Jason Logsdon's Blog, page 45

Modernist Cooking Blog: Interview With Jason Logsdon

I was recently interview by Cilantro as part of their Expert Interview Series. You can read about my thoughts on modernist cooking, pasta, and desserts. Read the entire entry...

Modernist Cooking Blog: PolyScience 300 Series Chamber Vacuum Sealer Detailed Review

This is the first of a number of vacuum sealer reviews we will be doing in the months ahead. This one is particularly exciting since it is on a chamber vacuum sealer - the PolyScience 300 Series Chamber Vacuum Sealer. This unit has nearly unlimited uses for both food storage and food preparation, especially for modernist cooking techniques such as sous vide and infusion.

We were quite fortunate to have PolyScience Culinary provide us with their 300 Series Chamber Vacuum Sealer for this review. They characterize this Vacuum Sealer as a "Maintenance-free design which provides professional-level features at a home cook's price." The short 2 minute video below will give you a quick introduction to the PolyScience unit.

Read the entire entry...

Modernist Recipes: Sous Vide Brisket Recipe with Cranberry BBQ Sauce

Even though cranberries are a staple for Thanksgiving sauces they are often overlooked for more traditional sauces. Their combination of tartness and mild fruitiness is a great complement to many BBQ sauces. I like to serve this BBQ on a smoked and sous vided brisket. Read the entire entry...

Modernist Cooking Blog: Why Do You Boil Meat Before Sous Viding It? - Ask Jason

Some sous vide recipes say you should boil your meat before you seal it, what is that about? I thought the point of sous viding it was to keep it at a lower temperature, definitely not boiling it. I heard it has something to do with killing bacteria, but doesn't sous vide do that anyway?

Thanks
- Jackson

Thanks for the question! There's a few different things going on here and I'll try to address them all.

First off, the boiling is usually done to kill "lactobacillus", a type of bacteria that actually thrives in the lower temperature range of sous vide cooking. This bacteria isn't harmful to you, it's actually the same kind that is used a lot when making cheese and yogurt. However, it does tend to smell bad, so your food can have a funky or "bad cheese" smell to it. It can also cause your bag to puff up which can affect the transfer of heat.

Read the entire entry...

Modernist Recipes: Sous Vide Chicken Breast Recipe with Bulgur Salad and Za'atar Onions

This year I'm trying to explore some new flavors I usually don't use in my cooking. For this recipe I go in a Middle Eastern direction and combine a sous vide chicken breast with some za'atar onions and a bulgur wheat and pomegranate salad. It's a really flavorful but light dish with lots of different textures and tastes. Read the entire entry...

Modernist Recipes: Sous Vide Duck Recipe With Blackberry-Port Pudding

Duck is one of my favorite meats to eat. I love the combination of tender meat with rich, creamy fat. In this recipe I pair it with some grilled asparagus and a blackberry-port pudding made from an agar fluid gel. Read the entire entry...

Modernist Recipes: Sous Vide Sirloin Steak Recipe with Roasted Root Vegetables

I was looking for an hearty, but easy, weekday meal so I decided to do a sous vide sirloin steak with roasted root vegetables. Sous vide sirloin steak is one of my favorite cuts to eat. It is on the leaner side but still has enough marbling to make it flavorful without being too fatty. It's also much less expensive than a New York strip or a rib steak, making it more accessible for a weekday meal. Read the entire entry...

Modernist Recipes: Mustard Air

This modernist mustard soy lecithin air is a great way to add unique flavors and textures to dishes like pork or hot dogs. Airs are easy and quick to make and can be done at the last minute. Read the entire entry...

Modernist Recipes: Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Air and Fried Snow Peas

I love cooking sous vide pork tenderloin and this recipe combines it with fried snow peas, chanterelle mushrooms, and a light mustard-based lecithin air. Read the entire entry...

Modernist Cooking Blog: How to Sous Vide Prime Rib

Dear Jason,

I have a five pound prime rib that I want to make. I've been using sous vide for a year and I love it. Modernist Cooking is my go-to site, but I'm confused. I see 134 degrees for no more than 10 hours here, and 125.6 degrees at 24-36 hours on another site that I don't trust as much. But that site shows edge-to-edge medium rare that they torch for crispness like I will. I wonder if it's too soft though. Please help? Pretty please?

With the holidays in full swing, I've been getting a lot of questions on the best way to cook prime rib. Everyone wants to impress their family at holiday dinners, and prime rib is a great way to do it...provided you cook it properly. My family and I almost always do prime rib for our Christmas dinner and now with sous vide it's incredibly easy and convenient to make.

Based on my research and experience at home, here's everything you need to know about sous viding prime rib for your next family dinner. If you are looking for more information about prime rib in general, or prefer a more traditional way to cook prime rib, I highly recommend reading the Serious Eats article discussing it.

Read the entire entry...