Jason Logsdon's Blog, page 53

Modernist Cooking Blog: Dry Sous Vide London Broil - Ask Jason

I cooked sous vide London Broil @ 133°F for 72 hours. The water temp was accurate. Every 12 hours I checked the water level and each time there was more and more liquid in the bag. The meat ended up well done and dry. Any thoughts?

- Mark

Thanks for writing in, Mark!

London Broil can be a hard dish to troubleshoot! London Broil isn't actually a specific cut of beef, it's just a marketing term that can encompass several different cuts of meat including flank steak, top round, or chuck steak. Depending on the actual cut, the amount of sous vide time will vary.

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Modernist Cooking Blog: Why Sous Vide Fish? - Ask Jason

To me, fish is already very tender, so why would I spend all that time on sous vide fish?? Am I missing something??

- Judy

Great question Judy!

There are several advantages to using sous vide to cook fish but to me the biggest advantage to sous vide is the convenience. Fish only takes 15 to 45 minutes to cook, so I typically toss it into the bag and get it into the water bath right away. Then I get started cooking the side dish(es). By the time the sides are done, the fish is perfectly cooked (with no attention needed from me) so I can take it out and eat the whole meal at the same time.

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Modernist Cooking Blog: Modernist Potluck: Ribs, History, and Airplanes!

Interested in cooking some ribs? The Food Lab's got you covered with their Guide to Sous Vide Ribs. It gives a variety of helpful information so you can prepare your ribs to the texture you prefer. If you like a little kick to your country style ribs try my sous vide honey-chipotle glazed ribs or my other sous vide rib recipes for more options.

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Modernist Cooking Blog: What is "Sushi Quality" for Sous Vide Fish - Ask Jason

Your recipe calls for "Sushi Quality" fish, what the heck is that? I'm sous viding the fish, not eating it raw so what does sushi have to do with it?

Thanks
- Johnathon

Many sous vide fish recipes specify using "high quality" or "sushi quality" fish. While it's always good to use higher quality ingredients, it is important from a safety standpoint for lower-temperature fish recipes (anything cooked below 130°F to 140°F (54.4°C to 60.0°C).

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Modernist Cooking Blog: How to Keep Sauces from Separating - Ask Jason

Hi Jason,

I made some Tabasco hot sauce but what I find is that the chilies and vinegar separates in the bottle when standing on the rack for a long time. To try to prevent this my thought was to use xanthan gum, is this the right approach?

Thanks, Johan

I was recently asked this question about what the best method of stabilizing a sauce is. Sauces, emulsions, and other mixtures are basically two or more types of ingredients that don't fully mix but are held in suspension. So an emulsion is typically a mixture of oil and vinegar and a hot sauce is a mixture of chile particles and vinegar. The problem with these mixtures is that when they sit, the two ingredients separate from each other. This is why salad dressing often needs to be shaken up before using it.

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Modernist Cooking Blog: Modernist Potluck: Infusions and Spheres

This week's top modernist articles, recipes, and blog posts. Read the entire entry...

Modernist Cooking Blog: Anova Precision Cooker Immersion Circulator Detailed Review

This is a detailed review of the Anova Precision Cooker, an inexpensive immersion circulator manufactured by Anova Culinary LLC. This circulator, attached to a suitable container, will provide an excellent water bath for sous vide cooking. If you are interested in getting involved with sous vide cooking, this review will give you all of the information you need to determine if the Anova Precision Cooker is the right immersion circulator for your needs. Read the entire entry...

Modernist Cooking Blog: Modernist Potluck: August Heat

The best roundup of modernist links, articles, and recipes for then end of July. Read the entire entry...

Modernist Recipes: Sous Vide Beef Carnitas with Tangerine-Chipotle Sauce

I turn the sous vided brisket or chuck roast into shredded beef for flavorful carnitas covered in a sweet and spicy tangerine-chipotle sauce. I serve them with corn tortillas and avocado so they are easy to pick up and eat. Read the entire entry...

Modernist Recipes: Sous Vide Rustic Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

The entire cooking process for rustic roasted garlic mashed potatoes is done in the sous vide machine to speed up the process and rely on higher temperatures to full tenderization. These mashed potatoes are hearty, chunky, and full of bold flavors. Read the entire entry...