I've been a sous vide fiend for many years now. It's by far the most reliable means of cooking so many things, from meat to eggs...
I have a Sansaire and the previously mentioned Anova. The Anova is great if you need all the bells and whistles, like wireless control, but the Sansaire has a more powerful pump. You should be able to find either for no more than $150.
For most items, zip-loc slider bags do just as well as vacuum bags. I have a vac sealer, but rarely bother to use it any more. Inexpensive sous vide weights are very useful to keep the bags below the surface and separated for the most even cooking.
You can use any large pot, but for large pieces or a large batch, a dedicated plastic tub with lid (or enough ping-pong balls to cover the surface and prevent evaporation!), with an opening tailored to your sous vide controller is nice to have, for around $30.
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I fed seven with a three pound large end USDA prime beef tenderloin last week ($40/lb. Ouch!) Did it as Beef Wellington, so sous vide couldn't really be used. But the two stage cooking was very simple:
1. Spread with 2 tbs butter, roast at 425 for 15 minutes or until browned. Allow to cool completely.
2. Spread your pate/butter/mushroom/shallot mixture on top of the beef, wrap in the puff pastry, brush with melted butter, and bake on a rack at 450 for 10-15 minutes, until a rich golden brown. Keep warm for around five minutes and serve. It should come out right around 128 deg F, just perfect.
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A related topic I haven't seen discussed yet is home dry aging. I *always* dry age any steak, salted on both sides, for at least a week, up to two weeks, on a rack in the refrigerator, turning it over daily. The results are incredible, and all it costs is time. Even at two weeks, I have yet to need to do any trimming on a single piece.
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As Jacques Pepin would say, "Happy cooking!"
I have a Sansaire and the previously mentioned Anova. The Anova is great if you need all the bells and whistles, like wireless control, but the Sansaire has a more powerful pump. You should be able to find either for no more than $150.
For most items, zip-loc slider bags do just as well as vacuum bags. I have a vac sealer, but rarely bother to use it any more. Inexpensive sous vide weights are very useful to keep the bags below the surface and separated for the most even cooking.
You can use any large pot, but for large pieces or a large batch, a dedicated plastic tub with lid (or enough ping-pong balls to cover the surface and prevent evaporation!), with an opening tailored to your sous vide controller is nice to have, for around $30.
----------------------
I fed seven with a three pound large end USDA prime beef tenderloin last week ($40/lb. Ouch!) Did it as Beef Wellington, so sous vide couldn't really be used. But the two stage cooking was very simple:
1. Spread with 2 tbs butter, roast at 425 for 15 minutes or until browned. Allow to cool completely.
2. Spread your pate/butter/mushroom/shallot mixture on top of the beef, wrap in the puff pastry, brush with melted butter, and bake on a rack at 450 for 10-15 minutes, until a rich golden brown. Keep warm for around five minutes and serve. It should come out right around 128 deg F, just perfect.
----------------------
A related topic I haven't seen discussed yet is home dry aging. I *always* dry age any steak, salted on both sides, for at least a week, up to two weeks, on a rack in the refrigerator, turning it over daily. The results are incredible, and all it costs is time. Even at two weeks, I have yet to need to do any trimming on a single piece.
----------------------
As Jacques Pepin would say, "Happy cooking!"
