26 Aug Sous-Vide is So Fun!

Sous-vide, which is French for “under vacuum,” is a method of cooking in which food is placed in a plastic pouch or a glass jar and cooked in a water bath (or steam environment) for longer than normal cooking times (usually 1 to 7 hours) at an accurately regulated temperature. The temperature is much lower than normally used for cooking, typically around 131 to 140 °F for meat and a little higher for vegetables. The intent is to cook the item evenly, ensuring that the inside is properly cooked without overcooking the outside, and to retain moisture.

Home cooks can now rejoice as sous-vide cooking is now available for everyone thanks to the ChefSteps Joule Sous-Vide apparatus that makes preparing food this way easy, enjoyable and relatively mess free.

The Joule has quickly become my favorite kitchen tool and I’ve used it on a weekly basis as I’ve found it to be a perfect way to prepare meats and vegetables that are supremely tender and flavorful. And with the Joule connected to your smartphone, you can literally cook from wherever you are!

ChefSteps also provides delicious and simple recipes for use with the Joule, accompanied by really nice instructional videos and helpful tips. It’s a pleasure to use and I highly recommend it.

I cooked a flank steak with pictorial guide below just as an example of what you can do.

Prepare your area and assemble the necessary items. You will want to put your pot on a surface that will protect your countertop.

Place the Joule in a stock pot of water and preheat according to directions based on what you’re cooking and for how long.

For meat, whisk together your favorite marinade (I combine olive oil, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, black pepper and fresh garlic).

Place the meat in the special cooking bag and pour the marinade in. Seal the bag, keeping the air out. You can also buy a special little pump by Green Apron which helps make whatever you’re cooking practically vacuum-packed.

Slowly submerge into the preheated water.

Cook for the specified period (Joule will set the timer through a smartphone and alert you when cooking is completed).

Remove the meat from the bag and sear in hot butter, one minute per side.

Slice and serve!