New toy

[bellaru]

This sight is the Devil!
I've bought more new toys because of SMF than I like to admit...
Any way here is the new gadget. Seemed like Anova is everybody's favorite and best reviewed in the price range.
First try was shrimp. Plain, plain with butter, plain with butter and Rosemary. The plain I did for 15 minutes at 135' the other two 30 minutes at 135'. Turned out pretty good. The rosemary really shines through. The plain didn't make the photo roll due to preemptive consumption.

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• bellaru
• Feb 1, 2017

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• bellaru
• Feb 1, 2017

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• bellaru
• Feb 1, 2017

 

[biteme7951]

Great little addition to the arsenal. I bought one about a year ago and love it. I did a 24hr soak on some short ribs for dinner last night and they were very tender and flavorful (finished under broiler). Haven't tried shrimp yet (thanks for the tips), but had great success with scallops.

Barry.

 

[bellaru]

"Great little addition to the arsenal"

That's a great way to put. I feel justified now.
I like so many have been going back and forth on whether to get one or not. If you look at it like that it's just one more cooking tool.
Thanks

 

[SmokinAl]

The shrimp look delicious!

Going to have to try that!

Al

 

[ab canuck]

Shrimp looks good. How do you find the new gadget?

 

[bellaru]

Shrimp looks good. How do you find the new gadget?

So far I really like it. I've used it about twice a day for two meals since I've gotten it. One of my concerns before I bought it was how long everything was going to take to cook. I understood that was the point but couldn't wrap my head around planning ,waiting and not just hurrying up and making the meal. Using it now I've realized the time is no issue and is actually helpful. As long as you plan for everything to be done at the same time it helps. You literally put it in there and wait, no stirring, no standing over the stove, grill, etc. It really frees up time to prep other things or just peruse SMF. I haven't done any great cuts of meat yet but they're in the near future.

 

[ab canuck]

Cool. Good to know. I may have to look into this more.

 

[crazymoon]

B, Your shrimp look tasty!

 

[gr0uch0]

B, help me understand something. I get the part where SV assists with tougher meat cuts, etc., but shrimp are already a delicate protein that takes only a couple of minutes to cook, whether they be grilled, sauteed, boiled, or steamed. What did you gain with SV? I'm not being critical, I'm just trying to figure out what would advantage is gained by going this route.

Would you do this again, and if so, like your opinion on doing side-by-side comparison with them: some prepped using SV, the others without, and having someone taste them not knowing the difference.

 

[lemans]

I haven't done shrimp yet.. but I did a strip steak (152 for 2 hours) and honey glazed carrots (189 for 2 hours) and they both came out great..
Because of the protein being vac pack while it is cooking you retain all of the natural flavor

 

[bellaru]

It just happened to be what I had on hand for the first test. Like you said shrimp cooks quickly and for some people it's easy to do it well. It can also be easily over cooked and become rubbery. Couple things I read online made good points about the short time frame being extended out so it's easier to achieve that perfect texture you desire. Look at serious eats website for "The Food Lab's Complete Guide to Sous Vide Shrimp" it's a good read. One thing I've noticed not just related to shrimp is it's nice that the food cooks in its own juices and maintains that flavor and nutrition which is not lost in the pan, boiling water, etc.
I'm certainly no expert on the subject for I am also experimenting and learning myself. So far the few things I've cooked I enjoyed.
One note, I did a couple pork chops at 140' for 1 hour and they were a little scary soft. I think if I reverse seared the crispy exterior would have helped. They were fine to eat but seemed rare. We didn't get sick.
That is one of the attractions to SV, being able to have rarer results that are safe to eat. You can slow pasteurize food, even eggs that will hold a raw state.

 

[bellaru]

The texture of the shrimp was very nice, soft and velvety with a light snap.

 

[gr0uch0]

So do you think doing shrimp this way made a big enough difference that you found? I completely agree that shellfish and mollusks can become handballs with overcooking: if it looks like they're done, they're overcooked. But was the flavor that much better that would make you not boil/steam/grill/sautee shrimp in the future?

 

[bellaru]

It was pretty easy so I would do it either this way or grilled from here out. I like the grilled flavor on shrimp too so it would depend on what I was going to use them for. I think the longer cook time with SV helps push more flavor of the seasoning used in. Granted some flavors could be marinated in.

 

[gr0uch0]

Thanks for the exercise and the input:  appreciate it!

 

[bellaru]

Thanks for the exercise and the input:  appreciate it!

No worries. It's all a good learning experience.
Thanks