My fellow alchemists,
It's been several months since I stumbled on a few Sous-B-Q workflows that just plain worked. Since then I bought a Searzall, and I've been experimenting almost exclusively with Sous-V-Sear. I discovered a new tidbit: the magic of 113˚F. I was making Sous-V-Sear salmon and discovered that sous videing at 113˚, followed by a browning sear, resulted in an interior texture something like butter, with a crunch-i-licious surface.
I then did a chuck steak at 131˚ for 24 hours, followed by 20 minutes at 113˚, followed by a sear with the Searzall. The result was similar to the salmon: an unbelievably juicy, tender center with a smoky, crunch-i-licious surface. Starting at 113˚, the sear doesn't raise the core temperature enough to change the texture from whatever was set before the sear. I've done a bunch of other cuts (leg of lamb, pork loin chops, lamb forequarter chops, and even sausages) with Searzall, BBQ, and even hot oven finishes, and I've found that 113˚ is an outstanding starting point for any kind of high-temperature, browning finish.
Cheers.
