First adventure with Sous Vide.....

[The empressof all]

I seasoned and vac sealed two small pork loin roasts in a bag and dumped it in the Instant pot and set the sous vide function for 145. I put them in at 11 this morning and my best guess is they need 8 hours. I just peeked in the pot. The water was steamy but the meat looked pinkish. I was expecting it to be white...I don't know how this is going to work. I'm going to give it till 7 and take their temp. Wish me luck!

[procon]

1. That method scares me.

Since the meat is well below what is considered a safe storage or cooking temperature, it's just sitting there for hours growing bacteria. Why would I want to eat that?

[The empressof all]

2. It scares me too...I probably should have started with something quicker like eggs

I took the meats temperature and it was 145 which was suppose to be safe . I tasted it and it was fine just a little underseasoned/ I'm going to up the temp and leave it in another hour and fridge it for tomorrow. I'm planning to use it for sandwiches...I think it will be fine.

[sir pball]

6. You're...sorely misinformed about sous vide and food safety.

First, 140F is the minimum safe holding temperature for food, as per the FDA.

Second, and far more important when talking about low-temperature cooking/immersion circulation, food safety is a function of both temperature and time.

Above about 125F bacteria don't grow but begin to die off; the higher the temperature the faster they perish. The issue with cooking, say, chicken breast (the "dirtiest" meat and the one that needs the most cooking) at a temp below 165F is the time the food is held at the target temperature. At 165F, harmful bacteria are instantly killed - that's why the FDA recommends it for chicken, there's no further thought or effort required. Hit temp, boom, instant pasteurization.

When I sous vide chicken breast, I do it at 142F; after 90 minutes in the bath to make sure it's spent a half hour at temp it's as safe as cooked to 165F. The meat is definitely quite different than cooked hotter, it has lost all the pink but it's barely firmed up and has kept almost all it's moisture. A lot of people are thoroughly squicked out by it; it definitely seems undercooked if you're used to well-done meat, the same with pork - and that's a perfectly fine reason not to like sous vide, but safety is absolutely no reason to not try it.

https://www.seriouseats.com/2015/07/the-food-lab-complete-guide-to-sous-vide-chicken-breast.html

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/bf3f01a1-a0b7-4902-a2df-a87c73d1b633/Salmonella-Compliance-Guideline-SVSP-RTE-Appendix-A.pdf (chicken guidelines on page 34)

[packman]

3. I love cooking with sous vide

That 145 sounds right, but the 8 hrs. sounds like it's too much. Sous Vide is very forgiving about the time - I would double check pork loin on the internet in regard to cooking time. You are going to have to brown or sear the meat after taking it out of the water bath.

BTW - An instant pot with a sous vide setting? News to me.

I've cooked steaks, pork, turkey, chicken strips, various veggies and have yet to be disappointed.

[ihas2stinkyfeet]

5. i would sear if before.

flavor and also get it hot before starting. any bacteria would be on the outside, so safer, too.

[packman]

13. Searing before (in most cases) is NOT recommended

Sealing it with various herbs, if desired, and then water-bathing it at temp/time will kill any bacteria. Recommend meat be at room temp before cooking also - never but frozen meat in the bag.

If seared before hand, expect the surface to be moist and damp - cook and then sear .

[mitch96]

4. Using temp of the meat is my guide. Also the water temp is important. Is the instapot really at

145º? I have used a remote temp probe in the water to verify. YMMV
m

[sir pball]

7. The water temp is the important factor with sous vide

Assuming you leave the meat in long enough, it'll be the temperature of the water. There are fairly elaborate probe thermometer setups that can be used with sealed bags, but that's more for commerical operations where you need to be able to formally record and certify the internal temperature of the meat.

[mitch96]

8. I use a temp device that heats when needed and turns off when reached. I built one but it was more

of an electrical project than I wanted. Plus it did not circulate the water. I got a top rated device for about $100 that fits my bill. I also use it to make yoghurt. I use it infrequently. Again more of a pain. I mainly experimented with fish. NOw I just steam it in 4-5 min with herbs and spices. Job done, happy days... YMMV
m

[spinbaby]

9. I sous vide all the time

I wouldn’t do a steak any other way. I’ve seen that InstantPot now has a sous vide option, but I use a circulator, which cost well under $100.

[The empressof all]

12. How long do you leave the steaks in?

I'm doing them next week. I think I will shoot for rare as I'll be searing them afterwards...or do you sear first? I've seen both options.

[spinbaby]

14. I leave them in three or four hours

I set the temperature at 135 and plunk the steaks in zipper bags into the bath. Then I ignore them for a couple of hours or three or four. When we’re ready to eat, I take them out of the bath and give them a quick sear in a hot cast-iron pan. Perfect every time.

[The empressof all]

10. The newer instant pots have a sous vide button

It brings the water to the set temp and holds it at that temp for whatever time you set. It does not have a circulate function so I just turned the bag a few times in the process. I started out with warm water and then temped with my instant read thermometer before and during the cooking. The instant pot held the temp perfectly.

I will be trying steaks next week. The pork I cooked came out just fine though I did add too big of a branch of rosemary which threw the seasoning off a bit. But that's on me, not the pot

I will be playing more with this in the future.

[northoftheborder]

11. Thanks for the experiences with sous vide.

I am still mulling over whether to get one. I'm tired of overcooked, dry meat.

[Retrograde]

15. It comes out cooked, but pale

We use the sous-vide function on the Instant Pot to do the main cooking, then sear it either in the oven or in a hot pan after to get that brown color on the outside. I suspect what's happening is that the sous-vide process doesn't involve any sort of Maillard reaction, which is where the outside browning comes from.