Sous vide: even doneness
Seal food in a bag and set the bath to the temperature you want. Food can't get hotter than the bath, so a steak at 54°C (130°F) is pink edge to edge, no gray ring. Safety depends on time and temperature together, so follow a tested chart.
Sear after, not before
Straight from the bag, the steak is evenly cooked but pale and wet, because 54°C (130°F) is too cool to brown it. Pat it very dry and sear in a hot pan for about a minute per side. The inside is already done, so the sear only builds the crust.
Test yourself
Questions from the interactive lesson, with the answer and the why.
A steak sits in a 54°C (130°F) bath for two hours. How hot can its center get?
About 54°C (130°F), the bath temperature. Food equalizes with the bath and goes no higher.
True or false: Food in a 54°C (130°F) bath will not climb above 54°C no matter how long it stays.
True. Food equalizes with the water, so doneness is capped by the bath setting.
What went wrong? You sear a sous-vide steak straight from the bag without drying it. The pan spits and the crust comes out thin and gray.
Surface water had to boil off before browning. Wet surfaces steam first, and browning cannot start until they dry.
Fill the blank: Food sealed in a bag can never get hotter than the ___.
Food sealed in a bag can never get hotter than the water bath. Food equalizes with the water, so the bath is the ceiling.
Which bath temperature suits a medium-rare steak?
About 54 C. About 54°C (130°F) gives a rosy medium-rare center.
You want a tough cut like short rib to turn tender. What does sous vide let you do?
Hold a mild heat for many hours. Slow heat turns collagen to gelatin without driving out all moisture.