, the "MEGASALE" was already applied. No worries.
I ordered 2 packages (2 rolls per package) of the 11" x 16' roll for basically 43.00. So 8 total rolls.
I like the rolls (less waste that way) and I like the wider rolls as you don't have to put your hand in the package and move the meat down to the bottom of the package. It makes for a little wider sealing opening but that's okay.
[/QUOTE]
No, that was a little confusing. I thought maybe I'd get an additional 20% off by putting in "MEGASALE" but every time I checked the box it kept saying, the "MEGASALE" was already applied. No worries.
I ordered 2 packages (2 rolls per package) of the 11" x 16' roll for basically 43.00. So 8 total rolls.
I like the rolls (less waste that way) and I like the wider rolls as you don't have to put your hand in the package and move the meat down to the bottom of the package. It makes for a little wider sealing opening but that's okay.
45.) bluecat - 03/23/2016
[QUOTE=DParker;40360]Woo-hoo! Just got an e-mail from Target, wherein I learned that they have the Anova Precision Cooker I wanted back in stock, and still at the $149 sale price I missed out on before. Free to-store delivery means I'll be able to pick it up by 4/1.
Hey, wait a minute. April 1st......I wonder.....
Nah! :grin:[/QUOTE]
Cool, we'll need a very exhaustive thread on how you manipulated your um meat...
Ship to store is a pretty nice deal. Walmart, Target, it saves you money and is pretty speedy too.
Hey, wait a minute. April 1st......I wonder.....
Nah! :grin:[/QUOTE]
Cool, we'll need a very exhaustive thread on how you manipulated your um meat...
Ship to store is a pretty nice deal. Walmart, Target, it saves you money and is pretty speedy too.
46.) DParker - 03/23/2016
[QUOTE=bluecat;40361] I like the wider rolls as you don't have to put your hand in the package and move the meat down to the bottom of the package.[/QUOTE]
The jokes just write themselves.
[QUOTE=bluecat;40362]Ship to store is a pretty nice deal. Walmart, Target, it saves you money and is pretty speedy too.[/QUOTE]
They also offered free home shipping, but I drive right past that Target on my way home every night, and this way I don't have to worry about someone helping themselves to the package the UPS guy leaves on my front porch.
The jokes just write themselves.
[QUOTE=bluecat;40362]Ship to store is a pretty nice deal. Walmart, Target, it saves you money and is pretty speedy too.[/QUOTE]
They also offered free home shipping, but I drive right past that Target on my way home every night, and this way I don't have to worry about someone helping themselves to the package the UPS guy leaves on my front porch.
47.) bluecat - 03/23/2016
I have a friend that raved about a particular brand of steak seasoning. It was made by McCormick and was nicely packaged. He sprinkled it liberally on my steak before grilling and it was pretty darn good. Afterword, I looked at the label. It was white pepper and salt. :re:
I will say this. If you are in to pepper you might give this a try. Get a package of whole peppercorns that have the black, white and green peppercorns. Put them in a grinder and have at it. This pepper is beyond good. Some of these pre-packaged spice mixes use some of the different peppercorns in various stages of ripeness (what accounts for the different colors I believe) and it adds a whole new dimension of flavor.
I will say this. If you are in to pepper you might give this a try. Get a package of whole peppercorns that have the black, white and green peppercorns. Put them in a grinder and have at it. This pepper is beyond good. Some of these pre-packaged spice mixes use some of the different peppercorns in various stages of ripeness (what accounts for the different colors I believe) and it adds a whole new dimension of flavor.
48.) DParker - 03/23/2016
[QUOTE=bluecat;40364]I have a friend that raved about a particular brand of steak seasoning. It was made by McCormick and was nicely packaged. He sprinkled it liberally on my steak before grilling and it was pretty darn good. Afterword, I looked at the label. It was white pepper and salt. :re:[/QUOTE]
Yeah, but it was made from organic salt and free-range, cruelty-free peppercorns.
[QUOTE=bluecat;40364]I will say this. If you are in to pepper you might give this a try. Get a package of whole peppercorns that have the black, white and green peppercorns. Put them in a grinder and have at it. This pepper is beyond good. Some of these pre-packaged spice mixes use some of the different peppercorns in various stages of ripeness (what accounts for the different colors I believe) and it adds a whole new dimension of flavor.[/QUOTE]
That sounds interesting. I have a hand-held coffee grinder that I use exclusively for spices, and I haven't had an excuse to drag it out in a little while.
Yeah, but it was made from organic salt and free-range, cruelty-free peppercorns.
[QUOTE=bluecat;40364]I will say this. If you are in to pepper you might give this a try. Get a package of whole peppercorns that have the black, white and green peppercorns. Put them in a grinder and have at it. This pepper is beyond good. Some of these pre-packaged spice mixes use some of the different peppercorns in various stages of ripeness (what accounts for the different colors I believe) and it adds a whole new dimension of flavor.[/QUOTE]
That sounds interesting. I have a hand-held coffee grinder that I use exclusively for spices, and I haven't had an excuse to drag it out in a little while.
49.) bluecat - 03/24/2016
[QUOTE=DParker;40365]Yeah, but it was made from organic salt and free-range, cruelty-free peppercorns.
[/QUOTE]
:grin:
I'd make fresh pepper more often but it's such a grind.
[/QUOTE]
:grin:
I'd make fresh pepper more often but it's such a grind.
50.) DParker - 03/24/2016
[QUOTE=bluecat;40366]:grin:
I'd make fresh pepper more often but it's such a grind.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, but the results are nothing to sneeze at. (Or [i]are[/i] they?)
I'd make fresh pepper more often but it's such a grind.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, but the results are nothing to sneeze at. (Or [i]are[/i] they?)
51.) Jon - 03/24/2016
[QUOTE=DParker;40359]
I only use the "Meat Magic", which is not a blackening mix.
[/QUOTE]
My wife has never met you, how'd you get her quote?
I only use the "Meat Magic", which is not a blackening mix.
[/QUOTE]
My wife has never met you, how'd you get her quote?
52.) bluecat - 03/24/2016
[QUOTE=bluecat;40361]I like the wider rolls as you don't have to put your hand in the package and move the meat down to the bottom of the package. [/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=DParker;40363]The jokes just write themselves.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=DParker;40363]The jokes just write themselves.[/QUOTE]
53.) DParker - 03/24/2016
[QUOTE=Jon;40368]My wife has never met you, how'd you get her quote?[/QUOTE]
This is tempting....but I'm going to acknowledge discretion as being the better part of valor here and just not open that can of worms. :-)
[QUOTE=bluecat;40371][/QUOTE]
My hair's not that short.
This is tempting....but I'm going to acknowledge discretion as being the better part of valor here and just not open that can of worms. :-)
[QUOTE=bluecat;40371]
[/QUOTE]My hair's not that short.
54.) Jon - 03/24/2016
I threw you a slow pitch and you chose not to hit it out of the park? -1
55.) bluecat - 03/24/2016
Do you need a pinch hitter?
56.) bluecat - 03/24/2016
I'm standing in the batters box and I'm pointing towards left.
57.) DParker - 03/24/2016
OK, lesson #2 learned: When vacuum sealing 2 or more slices of pizza in the same bag, make sure they're not stacked on top of each other. The slices from my initial test that I just took out and reheated seem to have been fused together into an single inseparable unit where they overlapped.
Now I'm wondering if I can get my hands on some deuterium and tritium and use this to initiate a sustained cold fusion reaction.
Now I'm wondering if I can get my hands on some deuterium and tritium and use this to initiate a sustained cold fusion reaction.
58.) Jon - 03/24/2016
I stash piles of $1 bills vacuum sealed like this in hopes that they turn into $100's
59.) DParker - 03/24/2016
[QUOTE=Jon;40386]I stash piles of $1 bills vacuum sealed like this in hopes that they turn into $100's[/QUOTE]
That probably has a better chance of working than stashing them in dancing girls' g-strings. Then they just disappear...which I guess is a different kind of magic.
That probably has a better chance of working than stashing them in dancing girls' g-strings. Then they just disappear...which I guess is a different kind of magic.
60.) Jon - 03/24/2016
[QUOTE=DParker;40388]That probably has a better chance of working than stashing them in dancing girls' g-strings. .[/QUOTE]
TAKE THAT BACK
TAKE THAT BACK
61.) DParker - 03/24/2016
[QUOTE=Jon;40389]TAKE THAT BACK[/QUOTE]
I do know how to kill a dream, don't I?
I do know how to kill a dream, don't I?
62.) billy b - 03/25/2016
[QUOTE=DParker;40385]OK, lesson #2 learned: When vacuum sealing 2 or more slices of pizza in the same bag, make sure they're not stacked on top of each other. The slices from my initial test that I just took out and reheated seem to have been fused together into an single inseparable unit where they overlapped.
Now I'm wondering if I can get my hands on some deuterium and tritium and use this to initiate a sustained cold fusion reaction.[/QUOTE]
Freeze them before you stack em. I cook bacon in the oven then freeze the slices & shrink wrap em with parchment paper between the layers, I put 18 slices in each bag, thawed it tastes just like fresh cooked. I might try putting dollar bills between layers like Jon.
Now I'm wondering if I can get my hands on some deuterium and tritium and use this to initiate a sustained cold fusion reaction.[/QUOTE]
Freeze them before you stack em. I cook bacon in the oven then freeze the slices & shrink wrap em with parchment paper between the layers, I put 18 slices in each bag, thawed it tastes just like fresh cooked. I might try putting dollar bills between layers like Jon.
63.) DParker - 03/25/2016
[QUOTE=billy b;40397]Freeze them before you stack em. I cook bacon in the oven then freeze the slices & shrink wrap em with parchment paper between the layers, I put 18 slices in each bag, thawed it tastes just like fresh cooked. I might try putting dollar bills between layers like Jon.[/QUOTE]
LOL! Yeah, but layers of [i]what[/i], just like Jon?
LOL! Yeah, but layers of [i]what[/i], just like Jon?
64.) Jon - 03/25/2016
Please don't try this at home...
65.) DParker - 03/26/2016
This thing is awesome. I still have some more practice to do before I master the art of estimating exactly how much bag to use for a given quantity of food. But the good news is that I think I've stumbled onto another use for this thing (not to say that I'm the first or anything, but it just occurred to me without having first heard of someone else doing it)...
We're headed to my sister-in-law's tomorrow for our annual family crawfish boil as a combined celebration of both Easter and my son's birthday. Normally her husband handles the boil (excepting that I also bring my burner and stock pot so that we can do it all in one go, we make so much) and the rest of us bring other dishes, beer, etc. But he recently had surgery on a couple of his neck vertebrae and is pretty much incapacitated, so this year I'm taking charge of boiling the bugs. After I picked up all of the ingredients today (I pre-orderd the bugs and will pick those up tomorrow on the way there) I thought to myself, "Self, it sure would be nice to be able to do as much of the preparation as you can today so that you don't have to do it tomorrow at their house. But if you quarter the onions, smash all those garlic cloves, slice those lemons, etc. today it's all going to be nasty by tomorrow, even sitting in the refrigerator. If only there was some way to keep air away from the exposed internals of this stuff and prevent said nastiness from happening!"
:grin:
(The lemons is a separate photo from the one of the onions and garlic, and is more of a close-up...so the other two bags are actually larger than they appear....all three bags being the same 11" width.) As a bonus, all three bags stood up on end on the top shelf of the fridge only take up about 30 sq in of shelf space. I'll follow up tomorrow or Monday with a report on how well all this theory actually worked in practice.
We're headed to my sister-in-law's tomorrow for our annual family crawfish boil as a combined celebration of both Easter and my son's birthday. Normally her husband handles the boil (excepting that I also bring my burner and stock pot so that we can do it all in one go, we make so much) and the rest of us bring other dishes, beer, etc. But he recently had surgery on a couple of his neck vertebrae and is pretty much incapacitated, so this year I'm taking charge of boiling the bugs. After I picked up all of the ingredients today (I pre-orderd the bugs and will pick those up tomorrow on the way there) I thought to myself, "Self, it sure would be nice to be able to do as much of the preparation as you can today so that you don't have to do it tomorrow at their house. But if you quarter the onions, smash all those garlic cloves, slice those lemons, etc. today it's all going to be nasty by tomorrow, even sitting in the refrigerator. If only there was some way to keep air away from the exposed internals of this stuff and prevent said nastiness from happening!"
:grin:
(The lemons is a separate photo from the one of the onions and garlic, and is more of a close-up...so the other two bags are actually larger than they appear....all three bags being the same 11" width.) As a bonus, all three bags stood up on end on the top shelf of the fridge only take up about 30 sq in of shelf space. I'll follow up tomorrow or Monday with a report on how well all this theory actually worked in practice.
66.) billy b - 03/27/2016
When I make gumbo I make a good bit, it's just Barbara & me so I divide the leftovers into meal size portions & pour into zip lock bags, squeeze the air out then shrink wrap them for later, heats up in the microwave, I also do the same with chili. Don't forget to mark them with felt marker with contents & date.
67.) DParker - 03/27/2016
I'm pleased to report that all three ingredients came out of their vacuum naps as fresh and potent as the were when they went in.
Oh, and the bugs were delicious. I'm stuffed.
Oh, and the bugs were delicious. I'm stuffed.
68.) bluecat - 03/28/2016
Good idea DP. Never thought of that.
P.S. Is that enough garlic though? :wink
P.S. Is that enough garlic though? :wink
69.) DParker - 03/28/2016
[QUOTE=bluecat;40428]Good idea DP. Never thought of that.
P.S. Is that enough garlic though? :wink[/QUOTE]
There's [I]never[/I] enough garlic. However, I did manage to get more flavor out of it by smashing the cloves rather than simply cutting the whole heads in half, which is the usual method used in bug boils.
P.S. Is that enough garlic though? :wink[/QUOTE]
There's [I]never[/I] enough garlic. However, I did manage to get more flavor out of it by smashing the cloves rather than simply cutting the whole heads in half, which is the usual method used in bug boils.
70.) billy b - 03/28/2016
I just use garlic juice:wink
71.) DParker - 03/29/2016
Here's a riddle:
Q: "What has 2 thumbs and is making sous vide steak tonight?"
A: "[I]This[/I] guy!"
OK, so you have to use your imagination and pretend that there's an image of me with both thumbs pointing to myself. Hah!!
Just got an e-mail from Target telling me that my Anova sous vide immersion cooker is in and ready for me to pick it up on my way home from work....3 days earlier than they originally estimated. And as luck would have it I picked up a couple of really good-looking ribeyes at Kroger on Sunday while getting 30 lbs of live crawfish for our bug boil. Now I need to grab some of the fresh asparagus I spied there too....
Q: "What has 2 thumbs and is making sous vide steak tonight?"
A: "[I]This[/I] guy!"
OK, so you have to use your imagination and pretend that there's an image of me with both thumbs pointing to myself. Hah!!
Just got an e-mail from Target telling me that my Anova sous vide immersion cooker is in and ready for me to pick it up on my way home from work....3 days earlier than they originally estimated. And as luck would have it I picked up a couple of really good-looking ribeyes at Kroger on Sunday while getting 30 lbs of live crawfish for our bug boil. Now I need to grab some of the fresh asparagus I spied there too....
72.) bluecat - 03/29/2016
Can we expect a picture or two? I mean, it's the least you can do right? You're eating steak and we are, well...eating Cheetos and waiting for pics and a report.
73.) bluecat - 03/29/2016
Is this Anova sous vide cooker just a glorified stock pot or do you "set it and forget it", dial in the temperature and then drink some wine kind of a thing?
74.) bluecat - 03/29/2016
[QUOTE=DParker;40441]Here's a riddle:
Q: "What has 2 thumbs and is making sous vide steak tonight?"
A: "[I]This[/I] guy!"
... here's an image of me with both thumbs pointing to myself. Hah!!
[/QUOTE]
[URL=http://s990.photobucket.com/user/mx482/media/loser_zpsy9asvtci.png.html]
[/URL]
Don't over-steam my asparagus. I hate that.
Q: "What has 2 thumbs and is making sous vide steak tonight?"
A: "[I]This[/I] guy!"
... here's an image of me with both thumbs pointing to myself. Hah!!
[/QUOTE]
[URL=http://s990.photobucket.com/user/mx482/media/loser_zpsy9asvtci.png.html]
[/URL]Don't over-steam my asparagus. I hate that.
75.) DParker - 03/29/2016
[QUOTE=bluecat;40443]Is this Anova sous vide cooker just a glorified stock pot or do you "set it and forget it", dial in the temperature and then drink some wine kind of a thing?[/QUOTE]
The [COLOR="#cc00cc"][URL="http://anovaculinary.com/anova-precision-cooker/"]Anova precision cooker[/URL][/COLOR] (actually [I]Anova[B]s[/B][/I], plural, there are at least 3 models with slight differences between them) is an "immersion" cooker, meaning that...unlike the big, much more expensive commercial bath models used by restaurants...it consists of just a cylindrical appliance housing a heating element, temperature sensor, water circulating impeller and the control unit, all about the size of a household peppermill.
That gets clamped onto the inside of whatever you want to do your cooking in: A stock pot, a polycarbonate container (popular for large quantities of food, since they're light, cheap and aren't impacted by the low cooking temperatures used in sous vide)...whatever.
Etc. And yes, you set the desired target temperature on the control unit and let it heat up, put your vacuum sealed food item in the water and then go pretend to enjoy something your wife wants you to do for a couple of hours while your steak (or whatever) slowly cooks to perfection, and waits patiently for your return.
The [COLOR="#cc00cc"][URL="http://anovaculinary.com/anova-precision-cooker/"]Anova precision cooker[/URL][/COLOR] (actually [I]Anova[B]s[/B][/I], plural, there are at least 3 models with slight differences between them) is an "immersion" cooker, meaning that...unlike the big, much more expensive commercial bath models used by restaurants...it consists of just a cylindrical appliance housing a heating element, temperature sensor, water circulating impeller and the control unit, all about the size of a household peppermill.
That gets clamped onto the inside of whatever you want to do your cooking in: A stock pot, a polycarbonate container (popular for large quantities of food, since they're light, cheap and aren't impacted by the low cooking temperatures used in sous vide)...whatever.
Etc. And yes, you set the desired target temperature on the control unit and let it heat up, put your vacuum sealed food item in the water and then go pretend to enjoy something your wife wants you to do for a couple of hours while your steak (or whatever) slowly cooks to perfection, and waits patiently for your return.
76.) bluecat - 03/29/2016
Gotcha!
77.) bluecat - 03/29/2016
Well at least with this method, you won't have all the cut marks in the steak you made when trying to figure out if it was done or not. :dig:
So it's basically a hot tub heater element in a stock pot.
So it's basically a hot tub heater element in a stock pot.
78.) bluecat - 03/29/2016
Now do they make them so they have a wireless transmitter so you can be notified that the steaks are done while you are trimming shrubberies?
79.) Swamp Fox - 03/29/2016
I like the paperclip freezerbagholder (givemesometime and I'll figure out the Germanname forthat)--Freekin spacebar....
Was that pre-vacuumsealer or is there a reason you don't want your plastic-wrapped mammal flesh swimming freely in hot water the way God intended? Or sinking to the bottom because of the indignity of it all?...
Was that pre-vacuumsealer or is there a reason you don't want your plastic-wrapped mammal flesh swimming freely in hot water the way God intended? Or sinking to the bottom because of the indignity of it all?...
80.) bluecat - 03/29/2016
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;40452]I like the paperclip freezerbagholder (givemesometime and I'll figure out the Germanname forthat)--Freekin spacebar....
[/QUOTE]
duh, ... der PapierClippentasch von Freiabholensacksetzenigung
[/QUOTE]
duh, ... der PapierClippentasch von Freiabholensacksetzenigung
81.) Swamp Fox - 03/29/2016
LOL...
German is the one language where you don't really need a spacebar...
:applause:
German is the one language where you don't really need a spacebar...
:applause:
82.) bluecat - 03/29/2016
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;40452]I like the paperclip freezerbagholder (givemesometime and I'll figure out the Germanname forthat)--Freekin spacebar....
Was that pre-vacuumsealer or is there a reason you don't want your mammal flesh swimming freely in hot water the way God intended? Or sinking to the bottom because of the indignity of it all...[/QUOTE]
I don't think DP want his steaks doing any skinny dipping.
Was that pre-vacuumsealer or is there a reason you don't want your mammal flesh swimming freely in hot water the way God intended? Or sinking to the bottom because of the indignity of it all...[/QUOTE]
I don't think DP want his steaks doing any skinny dipping.
83.) bluecat - 03/29/2016
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;40456]
German is the one language where you don't really need a spacebar...
[/QUOTE]
LOL!
German is the one language where you don't really need a spacebar...
[/QUOTE]
LOL!
84.) DParker - 03/29/2016
[QUOTE=bluecat;40451]Now do they make them so they have a wireless transmitter so you can be notified that the steaks are done while you are trimming shrubberies?[/QUOTE]
Actually, the unit I'm getting supports pairing with your mobile device via Bluetooth, which allows you to remote-control the cooker. Unfortunately there's no notification or timer functionality built-in, and due to Bluetooth's limited range it won't work if you get more than about 30 feet away from the kitchen. Fortunately, I don't really care about any of that because of the set-and-forget nature of sous vide. So long as I wait the minimum amount of cooking time required I can get back to it whenever I feel like it and all will be OK. But if you like such things the model I'm getting is being discontinued for a newer one that is identical to it save for swapping out the Bluetooth for Wi-Fi, which will give you more range.
But I still don't care.
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;40452]I like the paperclip freezerbagholder (givemesometime and I'll figure out the Germanname forthat)--Freekin spacebar....
Was that pre-vacuumsealer or is there a reason you don't want your mammal flesh swimming freely in hot water the way God intended? Or sinking to the bottom because of the indignity of it all...[/QUOTE]
It has more to do with ensuring that the packet of food stays put with water flowing all around it (for even cooking) and keeping it from drifting right up against the immersed portion of the cooker itself...which could interfere with water circulation and also result in uneven cooking. The dignity maintenance is just a nice bonus.
Actually, the unit I'm getting supports pairing with your mobile device via Bluetooth, which allows you to remote-control the cooker. Unfortunately there's no notification or timer functionality built-in, and due to Bluetooth's limited range it won't work if you get more than about 30 feet away from the kitchen. Fortunately, I don't really care about any of that because of the set-and-forget nature of sous vide. So long as I wait the minimum amount of cooking time required I can get back to it whenever I feel like it and all will be OK. But if you like such things the model I'm getting is being discontinued for a newer one that is identical to it save for swapping out the Bluetooth for Wi-Fi, which will give you more range.
But I still don't care.
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;40452]I like the paperclip freezerbagholder (givemesometime and I'll figure out the Germanname forthat)--Freekin spacebar....
Was that pre-vacuumsealer or is there a reason you don't want your mammal flesh swimming freely in hot water the way God intended? Or sinking to the bottom because of the indignity of it all...[/QUOTE]
It has more to do with ensuring that the packet of food stays put with water flowing all around it (for even cooking) and keeping it from drifting right up against the immersed portion of the cooker itself...which could interfere with water circulation and also result in uneven cooking. The dignity maintenance is just a nice bonus.
85.) bluecat - 03/29/2016
[QUOTE=DParker;40459]Actually, the unit I'm getting supports pairing with your mobile device via Bluetooth, which allows you to remote-control the cooker. Unfortunately there's no notification or timer functionality built-in, and due to Bluetooth's limited range it won't work if you get more than about 30 feet away from the kitchen. Fortunately, I don't really care about any of that because of the set-and-forget nature of sous vide. So long as I wait the minimum amount of cooking time required I can get back to it whenever I feel like it and all will be OK. But if you like such things the model I'm getting is being discontinued for a newer one that is identical to it save for swapping out the Bluetooth for Wi-Fi, which will give you more range.
But I still don't care.
[/QUOTE]
I'm just thinking it would be nice to get an email from your steak, saying "eat me".
But I still don't care.
[/QUOTE]
I'm just thinking it would be nice to get an email from your steak, saying "eat me".
86.) DParker - 03/29/2016
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;40456]German is the one language where you don't really need a spacebar...[/QUOTE]
But hyphens seem to come in handy at times.
But hyphens seem to come in handy at times.
87.) DParker - 03/29/2016
[QUOTE=bluecat;40460]I'm just thinking it would be nice to get an email from your steak, saying "eat me".[/QUOTE]
All is well!!!
All is well!!!
88.) bluecat - 03/29/2016
You're a Ham radio guy, couldn't you set up a repeater so you can get that mailbox painted and still be in contact? "CQDX calling rare steak, over."
89.) bluecat - 03/29/2016
[QUOTE=DParker;40461]But hyphens seem to come in handy at times.
[/QUOTE]
I hate getting the schaft.
[/QUOTE]I hate getting the schaft.
90.) bluecat - 03/29/2016
[QUOTE=DParker;40462]All is well!!!
[/QUOTE]
Are these pictures from the gay pride parade you MC'd?
[/QUOTE]Are these pictures from the gay pride parade you MC'd?
91.) DParker - 03/29/2016
[QUOTE=bluecat;40463]You're a Ham radio guy, couldn't you set up a repeater so you can get that mailbox painted and still be in contact? "CQDX calling rare steak, over."[/QUOTE]
I stopped talking to my meat a long time ago.
[QUOTE=bluecat;40465]Are these pictures from the gay pride parade you MC'd?[/QUOTE]
You obviously have the wrong parade.
[video=youtube;C2SkqaCO9c4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2SkqaCO9c4[/video]
I stopped talking to my meat a long time ago.
[QUOTE=bluecat;40465]Are these pictures from the gay pride parade you MC'd?[/QUOTE]
You obviously have the wrong parade.
[video=youtube;C2SkqaCO9c4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2SkqaCO9c4[/video]
92.) Swamp Fox - 03/29/2016
[QUOTE=DParker;40461]But hyphens seem to come in handy at times.
[/QUOTE]
LOL...I think that's the word people claim is the longest word in any language...It has to do with Danube steamer ship captains something-or-other, and the only reason there's a hyphen is because the plaque is too short to write the word on one line. It made an appearance in one of my other posts where I also suddenly and inexplicably marched off to Deutschland ...
Here's the Wiki on it for grinsundgickls...
[I]In German, whole numbers (smaller than 1 million) can be expressed as single words, which makes siebenhundertsiebenundsiebzigtausendsiebenhundertsiebenundsiebzig (777,777) a 65 letter word. In combination with -fach or, as a noun, (das …) -fache, all numbers can be written as one word. A 79 letter word, Donaudampfschiffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft, was named the longest published word in the German language by the 1972 Guinness Book of World Records, but longer words are possible. The word was the name of a prewar Viennese club for subordinate officials of the headquarters of the electrical division of the company named the Donaudampfschifffahrtsgesellschaft, which operated steam boats on the Danube river.
The longest word that is not created artificially as a longest-word record seems to be Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz at 63 letters. The word means "law delegating beef label monitoring" but as of 2013 the law was removed from the books because European Union regulations have changed, leading to news reports that Germany "had lost its longest word".[14]
[/I]
[url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longest_words[/url]
[/QUOTE]LOL...I think that's the word people claim is the longest word in any language...It has to do with Danube steamer ship captains something-or-other, and the only reason there's a hyphen is because the plaque is too short to write the word on one line. It made an appearance in one of my other posts where I also suddenly and inexplicably marched off to Deutschland ...
Here's the Wiki on it for grinsundgickls...
[I]In German, whole numbers (smaller than 1 million) can be expressed as single words, which makes siebenhundertsiebenundsiebzigtausendsiebenhundertsiebenundsiebzig (777,777) a 65 letter word. In combination with -fach or, as a noun, (das …) -fache, all numbers can be written as one word. A 79 letter word, Donaudampfschiffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft, was named the longest published word in the German language by the 1972 Guinness Book of World Records, but longer words are possible. The word was the name of a prewar Viennese club for subordinate officials of the headquarters of the electrical division of the company named the Donaudampfschifffahrtsgesellschaft, which operated steam boats on the Danube river.
The longest word that is not created artificially as a longest-word record seems to be Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz at 63 letters. The word means "law delegating beef label monitoring" but as of 2013 the law was removed from the books because European Union regulations have changed, leading to news reports that Germany "had lost its longest word".[14]
[/I]
[url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longest_words[/url]
93.) bluecat - 03/29/2016
You couldn't leave well enough alone could you?
Johann Gambolputty de von Ausfern -schplenden -schlitter -crasscrenbon -fried -digger -dangle -dungle -burstein -von -knacker -thrasher -apple -banger -horowitz -ticolensic -grander -knotty -spelltinkle -grandlich -grumblemeyer -spelterwasser -kürstlich -himbleeisen -bahnwagen -gutenabend -bitte -eine -nürnburger -bratwustle -gerspurten -mit -zweimache -luber -hundsfut -gumberaber -shönendanker -kalbsfleisch -mittler -raucher von Hautkopft of Ulm
Johann Gambolputty de von Ausfern -schplenden -schlitter -crasscrenbon -fried -digger -dangle -dungle -burstein -von -knacker -thrasher -apple -banger -horowitz -ticolensic -grander -knotty -spelltinkle -grandlich -grumblemeyer -spelterwasser -kürstlich -himbleeisen -bahnwagen -gutenabend -bitte -eine -nürnburger -bratwustle -gerspurten -mit -zweimache -luber -hundsfut -gumberaber -shönendanker -kalbsfleisch -mittler -raucher von Hautkopft of Ulm
94.) bluecat - 03/29/2016
[QUOTE=DParker;40466]I stopped talking to my meat a long time ago.
[/QUOTE]
Unresponsive?
[/QUOTE]
Unresponsive?
95.) Swamp Fox - 03/29/2016
Don't mention the war!
:wink
:wink
96.) bluecat - 03/29/2016
[QUOTE=DParker;40466]I stopped talking to my meat a long time ago.
[/QUOTE]
Long distance charges?
[/QUOTE]
Long distance charges?
97.) DParker - 03/29/2016
[QUOTE=bluecat;40471]Long distance charges?[/QUOTE]
It's just that everything was always a big deal, and I any suggestions I made were always met with stiff resistance.
It's just that everything was always a big deal, and I any suggestions I made were always met with stiff resistance.
98.) bluecat - 03/29/2016
[QUOTE=DParker;40466]I stopped talking to my meat a long time ago.
[/QUOTE]
Too many dropped calls?
[/QUOTE]
Too many dropped calls?
99.) bluecat - 03/29/2016
[QUOTE=DParker;40466]I stopped talking to my meat a long time ago.
[/QUOTE]
Not part of the friends and family network?
[/QUOTE]
Not part of the friends and family network?
100.) Swamp Fox - 03/29/2016
I'm thinking about getting on a calling plan...I think it's something like $40 for the first two minutes...
101.) bluecat - 03/29/2016
Ask for Nicole and tell her you want the lost hunter special.
102.) Swamp Fox - 03/30/2016
"I've been out in the woods for a while..."
:grin:
:grin:
103.) bluecat - 03/30/2016
She's got an EMT costume that is kickin'.
104.) DParker - 03/30/2016
Y'know, I love my grill. I really do. But its steak incinerating days just might be over...unless occasions pop up where I don't have the lead time for starting a sous vide session. Not only did I just finish eating the most perfectly cooked ribeye I've ever made, getting it to turn out that way was nearly fool-proof (and I'm just the fool to prove it).
Getting to this point couldn't have been easier. I filled the pot 2/3 full w/hot tap water, clamped the immersion cooker to the side (it was ready to use right out of the packaging), plugged it in, pushed the power button, set the desired temperature to 130° F and waited the ~5 minutes it took for the water to hit that temp (starting out with hot water from the tap helps there). And as it turns out, I was mistaken about the cooker not having a timer function. It does. So I set it for 1 hour 15 minutes (recommended times ranged from 60-90 minutes, so I split the difference) and forced myself to walk away and ignore it until the timer went off. When it did I shut the cooker off, pulled the vac-sealed steak from the water and sliced the bag open.
5 minutes before the timer went off I put my skillet on the hottest burner my stove has and put one tbs each of veggie oil and real butter in it for finishing the steak.
This, believe it or not, is a fully cooked, perfectly medium-rare ribeye when it comes out of the bag:
Not really what you had in mind, right? Not to worry. Some salt and a light dusting of Meat Magic on both sides and then exactly 60 seconds (30 seconds per side) in the uber-hot skillet and this is what you end up with:
That's more like it. Oh....the inside? Funny you should ask....
Not only perfectly medium-rare, but uniformly so from side-to-side, just as advertised. The slow cooking broke down the fat and connective tissue so that it was as tender as any cut of meat I've ever had, and was melt-in-your mouth delicious. Now, this [i]was[/i] an exceptionally well-marbled steak, so that made a big difference as well, and a more average specimen will be a better test. But I have to say that I'm damned pleased with the results on this one. Add some shrimp and red, white and blue new potatoes ('cuz 'murica) and you've got a surf and turf plate fit for a sovereign.
(Shown prior to the addition of butter, salt and pepper...I'm not a barbarian.)
Getting to this point couldn't have been easier. I filled the pot 2/3 full w/hot tap water, clamped the immersion cooker to the side (it was ready to use right out of the packaging), plugged it in, pushed the power button, set the desired temperature to 130° F and waited the ~5 minutes it took for the water to hit that temp (starting out with hot water from the tap helps there). And as it turns out, I was mistaken about the cooker not having a timer function. It does. So I set it for 1 hour 15 minutes (recommended times ranged from 60-90 minutes, so I split the difference) and forced myself to walk away and ignore it until the timer went off. When it did I shut the cooker off, pulled the vac-sealed steak from the water and sliced the bag open.
5 minutes before the timer went off I put my skillet on the hottest burner my stove has and put one tbs each of veggie oil and real butter in it for finishing the steak.
This, believe it or not, is a fully cooked, perfectly medium-rare ribeye when it comes out of the bag:
Not really what you had in mind, right? Not to worry. Some salt and a light dusting of Meat Magic on both sides and then exactly 60 seconds (30 seconds per side) in the uber-hot skillet and this is what you end up with:
That's more like it. Oh....the inside? Funny you should ask....
Not only perfectly medium-rare, but uniformly so from side-to-side, just as advertised. The slow cooking broke down the fat and connective tissue so that it was as tender as any cut of meat I've ever had, and was melt-in-your mouth delicious. Now, this [i]was[/i] an exceptionally well-marbled steak, so that made a big difference as well, and a more average specimen will be a better test. But I have to say that I'm damned pleased with the results on this one. Add some shrimp and red, white and blue new potatoes ('cuz 'murica) and you've got a surf and turf plate fit for a sovereign.
(Shown prior to the addition of butter, salt and pepper...I'm not a barbarian.)
105.) DParker - 03/30/2016
Oh, and one more side benefit that I learned about: Because the meat is uniformly cooked throughout there's no temperature gradient ranging from the inside to the outer portions, so there's no need for the 5-10 minute "resting" period that a steak needs after being cooked via a high-heat method. It's ready to serve as soon as you take it out of the skillet (or off the grill if you're searing your steak that way).
106.) Jon - 03/30/2016
That looks incredible DP, I'm trying it. Since I don't have an immersion cooker and am far too cheap to buy one, I'll just use my stovetop and a temp bulb to monitor. Thanks for the pics, looks incredible.
107.) bluecat - 03/30/2016
That looks fabulous. I'm guessing you could have put many packages in there?
108.) DParker - 03/30/2016
[QUOTE=Jon;40484]That looks incredible DP, I'm trying it. Since I don't have an immersion cooker and am far too cheap to buy one, I'll just use my stovetop and a temp bulb to monitor. Thanks for the pics, looks incredible.[/QUOTE]
I'm always happy to eat a steak for the benefit of my fellow man. Y'know, for science and stuff. As for purpose-built immersion cookers, before these things became available in just the past couple years lots of people were doing sous vide using improvised homemade solutions based on common hardware they already had. Search Google and YouTube for "do it yourself sous vide" and you'll likely find a method that you can use. Just remember that you're dealing with 110v wall juice and a container of water, so an abundance of caution is in order. Also, temperature control and adhering to at least recommended cooking times are both critical, not only for the quality of the finished product, but for food safety as well. Because you're cooking at such low temperatures you have to compensate with longer cooking time in order to make sure you kill off any food-borne pathogens that higher heat methods make short work of. It's perfectly safe so long as you don't get impatient and cut your cooking times too short.
[QUOTE=bluecat;40485]That looks fabulous. I'm guessing you could have put many packages in there?[/QUOTE]
That pot's not very big, so I probably could have only put one or two more steaks in before it became too crowded. The water has to circulate around all surfaces of the bags, so you don't want them packed up against one another.
I'm always happy to eat a steak for the benefit of my fellow man. Y'know, for science and stuff. As for purpose-built immersion cookers, before these things became available in just the past couple years lots of people were doing sous vide using improvised homemade solutions based on common hardware they already had. Search Google and YouTube for "do it yourself sous vide" and you'll likely find a method that you can use. Just remember that you're dealing with 110v wall juice and a container of water, so an abundance of caution is in order. Also, temperature control and adhering to at least recommended cooking times are both critical, not only for the quality of the finished product, but for food safety as well. Because you're cooking at such low temperatures you have to compensate with longer cooking time in order to make sure you kill off any food-borne pathogens that higher heat methods make short work of. It's perfectly safe so long as you don't get impatient and cut your cooking times too short.
[QUOTE=bluecat;40485]That looks fabulous. I'm guessing you could have put many packages in there?[/QUOTE]
That pot's not very big, so I probably could have only put one or two more steaks in before it became too crowded. The water has to circulate around all surfaces of the bags, so you don't want them packed up against one another.
109.) bluecat - 03/30/2016
I saw blue potatoes at the garden store when I went in to pick out my potatoes for the year. I should have bought a few. What do they taste like? I'm hooked on the Red Norland and the Yukon Gold.
110.) crookedeye - 03/30/2016
billy youre not going to stand by and not challenge a boiled ribeye, are you?? a boiled ribeye??lol show dp the oled barbeque pitmaster way...
looks good though..them potatoes could use about a half stick of butter..
looks good though..them potatoes could use about a half stick of butter..
111.) Swamp Fox - 03/30/2016
LOL...
CE, I told everyone this kind of thing was gonna happen when people started using gas grills, but did anybody listen? Nooooo...
[I]Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling! Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes! The dead rising from the grave! Human sacrifice! Dogs and cats living together! Mass hysteria!
[/I]
One potato, two potato, three potato, four...
Five potato, six potato, seven potato more...
That's all I remember...
CE, I told everyone this kind of thing was gonna happen when people started using gas grills, but did anybody listen? Nooooo...
[I]Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling! Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes! The dead rising from the grave! Human sacrifice! Dogs and cats living together! Mass hysteria!
[/I]
One potato, two potato, three potato, four...
Five potato, six potato, seven potato more...
That's all I remember...
112.) billy b - 03/30/2016
God invented warm water to bathe in, what's the world coming to:cf::bang::groan:
I don't even know these people:jd:
I don't even know these people:jd:
113.) bluecat - 03/30/2016
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;40489]LOL...
CE, I told everyone this kind of thing was gonna happen when people started using gas grills, but did anybody listen? Nooooo...
[I]Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling! Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes! The dead rising from the grave! Human sacrifice! Dogs and cats living together! Mass hysteria!
[/I]
One potato, two potato, three potato, four...
Five potato, six potato, seven potato more...
That's all I remember...[/QUOTE]
Na na na, na na na na
CE, I told everyone this kind of thing was gonna happen when people started using gas grills, but did anybody listen? Nooooo...
[I]Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling! Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes! The dead rising from the grave! Human sacrifice! Dogs and cats living together! Mass hysteria!
[/I]
One potato, two potato, three potato, four...
Five potato, six potato, seven potato more...
That's all I remember...[/QUOTE]
Na na na, na na na na
114.) DParker - 03/30/2016
[QUOTE=bluecat;40487]I saw blue potatoes at the garden store when I went in to pick out my potatoes for the year. I should have bought a few. What do they taste like? I'm hooked on the Red Norland and the Yukon Gold.[/QUOTE]
They're actually purple (like "blue"berries really are), but "red, white and purple" doesn't
have the desired patriotic ring to it. Here's a good, short description of them and their flavor:
[URL="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Purple_Potatoes_641.php&ved=0ahUKEwiSk6SiyejLAhWHJh4KHeCpDeoQFggdMAE&usg=AFQjCNHq55TaT7DkVeJ0rIGN3B-wIwGBVQ&sig2=Gm6Z1m5x1TWz2Af6xLG1-Q"]https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Purple_Potatoes_641.php&ved=0ahUKEwiSk6SiyejLAhWHJh4KHeCpDeoQFggdMAE&usg=AFQjCNHq55TaT7DkVeJ0rIGN3B-wIwGBVQ&sig2=Gm6Z1m5x1TWz2Af6xLG1-Q[/URL]
[QUOTE=billy b;40490]God invented warm water to bathe in, what's the world coming to:cf::bang::groan:
I don't even know these people:jd:[/QUOTE]
Yeah, yeah...I know. But you can't argue with results. I mean...you [i]can[/i], but.....aw, hell...you know what I'm sayin'.
They're actually purple (like "blue"berries really are), but "red, white and purple" doesn't
have the desired patriotic ring to it. Here's a good, short description of them and their flavor:
[URL="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Purple_Potatoes_641.php&ved=0ahUKEwiSk6SiyejLAhWHJh4KHeCpDeoQFggdMAE&usg=AFQjCNHq55TaT7DkVeJ0rIGN3B-wIwGBVQ&sig2=Gm6Z1m5x1TWz2Af6xLG1-Q"]https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Purple_Potatoes_641.php&ved=0ahUKEwiSk6SiyejLAhWHJh4KHeCpDeoQFggdMAE&usg=AFQjCNHq55TaT7DkVeJ0rIGN3B-wIwGBVQ&sig2=Gm6Z1m5x1TWz2Af6xLG1-Q[/URL]
[QUOTE=billy b;40490]God invented warm water to bathe in, what's the world coming to:cf::bang::groan:
I don't even know these people:jd:[/QUOTE]
Yeah, yeah...I know. But you can't argue with results. I mean...you [i]can[/i], but.....aw, hell...you know what I'm sayin'.
115.) bluecat - 03/30/2016
[QUOTE=DParker;40492]They're actually purple (like "blue"berries really are), but "red, white and purple" doesn't
have the desired patriotic ring to it. Here's a good, short description of them and their flavor:
[URL="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Purple_Potatoes_641.php&ved=0ahUKEwiSk6SiyejLAhWHJh4KHeCpDeoQFggdMAE&usg=AFQjCNHq55TaT7DkVeJ0rIGN3B-wIwGBVQ&sig2=Gm6Z1m5x1TWz2Af6xLG1-Q"]https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Purple_Potatoes_641.php&ved=0ahUKEwiSk6SiyejLAhWHJh4KHeCpDeoQFggdMAE&usg=AFQjCNHq55TaT7DkVeJ0rIGN3B-wIwGBVQ&sig2=Gm6Z1m5x1TWz2Af6xLG1-Q[/URL]
[/QUOTE]
The Purple potato is native to the Lake Titicaca within the high plains and mountain slopes of Peru and Bolivia.
It is a silly place.
have the desired patriotic ring to it. Here's a good, short description of them and their flavor:
[URL="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Purple_Potatoes_641.php&ved=0ahUKEwiSk6SiyejLAhWHJh4KHeCpDeoQFggdMAE&usg=AFQjCNHq55TaT7DkVeJ0rIGN3B-wIwGBVQ&sig2=Gm6Z1m5x1TWz2Af6xLG1-Q"]https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Purple_Potatoes_641.php&ved=0ahUKEwiSk6SiyejLAhWHJh4KHeCpDeoQFggdMAE&usg=AFQjCNHq55TaT7DkVeJ0rIGN3B-wIwGBVQ&sig2=Gm6Z1m5x1TWz2Af6xLG1-Q[/URL]
[/QUOTE]
The Purple potato is native to the Lake Titicaca within the high plains and mountain slopes of Peru and Bolivia.
It is a silly place.
116.) Swamp Fox - 03/30/2016
That's a bit conciliatory...
117.) Swamp Fox - 03/30/2016
[QUOTE=DParker;40492]
Yeah, yeah...I know. But you can't argue with results. I mean...you [i]can[/i], but.....aw, hell...you know what I'm sayin'.[/QUOTE]
That's a bit conciliatory...
Yeah, yeah...I know. But you can't argue with results. I mean...you [i]can[/i], but.....aw, hell...you know what I'm sayin'.[/QUOTE]
That's a bit conciliatory...
118.) bluecat - 03/30/2016
I'm not allowed to argue until you've paid.
119.) Swamp Fox - 03/30/2016
People are making $90 an hour on the internet...You could be arguing in your spare time...
Don't waste the opportunity.
:wink
Don't waste the opportunity.
:wink
120.) DParker - 03/30/2016
Don't make me sic the Colonel on you.
121.) DParker - 03/30/2016
But wait...yet ANOTHER bonus that I failed to mention. If you look closely you'll note that the steak is only about 1" thick, which is fairly thin for a good ribeye. Normally I wouldn't bother with anything less than 1½"-2" because it's nearly impossible, using a grill or any other high heat source, to get a good sear and crust on the outside while still leaving the inside at the rare end of medium-rare like I prefer. But slowly heating the meat evenly this way and then flash searing after the fact makes it easy to still get everything just right with even a thin cut.
122.) bluecat - 03/30/2016
It really does look beautiful and I'm glad you took the picture of "pre-sear" as it really showed how evenly the steak was cooked. I was taken aback at first cause you don't normally see meat like that.
Okay, it's right over the plate.
Okay, it's right over the plate.
123.) DParker - 03/30/2016
[QUOTE=bluecat;40500]It really does look beautiful and I'm glad you took the picture of "pre-sear" as it really showed how evenly the steak was cooked. I was taken aback at first cause you don't normally see meat like that.
Okay, it's right over the plate.[/QUOTE]
I often get that reaction when people see my meat for the first time.
Okay, it's right over the plate.[/QUOTE]
I often get that reaction when people see my meat for the first time.
124.) billy b - 03/30/2016
Thru a magnifying glass:wink:grin:
125.) DParker - 03/30/2016
[QUOTE=billy b;40502]Thru a magnifying glass:wink:grin:[/QUOTE]
126.) bluecat - 03/30/2016
:laugh:
127.) DParker - 03/30/2016
I only ate half of the steak last night because I promised to bring some leftovers into the office today to let a few people try it (and the potatoes were really filling...and I had to save room for ice cream). Across the hall from me is a young guy, fresh out of college. Nice kid. I asked him if he was a steak guy and if he wanted to try some. He enthusiastically accepted the offer and, after swallowing his piece of ribeye said, "Man, that's really good. What kind of steak sauce do you put on it?"
Kids today.
Kids today.
128.) bluecat - 03/30/2016
Now you know why tigers eat their young. Rodney Dangerfield
129.) bluecat - 04/19/2016
Let us know if you cook some wild game using your fancy schmancy cookery thing. I'm guessing that you can keep it moist.
130.) DParker - 04/19/2016
[QUOTE=bluecat;40968]Let us know if you cook some wild game using your fancy schmancy cookery thing. I'm guessing that you can keep it moist.[/QUOTE]
There's a rabbit and a squirrel living in my front yard that are both getting fat off the neighborhood ornamentals. They just might have to volunteer to be test subjects.....for science and stuff.
There's a rabbit and a squirrel living in my front yard that are both getting fat off the neighborhood ornamentals. They just might have to volunteer to be test subjects.....for science and stuff.