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*** OFFICIAL NEW *** Sous Vide/Immersion circulator thread. (1 Viewer)

Someone splain to me what makes picanha so hyped? Ive never had it, but I see it all the time in bbq/grilling videos on IG...it looks great, but other than having a thick fat cap, what makes it so popular? What cut or cuts is it comparable as far as flavor, texture and tenderness? 

 
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Someone splain to me what makes piranha so hyped? Ive never had it, but I see it all the time in bbq/grilling videos on IG...it looks great, but other than having a thick fat cap, what makes it so popular? What cut or cuts is it comparable as far as flavor, texture and tenderness? 
They have really sharp teeth and hunt in packs.  And if you release those pre-historic ones during Spring Break on the lake look out.  They kill everyone in sight. 

 
Someone splain to me what makes picanha so hyped? Ive never had it, but I see it all the time in bbq/grilling videos on IG...it looks great, but other than having a thick fat cap, what makes it so popular? What cut or cuts is it comparable as far as flavor, texture and tenderness? 
Scroll up.

 
Wingnut said:
Someone splain to me what makes picanha so hyped? Ive never had it, but I see it all the time in bbq/grilling videos on IG...it looks great, but other than having a thick fat cap, what makes it so popular? What cut or cuts is it comparable as far as flavor, texture and tenderness? 
Ribeye level flavor with tenderloin level texture at chuck level price

 
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Hankmoody said:
Here's my FAQ that a friend new to SV asked me.

Q:  What circulator to get?  Only one?
A:  Two minimum.  It sounds over-the-top but not once you realize you're in the middle of a 48 hour pork butt at 145 but need to toss in some chicken for dinner that needs to get 165 or your SO likes their steak medium well and you eat yours correctly at 135 you'll see why.  I frequently do mashed potatoes (190) and whatever protein I'm doing can't handle even a short time in that.  Best recommendation is this Kitchen Boss  model.  It's a nice price and it's the best I have at heating up quickly.  I have an Anova Nano and regular Nano also and those are a toss-up.  I don't find any benefit to the variable height the Nano has because nothing I do takes a very shallow container so they are pretty much a wash.  The Nano is a significantly smaller (wattage) heating element so it will work harder to keep larger baths to temperature.  The wifi on either Anova is fun but very hit-or-miss once you leave the house and off the home wifi.  When I absolutely need it I will disable wifi on my phone, reboot the Anova, and that seems to keep me connected if I stay on LTE all day.  If I had to do it all over again I'd get two (or three) Kitchen Boss units above.

The blashpemous answer is you don't really even need a heating unit if you're just doing steaks and chicken.  Most only take a couple of hours to cook so just heat up a pot on the oven, drop a candy thermometer in it, and once it's to temp turn the heat to low (or slightly warmer depending on what temp you need to hold).  A few degrees either way isn't going to have any impact so just check the temp every 15 minutes or so to make sure you're not running rogue.

Q:  Do I need those fancy containers?
A:  No but yes.  You can cook perfectly fine in a kitchen pot.  The biggest benefit the fancy schmancy ones have is the form-fitting lid.  This will prevent heat loss, letting your circulator run less and extending its life and also prevent water evaporation.  For short cooks evaporation isn't an issue but most SV units will auto-shutoff if the water gets too low so doing 24 hour ribs does require paying attention.  With the lidded containers it's cover-and-forget.
Eh. I do multiple doneness steak cooks all the time. Just start at the hottest temp and work your way down to the coolest. Use ice or freezer black to drop temp.  Or frozen steaks.

And it's real easy to build a great container out of a cooler.  Better heat retention as well.

 
Eh. I do multiple doneness steak cooks all the time. Just start at the hottest temp and work your way down to the coolest. Use ice or freezer black to drop temp.  Or frozen steaks.

And it's real easy to build a great container out of a cooler.  Better heat retention as well.
Sure, I've done that plenty.  And if that's the only challenge you have that's fine.  But it doesn't work if you're doing a 48 cook at 135 and need some chicken legs or mashed potatoes done or a 24 hour cook at 160 and plan a bison burger.

 
ok I can't figure brisket out, has anyone had success with it?  Following the videos I've seen hasn't yielded results.

 
doing filets today ...no labor ...nice

just a nice hot sear and plenty of butter after

loaded baked potatoes and romaine wedge salad ...burst some cherry tomatoes when I sear the filets

love this thing

 
It was incredible. I can see why folks insist on keeping the fat cap intact. :eek:  🔥

Went with Sous Vide Everything method. Used a torch to crisp up the fat cap more while the steak was searing in the cast iron skillet. 
 

Some pics: 

https://imgur.com/gallery/FJSEiMb

Second one is in the freezer and will be done the same way, 
Where does the sous vide step fall in that series? Between 3 and 4?

 
ok I can't figure brisket out, has anyone had success with it?  Following the videos I've seen hasn't yielded results.
What is the issue?  I haven't done brisket but would assume it is similar to tri tip for cooking.  I do the tri tip for about 30 hrs at your desired doneness temp with the sous vide and then sear.  Always turns out great.

 
What is the issue?  I haven't done brisket but would assume it is similar to tri tip for cooking.  I do the tri tip for about 30 hrs at your desired doneness temp with the sous vide and then sear.  Always turns out great.
I sous vide tri tip for like 4 hours and then a sear and it is amazing. 30 sounds like overkill to me. Why so long?

 
What is the issue?  I haven't done brisket but would assume it is similar to tri tip for cooking.  I do the tri tip for about 30 hrs at your desired doneness temp with the sous vide and then sear.  Always turns out great.
They have come out a bit dry each time.  I'll figure out the seasoning and smoke with experience but the texture is a big issue.  They are tender-ish so not horrible, and flavor has been amazing (I was never a brisket fan before) but I can't get past the dry/stringy part.  I didn't even sear tonight's because I didn't want to dry it out any more than it was.

 
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Here's my FAQ that a friend new to SV asked me.

Q:  What circulator to get?  Only one?
A:  Two minimum.  It sounds over-the-top but not once you realize you're in the middle of a 48 hour pork butt at 145 but need to toss in some chicken for dinner that needs to get 165 or your SO likes their steak medium well and you eat yours correctly at 135 you'll see why.  I frequently do mashed potatoes (190) and whatever protein I'm doing can't handle even a short time in that.  Best recommendation is this Kitchen Boss  model.  It's a nice price and it's the best I have at heating up quickly.  I have an Anova Nano and regular Nano also and those are a toss-up.  I don't find any benefit to the variable height the Nano has because nothing I do takes a very shallow container so they are pretty much a wash.  The Nano is a significantly smaller (wattage) heating element so it will work harder to keep larger baths to temperature.  The wifi on either Anova is fun but very hit-or-miss once you leave the house and off the home wifi.  When I absolutely need it I will disable wifi on my phone, reboot the Anova, and that seems to keep me connected if I stay on LTE all day.  If I had to do it all over again I'd get two (or three) Kitchen Boss units above.

The blashpemous answer is you don't really even need a heating unit if you're just doing steaks and chicken.  Most only take a couple of hours to cook so just heat up a pot on the oven, drop a candy thermometer in it, and once it's to temp turn the heat to low (or slightly warmer depending on what temp you need to hold).  A few degrees either way isn't going to have any impact so just check the temp every 15 minutes or so to make sure you're not running rogue.

Q:  Do I need those fancy containers?
A:  No but yes.  You can cook perfectly fine in a kitchen pot.  The biggest benefit the fancy schmancy ones have is the form-fitting lid.  This will prevent heat loss, letting your circulator run less and extending its life and also prevent water evaporation.  For short cooks evaporation isn't an issue but most SV units will auto-shutoff if the water gets too low so doing 24 hour ribs does require paying attention.  With the lidded containers it's cover-and-forget.

Q:  Do I need vaccuum bags and sealer?
A:  Nope but they sure make life easier.  First off they protect meat from freezer burn like a champ.  I buy a lot in bulk when it's cheap (I currently have 60 pounds of pork loin from $1.39 a pound sale) and bag it up the moment I get home from shopping so getting a good seal is important.  Plus it makes the food last f o r e v e r.  I have left chicken in the fridge for 5 or 6 weeks and expected it to reek when I opened it but it was fresh as the day I sealed it up.  You're gonna love yourself when you never again throw out spoiled food.  I also cook for a lot of other people/households so they are nice to keep it fresh and it looks classy to hand someone a tightly-packed up roast.  If you don't want to invest in a sealer or bags (yet - you will) just get some brand new Ziplock bags and google "water displacement method" to see how you get a perfectly acceptable seal for single-cook use.

Q:  I hate it when my meat floats!
A:  That's what she said, and it's not a question.  This happens as fat renders from the cooking process - all of a sudden you have a big air bubble in there.  A good vaccum seal helps to minimize this but it can't be avoided completely.  You can weigh the food down with something handy like a wrench or scissors, or something practical like a paperweight, or even something ridiculous awesome like some sous vide weights in the bag.  I also like to rig stuff up so I will use a cooling rack, flip it over so the legs rest up against the lid, and the meat can't get above the water level.  The bubble itself isn't an issue, the meat will still cook just fine as long as it's submerged and the air in the bag remains at the right temperature.  If it floats that air bubble will be exposed to open air and cool off and that's no bueno.  Once you get fully into SV you'll be ready to get the champ of containers which has a built-in rack to prevent this.  Just keep the water level above the grate and you're golden.  Watch these prices, they get gougy at times, this shouldn't cost more than $60.

Q:  What's the best way to sear?
A:  Yes.  Just yes, sear it.  That's the entire point of cooking food, you need to get the maillard reaction going to get those amino acids jumping and those sugars reducing.  This can be a pretty religious argument - pan sear, open flame, oven.  Whatever you do, do it hot as hell.  You want the maillard reaction to get lit up but you don't want to actually cook the meat any more, so 30 seconds at 600 degrees is better than 3 minutes at 400.  For pan searing I highly recommend using avocado oil - it's got one of the highest smoke points out there plus it's got high in unsaturated fat vs. saturated fats.  Whatever you do do it hot as hell.  Can't stress that enough.  Just don't burn your house down and if you do for the love of god save the steak first.

Q:  Where should I set up?
A:  No one really considers this but it's kind of a big deal.  I bought a stainless steel kitchen prep table for the basement so I don't clutter up the kitchen with a bunch of toys.  The only thing I will stress is get your container as close to the sink as you can - water is heavy at 8 pounds per gallon so it's no easy task emptying a 26-quart container when you need to.

Q:  What's the best seasoning to use?
A:  Oh great, now I need to write a new FAQ.
does the kitchen boss have a mobile app?

 
They have come out a bit dry each time.  I'll figure out the seasoning and smoke with experience but the texture is a big issue.  They are tender-ish so not horrible, and flavor has been amazing (I was never a brisket fan before) but I can't get past the dry/stringy part.  I didn't even sear tonight's because I didn't want to dry it out any more than it was.
I would have thought brisket to be similar to tri tip and I have never had an issue with dryness (other than the time I sous vide for 12 hrs and then smoked for 2 hours - flavor was much better but it was on the dry side).  I also have not had any issue with stringy-ness aspect.  It has always been very tender but steak like.  How long are you sous vide-ing?

 
does the kitchen boss have a mobile app?
No.  The only time I need it is if I have a really short cook and want to add the food to the bath but not start it until 3:00 so it's ready for me when I get home.  Again though, even the Anova's app has been very finicky for me so not sure you can rely on it anyway.  Maybe others have had better luck but it seems whenever I change wireless networks I cannot connect back to it.

 
I pretty much only use my Joule for chicken breasts and real thick chops once in a while now (although I do want to try tri-tip)...Ive found when doing steaks reverse sear in oven or on grill before searing, I like the flavor and texture better than when I sous vide them. It gives them a bit of a crust and dries the exterior whch makes for a better sear...even when I was drying SV steaks prior to searing I could never get a sear I was happy with, but the last 3 or 4 I've done in the oven and grill have been fantastic. 

 
Q:  Do I need those fancy containers?
A:  No but yes.  You can cook perfectly fine in a kitchen pot.  The biggest benefit the fancy schmancy ones have is the form-fitting lid.  This will prevent heat loss, letting your circulator run less and extending its life and also prevent water evaporation.  For short cooks evaporation isn't an issue but most SV units will auto-shutoff if the water gets too low so doing 24 hour ribs does require paying attention.  With the lidded containers it's cover-and-forget.
I'd say no but no here.  Tub and lid. I cut out something for the cooker and there are no worries with water loss.  That's pretty cheap compared to some of the one made for the job.

 
No.  The only time I need it is if I have a really short cook and want to add the food to the bath but not start it until 3:00 so it's ready for me when I get home.  
I am reading this as you putting a bag or bags of meat in the water before you leave for work and then they just sit there all day until the machine starts at three.

Is that correct?

 
I am reading this as you putting a bag or bags of meat in the water before you leave for work and then they just sit there all day until the machine starts at three.

Is that correct?
I have, yeah.  Like steaks that only take 2 hours I'll pop in there when I leave for work and at 3:00 use the app to start the heater.  Ready for dinner without me having to run home to get them done.

 
I'd say no but no here.  Tub and lid. I cut out something for the cooker and there are no worries with water loss.  That's pretty cheap compared to some of the one made for the job.
Right, that's what I was saying.  The cut-out lid like is only another $5 btw and it's hinged for easier handling.

 
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Pork butt is in the water!  140 for 60 hours, ready Friday night.  Smoked hillbilly style for 2 hours with hickory before the bath.

Did beef bombs for my nephew last night.  He's 15 and mows down everything.  Mozzarella cheese stick on a skewer wrapped up in a ground beef wrap corndog style.  Coarse salt, garlic powder, habanero powder, SV 135 @ 90 minutes.  Standard sides of corn and spiced up mashed potatoes.  Pretty solid and lots of fun, he got a kick out of it and loved emphasizing MEAT BOMB all night.

 
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Pork butt is in the water!  140 for 60 hours, ready Friday night.  Smoked hillbilly style for 2 hours with hickory before the bath.

Did beef bombs for my nephew last night.  He's 15 and mows down everything.  Mozzarella cheese stick on a skewer wrapped up in a ground beef wrap corndog style.  Coarse salt, garlic powder, habanero powder, SV 135 @ 90 minutes.  Standard sides of corn and spiced up mashed potatoes.  Pretty solid and lots of fun, he got a kick out of it and loved emphasizing MEAT BOMB all night.
Love the beef bomb idea. I do something similar on the smoker but this sounds much easier. No need to sear them?  

 
Love the beef bomb idea. I do something similar on the smoker but this sounds much easier. No need to sear them?  
There's always a need to sear beef  ;)   It's just a fast, fun way to knock out a burger really.  Gives me the idea to next time maybe toast up a sub bun and serve it sandwich style.  I grind my own ground beef so just toss the seasonings in that and smash out a patty maybe 6" diamater and 1/2" thick and just roll it up.  Make sure you really give the ends a good pinch they have a tendency to not fully close and you end up with cheese stick all over the inside of your bag.  This is also why I only do 60-90 minute (135 minimum for 60 minutes to pasteurize) to minimize the chance to burst.

 
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Just snagged a tri tip at the grocery store on sale.  Never SV this one so figured I'd take the plunge.  Not sure when I'll actually get to it as I have a pork shoulder in right now to be done tomorrow night but the plan is salt, garlic powder, and habanero powder then 130 for 12-18 hours?  

 
Just snagged a tri tip at the grocery store on sale.  Never SV this one so figured I'd take the plunge.  Not sure when I'll actually get to it as I have a pork shoulder in right now to be done tomorrow night but the plan is salt, garlic powder, and habanero powder then 130 for 12-18 hours?  
i do it for 24-30 hrs at 132 deg.  It comes out melt in your mouth tender and you can cut it with a fork.  I usually put a rub I found (brown sugar, cayenne, cumin, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika).  Sear it on both sides once I pull it out of the bath. 

ETA:  I also trim most of the fat off it as it's not as important when doing it via sous vide.

 
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Tri Tip doesn't really need anywhere near that long in my experience. I did a 2.5 pound one a couple weeks ago @135 for about 6 hours and it was perfect. It was Prime grade, but I've done choice and CAB the same way with similar results.

 
My 12 year old vacuum sealer bit the dust last week, and I just ordered THIS ONE from Amazon...it has inside roll storage and a built in cutter so the bag is cut straight and is the exact right size every time (for less waste), as well as a external vacuum tube for sealing non-roll bags and containers.

It has great reviews, and for less than $50 I figure why not.

 
My 12 year old vacuum sealer bit the dust last week, and I just ordered THIS ONE from Amazon...it has inside roll storage and a built in cutter so the bag is cut straight and is the exact right size every time (for less waste), as well as a external vacuum tube for sealing non-roll bags and containers.

It has great reviews, and for less than $50 I figure why not.
Bookmarked.  I'm a firm believer in Amazon's ratings - if it's not 4.25 stars I don't buy it and I have full trust in anything higher.  Great find.

Question - how quick/strong is the vaccuum process?  Mine is pretty slow and any juices or liquids in the bag tend to get sucked up into the unit but I've seen videos with big industrial ones that are insta-vacs and have no such issue.

 
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Bookmarked.  I'm a firm believer in Amazon's ratings - if it's not 4.25 stars I don't buy it and I have full trust in anything higher.  Great find.

Question - how quick/strong is the vaccuum process?  Mine is pretty slow and any juices or liquids in the bag tend to get sucked up into the unit but I've seen videos with big industrial ones that are insta-vacs and have no such issue.
I agree 100% with the bold. 

As far as how it performs, Ill let you know tomorrow when it gets here...Ive got some pork chops and chicken I need to seal up, so I'll be testing it out the minute its delivered. 

Oh, it also comes with 2 rolls, so the price is really pretty sweet.

 
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Ok tri-tip was excellent.  I did 6 hours @ 132 and it was great.  I can also see the allure of doing it much longer, there's a lot of intra-muscular that could still render.  Unlike most cuts with said, however, it was very soft, manageable, and delicious.  Next time I'll put it in at 11:00 PM the night before for an 18 hour cook just to try the difference.  I did it on nachos so a combo of chipotle tabasco and some carne asada rub but next time will be some horseradish on warm rolls with cheddar.

 
Hankmoody said:
Question - how quick/strong is  the vaccuum process?  Mine is pretty slow and any juices or liquids in the bag tend to get sucked up into the unit but I've seen videos with big industrial ones that are insta-vacs and have no such issue.
This one is nice...pretty quick and strong. A couple things I like:

You can set it to wet or dry food...when its on the wet setting, it vacuums and seals fast and doesn't seem to pull any juice Out of the bag and into into the little juice catching trench...I sealed a couple of big pieces of lasagna and it didn't over vacuum and compress or smash the food. On the dry setting it seems to pull a bit harder/longer....I did some pork chops and they look like commercially sealed packs.

Then it also has a stop/pulse feature that lets you adjust the vacuum pressure manually...you press it, which stops the process...then  you keep pressing it, and the suction starts out low and increases with each press...then when you reach your desired vacuum level, release it and hit the seal button. This would be good for food items that might/could get crushed by the default pressure.

The bag cutter is nice. The width of the unit is a tad less than my old one, and the larger rolls are almost too wide for it, but it vacuumed and sealed them just fine...I just had to make sure the corners were flat when I closed the unit so they seal correctly.

Overall I think its a good unit, especially for less than $50. Time will tell if it lasts, but it feels solid as my old one, which lasted 12 years (Food Saver brand).

 
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Ok tri-tip was excellent.  I did 6 hours @ 132 and it was great.  I can also see the allure of doing it much longer, there's a lot of intra-muscular that could still render.  Unlike most cuts with said, however, it was very soft, manageable, and delicious.  Next time I'll put it in at 11:00 PM the night before for an 18 hour cook just to try the difference.  I did it on nachos so a combo of chipotle tabasco and some carne asada rub but next time will be some horseradish on warm rolls with cheddar.
Do it for 24 hrs.  You will see a difference.  It's worth the extra time.

 
It's been a good week.  My brother was supposed to come up from NC with his family for a few days but his toddler grandson was exposed to CV (father's GF tested positive) so that got nixed.  As a result all this food I had stockpiled up on has to get eaten!  I had bought a pork butt, two full picanha, 20 lbs. of sirloin (the earlier score that had picanha cuts attached so maybe 15 lbs actual sirloin) and a 14 lb packer.  We've done a couple different steak nights so far.  Tonight is Meat War night with the sister/nieces/nephew/parents.  A full tri-tip, 1/2 a picanha, and a couple of sirloins.  I'll cut them thin for sampling then stuff each into warmed buns and toss shredded cheddar on top with dipping sauces available.  Picked up some crema from the mexican grocery and I have a homemade horseradish sauce I usually do for rib roast that will go well too.

Tri-tip went in at 11:00 last night for an 18 hour dip, picanha and sirloin went in at 11:00 this morning shooting for 6 hours all at 132.  I did picanha for 6 hours a few nights ago and it was dreamy, probably the best I've done it yet.

 
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I snagged 4 of them yesterday before they went off sale so I'll do this on the next one. 
I set up a cheap igloo cooler so I can sous vide 6 tri tips at once.  I cut out the lid so it fit down over my Anova unit and then I can put it in my garage and let them cook.  It works great.  I would then freeze the extra tri tips and then pull one out whenever i wanted to do one up.  I would just put in the sous vide again for a couple hours to thaw and bring the overall temp up and then sear.  Works very well.  Can't even tell it was frozen. 

You won't be disappointed at the 24 hr cook time.  I have tried 12, 18, and 24.  I have also left in up to 30 hrs based on convenience for when I wanted to actually throw it on the BBQ to sear and serve.   24-30 hrs comes out the best in my experience. 

 
Put some pork ribs in the water this morning for tomorrow night. Will be about 36 hours. First time I've tried it. Anxious to see how it works. 

 
I've a question about freezing. I assume you can do this, but want to make sure.

I've frozen meat after its sous vide and its worked well. Can I defrost, sous vide, then re-freeze? I assume because there is a cooking step in between that it should be fine. But just want to confirm. Anyone know?

 
I've a question about freezing. I assume you can do this, but want to make sure.

I've frozen meat after its sous vide and its worked well. Can I defrost, sous vide, then re-freeze? I assume because there is a cooking step in between that it should be fine. But just want to confirm. Anyone know?
Yes no problem.  For thawing I use the sous vide again to bring back up to temp before searing.

 
I've a question about freezing. I assume you can do this, but want to make sure.

I've frozen meat after its sous vide and its worked well. Can I defrost, sous vide, then re-freeze? I assume because there is a cooking step in between that it should be fine. But just want to confirm. Anyone know?
Yes but it's kind of unnecessary if you have a vaccuum sealer.  Those things keep it good for weeks.  I frequently use the SV to re-heat the meat too.  15 minutes at the original temperature will bring it up to temp and unlike reheating in microwave or oven you won't overcook it.

 
Put some pork ribs in the water this morning for tomorrow night. Will be about 36 hours. First time I've tried it. Anxious to see how it works. 
I've done them for 150 for 24 hours and came out great.  I assume 36 hours will be fine maybe just a bit more tender. 

 
I have decided that 6 hours = heaven for picanha.  I used to do 3 because that's plenty for red meat to pasturize but man, do those 3 hours make a difference with texture.

Meat war had about as expected results.  5 votes for picanha #1, tri-tip #2, and sirloin #3.  One vote for tri-tip #1 and picanha #2.  Little twerps only at 5% of the sirloin but destroyed the others.  I rescued about 6 oz. of tri-tip for my dinner tomorrow night but the picanha was a total loss.

https://imgur.com/gallery/L8aQibC

 

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