Hello!
I'm a big fan of your site and have been following it for quite some time. I was first exposed to sous vide cooking about 10 years ago in my culinary school externship and have utilized it ever since in restaurants I have worked for, and now, in my own operation (hotel executive chef).
One question I can never seem to get answered when it comes to the health department/HACCP plans etc. is in the reheating of foods cooked sous vide. The Health code will state that any cooked food that is to be reheated, must be heated to 165F. Is there something I'm missing?
For instance, I have a flat iron that I cook at 57C for 1.5 hours for use on a steak salad as well as a steak sandwich, I chill it rapidly, then hold in the fridge. For service we mark it on the grill and reheat in the oven to warm it up for 4-5 minutes. I'm not worried about this particular steak being the pinnacle of perfectly cooked beef, but rather a time saver so my lunch service won't be held up by a steak salad order. Also the blood doesn't all run out when sliced...Also, it's tender & delicious.
I do a similar technique for fried chicken. We brine the chicken. Cook the legs at 75C for 1.5 hours, the breasts at 67C for 1 hour. Chill rapidly. When the order comes on, we soak the chicken in buttermilk, dredge in seasoned flour and fry it until beautifully golden, only about 7-8 minutes in a 350F fryer. It's the most juicy fried chicken any of us has ever had, and it's hot inside, but it's not being reheated to 165F.
Does the fact that the Proteins arei pasteurized make a difference to the required reheating temperature?
Is sous vide, with the temps at which we cook proteins, technically legal? or should we just keep hiding the circulators when the health inspector shows up...kidding...of course...
Thanks for the help!
Keep up the great work, you folks really are doing a great job teaching home cooks and professionals alike!
