nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

Help with 72 hr / 54 C Short ribs

douglas_bd

I made the short ribs from the first module, but ended up disappointed in the final product. The texture was good, but the flavor of the meat was poor. I did not season the meat before hand, but put a small amount of oil into the bag. I also used ziploc bags and the water displacement method of sealing. I'm wondering if the long cook time and lack of complete vacuum could have led to rancidity in the oil? That seems fast, but I know oxidation will increase with temperature. The off flavor seemed to be concentrated in the fatty portions of the meat. After 3 days time, it was unfortunate. I know there's not a lot to go on here, but any thoughts on what to do differently when I try again?

Find more posts tagged with

Recipes Q's

Comments

Mason_Perry_34060

@Brian I chose 140F because it is still in the realm of medium maybe medium-well and I still like having some pink in the meat after the bath. (It's also easy when I want to cook my medium rare steak as I just turn the bath down to 134F and cook the steak and then back up to 140F to finish the short ribs.) I have done this many times and just haven't found a good reason to try another temp yet as everyone has loved the 140F for 48 hours. I also have a chamber vac so I get a great air tight seal that has almost no air even after a 48 hour bath. I don't presear or blanch.

Let us know how it goes.

@Chris This is semi off topic, does freezing the meet before sous vide but after vacuum sealing do anything for killing bacteria? I cook a lot of frozen food because I buy on sale or in bulk and then seal and freeze for later. But I have noticed that when I buy raw chicken for my cat and I store in the fridge it smells bad but if I seal and freeze it then open it a week later and it's in the fridge for the same amount of time it doesn't smell. My cat also seem to enjoy the frozen thawed as opposed to the never frozen.... Im thinking there could be a reduction in bacteria from the freezing....

Chris_Young_80640

@Brian Presearing before a very long cook can cause some flavors to develop that not everyone likes. I definitely don't recommend it for lamb unless you like the flavor of mutton. Grass-fed beef also can have the problem of developing strong, almost gamey aromas from presearing followed by a very long cooking time. Grain-fed meat tends to have more saturated fats, which are more stable, and less of a problem.

In all cases, getting all of the air out is important when presearing and then cooking for a very long period of time. Otherwise the meat can end up tasting like left overs. This is the result of a complex oxidative reaction catalyzed by the iron in myoglobin, which found in all muscle fibers. Sous vide helps avoid this, and is one reason that you can avoid having left-overs taste like, well, left-overs.

grant

Do 64c/48hr. Quicker and you wont be let down. Many times, you get 95% there in the first 48 hours.

Grant

prince_of_porcelain

Thanks everybody. I'll definitely be trying again.

@Mason - I may follow your lead on the higher temp too before going back to try the 54 C again. Higher temp should reduce risk of bacterial growth as it should reach temp sooner. I think the Modernist Cuisine at Home short ribs recommended 58 or 62 C for their 72 hour cook. Sounds like you split the difference?

@Chris - Thanks for the feedback, I was hoping it was oxidation, rather than bacteria, but not surprised thats the more likely culprit. I'll try preblanching next time before putting in the bath. I'd heard somewhere not to presear before a long cook as it could develop off flavors over that amount of time. Is that not the case? If so, that could be an easy way to go.

Jack_Mayer_85396

@Brian please give it another try, 72 hr. short ribs is what led me to SV cooking in the first place. Had them at a restaurant where I knew the chef and he was gracious enough to walk me through it step by step, phenomenal! I've made that dish 15-20 times just varying the sides/garnish/sauce.

Mason_Perry_34060

I have done short ribs 3 times for 48 hours each time, every time was at 140F no presear just seasoned with salt and pepper and all 3 times have been phenomenal. I don't think lack of sealing was an issue as after a few hours my bags have air pockets from water moisture. A final sear after cutting off the bonme has always led to amazing short ribs, I was pleasantly suprised by the juicy texture even at 140 degrees.

Hopefully you can try again as I can assure you that the success will be worth the trouble.

Chris_Young_80640

@Brian I'm very sorry to read that you didn't get a good result. I do not, however, believe your problem was oxidation of fat. It runs out this reaction is only weakly temperature dependent. I believe that the more likely culprit are bacteria. Cooking at 129 °F / 54 °C is right on the edge of bacteria growth and death, and there are bacteria that can survive at temperatures above this. These organisms are not illness causing, but they can spoil the flavor of the food.

Preblanching for a second or two in boiling water, or presearing the surface will eliminate nearly all bacteria on the surface, so I often recommend doing this before cooking meats for prolonged periods of time. I hope we can convence you to try again, and report back on how things go.