Week 15: Sous Vide and Beef
Introduction
This week, I will be learning…
Method: dry and moist, sous vide, deep fry, stir fry
Menu: sous vide steak, stir-fry asparagus, beer battered onion rings, steak fries
Vocabulary: sous vide
What I Know So Far (not a ton)
I know a bit about the structure of beef in that the best steak comes from muscles that are barely used, such as the tenderloin.
Learning Objectives
My learning objectives are to prepare a meat product for cooking using a combination cooking method: Sous Vide, and to understand the different cuts of beef.
Research
Method of Cooking
Sous vide is a cooking method that evenly cooks at a lower temperature than other methods because it is done in a vacuumed bag in circulating water. “Although sous vide literally means “under vacuum” in French, the defining feature of the sous vide method is not packaging or vacuum sealing; it is accurate temperature control. A computer-controlled heater can warm a water bath to any low temperature you set, and it can keep it there for hours, or even days, if needed. (1)”
Origin and History
“Most sources credit two French chefs — Bruno Goussault and George Pralus — with independently developing sous vide, then working together to refine it.When Goussault, who's known as the "father of sous vide," developed the technique in 1971, he was looking for a way to improve the tenderness of roast beef. (3)”
“A British recipe from 1802 calls for cutting onions into slices, dipping them into a batter, adding Parmesan cheese, and deep frying them in lard. It suggests serving them with a sauce of melted butter and mustard. Recipes for and references to deep-fried battered onion slices or rings are found across the 20th century: one in Middletown, New York in 1910; another in a 1933 advertisement for Crisco.(2)”
“The cooking process decomposes propanethial oxide in the onion into the sweet-smelling and tasting bispropenyl disulfide, responsible for the slightly sweet taste of onion rings. (2)”
Sources
1) López-Alt, J. K. (2019, January 29). The Food Lab's foolproof onion rings recipe. Serious Eats. https://www.seriouseats.com/foolproof-onion-rings-food-lab-recipe
2) Natalie Hardwick – Editor, bbcgoodfood.com. (2022, February 11). How to cook steak. BBC Good Food. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-cook-perfect-steak
3) Liu, C. (2018, July 23). The perfect sous vide steak: A step-by-step guide. Parsnips and Pastries. https://www.parsnipsandpastries.com/perfect-sous-vide-steak/
Recipes
Plan of Work
Plate Presentation Models
Liu, C. (2018, July 23). The perfect sous vide steak: A step-by-step guide. Parsnips and Pastries. https://www.parsnipsandpastries.com/perfect-sous-vide-steak/
López-Alt, J. K. (2019, January 29). The Food Lab's foolproof onion rings recipe. Serious Eats. https://www.seriouseats.com/foolproof-onion-rings-food-lab-recipe
Natalie Hardwick – Editor, bbcgoodfood.com. (2022, February 11). How to cook steak. BBC Good Food. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-cook-perfect-steak
Results and Reflection
Report
Technique: The sous vide technique used on the beef was successful; it was thoroughly cooked. The steak was very tender and flavorful. The searing technique could have been done better; the outer edge of the meat was overcooked.
The fries were very well executed. They were some of the best I have ever had because they were fresh, not too salty, and not too greasy.
The onion rings were good. They were a little too greasy for me. The beer was perceptible in the batter and added intrigue. The technique made for a very smooth and crispy/crunchy onion ring.
Appearance: The steak was well seared on the outside, but overly cooked under the surface when cut into.
The fries were a beautiful gold with flecks of seasoning. They glistened with grease and shined with salt crystals.
The onion rings were browner than the fries, but not dark. They also had a shine from the frying oil and were covered in a constellation of salt.
Texture, Taste, Flavor: The steak was amazingly tender and buttery. It tasted extremely fresh and meaty. The fries and the onion rings were crisp. They were not too greasy to me, and I usually cannot eat fries without feeling a little sick.
Cost:
Evaluation
What Worked/What Didn’t Work Our plan of work went well this week. We finished in time. Everything worked very well. Our sanitation was a bit of a problem this week, but we will know what to do next time and make sure to clean more frequently.
In the future… I will not be making these foods for myself, but I am glad that I have a general idea of how to make them.
Conclusions
I enjoyed searing the chateaubriand. I believe I have improved my searing technique and become more attuned to what to look for.
This was a very good lab. We worked well together and had a decent execution of most recipes. I learned about the sous vide technique. I improved my knife skills and learned a bit about a meat I have never prepared before.
References
1) López-Alt, J. K. (2019, January 29). The Food Lab's foolproof onion rings recipe. Serious Eats. https://www.seriouseats.com/foolproof-onion-rings-food-lab-recipe
2) Natalie Hardwick – Editor, bbcgoodfood.com. (2022, February 11). How to cook steak. BBC Good Food. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-cook-perfect-steak
