Has anyone ever tried pasteurizing full meals in sous vide bags so that you can store them in the fridge for a month or so? My goal is to be able to cook a new recipe each weekend since they last a month or more I will always have a few options to take to work for lunch or dinner on a night I don't have time to cook. The goal is not necessarily to cook everything sous vide, as that is very difficult. Some components that need higher heat can be pre-cooked and then added to the bag to pasteurize with the protein. Or, vegetables and proteins could both be cooked sous vide, just separately. The key is the protein needs to be something that is good to eat right out of the bag, as I will be taking these to work.
The first recipe I tried last weekend turned out pretty good:
I seasoned some chicken thighs with a western chipotle seasoning and salt and let them rest in the fridge for a few hours. Then I got my charcoal grill nice and hot and seared them nicely. I then seared the following vegetables until almost fully cooked. Red pepper, corn, zucchini, squash and tomatoes (just put them on for a few seconds). Bagged it all up in individual potions and added some more of the chipotle seasoning, lime juice and a pat of butter. I cooked them sous vide at 155F for a couple hours.
They turned out delicious. I end up pealing off the skin, because it is soggy, but I think I would continue to use skin on for the flavor. I just microwave it directly in the bag at work. I don't want to bring in the actual sous vide, but I thought about bringing a small tupperware container in and reheating them with hot water from the coffee maker mixed with some tap water.
