Go to the Article: Cook Sous Vide Tonight: Insulated Cooler Method
This works GREAT. Flank steaks at 136-138 come out perfect every time. One tip for searing (a couple, actually): Pre-searing doesn't seem to carry the Maillard flavors into the meat, whereas seasoning the meat before putting it in the bag works well. Hold off on the salt, though of course pepper and garlic are welcome additions. So season before, and sear after. I've had trouble with the smoke alarm in my apartment going off when I get a pan hot enough to really give things a nice sear, so I do it on a grille. Since temp+time=more cooking, it behooves us to get the searing done as quickly as possible. To get a good sear, I use mesquite charcoal in a starter chimney with a grill over the top. 8-10 seconds a side with the chimney roaring hot works about right-- medium rare from edge to edge with a delicious crunchy sear on it. I salt the steaks right after taking them out of the bag, so about 30 seconds before they hit the grille.Don't be afraid of this. Try it; it works. It works really well.
- originally posted by Roadhork
Wow, this is really cool- can't wait to try it.
- originally posted by Mary
This works so well. I took some sirloin steaks and cut them into cubes and seasoned them, put them in the bags and cooked them in the water at 129F for two hours. Then I took the cubes, threw them on skewers and finished them on a charcoal grill burning apple wood, as hot as I could get it. It was amazing!
Great video! By the way, how long was the halibut cooked (Sous Vide)? Is it safe to assume that the desired water temperature was 134 °F?
My dad has his doubts about my sous vide cooler...I'm doing some filets in it tonight while he does his on the grill. We'll see who wins!
This technique is really cool and I for one have never heard of sou vide before. I am going to open a food truck and this would work perfectly to get some meats cooking. It sounds like a fast serve time too. I am really excited. Thank you for teaching me this technique. Not just in the cooler but sou vide in itself if genius!
I sous vide all the time- and I think it would be a HOOT to do this while camping. Boil up some water on the campfire, put it in the cooler, cook those steaks, sear on the campfire and voila!
Where does the Joule come into play here? You don't need one?
