As I've started dialing in and experimenting with cooking meats, I've settled roughly on the following pattern:
Roasting - sous vide in oven at a few degrees above the target temperature and hold it there for a period before searing it quickly at high temperature to finish.
Braising - low and slow after searing in a Dutch oven or Instant Pot slow cooker mode.
Smoking - low and slow in Weber grill with a quick sear or no sear at the end.
For tender meats, never go above 130ºF but be mindful to hold it at target temperature. Use 100% steam in Anova Precision Oven in Sous Vide mode with Probe.
For tougher meat, target 185ºF with appropriate hold.
I noticed that some meat got a funky smell when doing sous vide at low temperatures such as 130ºF. I found a post that suggests that it is lactobacillus which reproduces at temperatures between 55ºC / 131ºF and 59ºC / 138ºF. Lactobacillus is not toxic, but smells - it is the bacteria in sourdough and cheese. The trick appears to be to pasturize with a quick sear or heating. This might be one reason to do the sear first and slow cook after.
Key temperatures:
Effect | Temperature Range |
---|---|
Maillard Zone | 130ºC / 265ºF |
Calpains denature | 40ºF / 105ºF |
Cathepsins break down | 50ºC / 122ºF |
Hydrolysis | 60ºC - 75ºC / 140ºF - 167ºF |
Collagen shriking visible | 58ºC / 135ºF |
Collagen 50% shrink | 65ºC / 149ºF |
Collagen all shrunk | 85ºC / 185ºF |
Collagen mesh breakdown | 52ºC / 120ºF |
lactobacillus reproduction | 55ºC / 131ºF and 59ºC / 138ºF |
Leidenfrost effectLeidenfrost Effect
Attribution: Vystrix Nexoth at the English Wikipedia The Leidenfrost effect, according to Wikipedia: The Leidenfrost effect is a physical phenomenon in which a liquid, close to a surface that is significantly hotter than the liquid's boiling point, produces an insulating vapor layer that keeps the liquid from boiling rapidly. Because of this 'repulsive force', a droplet hovers over the surface rather than making physical contact with the hot surface. This is most commonly seen when cooking, w... |
193ºC / 397ºF |