Sous Vide: Getting Started Class

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Here’s what you’ll need to get started.

Tools

We consider an accurate digital thermometer an essential kitchen tool. Cooking meats to core temperature helps us avoid the sort of guesswork that leads to an overcooked dinner and helps alleviate stress about food safety. Don’t feel like you have to get super spendy on it—a quality thermometer can be yours for about two and a half Hamiltons.
 
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Choosing a Thermometer

A Good Thermometer

There are a lot of misconceptions out there about sous vide. Chief among them is that you need an expensive vacuum sealer to package food properly. Truth is, you can sous vide many foods using regular old ziplock-style bags. As a rule, you can always use them when cooking between the range of [c 40] to [c 70]—any hotter than [c 70], and the plastic seams tend to fail. Just be sure to get good-quality bags—cheap plastics are never recommended for sous vide (or anything else, really).

When working with ziplock-style bags, use the <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/simple-sous-vide-packaging">water displacement method</a> to remove air, or just clip the bag to the side of your pot.

Quality Plastic Bags

Want to try sous vide but not quite ready to invest in new equipment? We get that. The three techniques here make use of common household items to cook food gently in water. 

Wondering when to use which? Generally, you’ll want to use the stovetop method or the running water method when you’re cooking food for a fairly short amount of time. The former usually works best for steak and chicken, whereas the latter can sometimes be a good option for rare fish. While some homes are equipped with faucets that run hot enough to cook a rare steak, most of us have an aversion to wasting the amount of water that would be required for, say, a tough cut.

For longer cook times—up to four hours—you’ll want to opt for the improvised cooler method. You’ll need to check the temperature now and again, but generally this technique works quite well.

Techniques

This is the technique we use in all the recipes you’ll find in this class. It’s pretty simple but may require some adjustments. Once you fill a pot with water and place it on the stove, the key is to bring the water to your desired temperature and keep it there, which may take some trial and error—you’ll likely need to adjust the heat, and you may need to tinker with the placement of the pot on the burner. This can be a little annoying, but keep your cool and eventually you’ll figure it out. And don’t freak out if your temperature fluctuates a couple of degrees as you cook. You’ll still get super-tasty results.

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Get easy, perfect steak or salmon tonight! Here's how to cook sous vide without any special equipment.

Cook Sous Vide Tonight: Stovetop Method

Stovetop Method

That same happy box that keeps your beers cold when you camp can double as a sous vide bath, provided it is well insulated. As with the other improvised techniques, a good thermometer is key to making sure your water stays within the desired range. 

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Need a sous vide hack and want to cook for a crowd? Convert your cooler into an oven using these step-by-step instructions. 

Cook Sous Vide Tonight: Insulated Cooler Method

Insulated Cooler Method

Turn your faucet to the hottest setting and let the water run for about a minute. Now, break out that thermometer we keep talking about and check the temperature. Is it above [c 45]? Great news! You can use the running water to cook fish. Above [c 55]? You’re in cooking-beef-medium-rare business, my friend. 

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No equipment? No problem. You can cook sous vide in your sink using this step-by-step hack.

Cook Sous Vide Tonight: Running Water Method

Running Water Method

Step 8

What will you cook first?

A <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/steak-with-red-wine-sauce">perfect steak</a>. <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/salmon-104-f">Chilled salmon</a> that seems to melt on your tongue. <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/sous-vide-pork-chop">Juicy pork chops</a> without a hint of dryness—you can easily achieve any of these perfectly cooked foods tonight using <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/what-is-sous-vide">sous vide</a>, a cooking method that allows you to heat food just to the doneness you desire so that you never risk over- or undercooking. The best part: You don’t need any special equipment to get started. Read on for simple methods for cooking sous vide at home, then get ready—dinner just got a major upgrade.

Cook Sous Vide Tonight: What You’ll Need