The Everything Guide to Cooking Sous Vide Read Online Free PDF

you have a sous vide and are ready to use it to cook something delicious. Where do you plan to set it up? There are some factors to consider when deciding the best place in the kitchen to set up the water bath. Obviously the size of the pot or container that will be filled with water needs to be taken into consideration. Put the water bath in a place that will not be in the way of, or interfere with, other kitchen tasks. Also, be well aware that the container will get hot as the water is heated to cook the food, except in the case of water ovens, like that of the SousVide Supreme, as they have an insulated outer shell. In most other situations, especially with immersion circulators, water will be filled in pots or polycarbonate tanks. These will get very hot and need to be resting on something that can handle prolonged heat exposure. Granite or marble countertops, stainless steel counters, and even the stovetop can all work as a good place to set the water bath. One thing to consider is to place a towel and trivet underneath the tank, as this can absorb some of the heat as it transfers through the bottom of the water bath. Make sure anything placed under the water bath is stable and does not cause rocking or movement of the tank.

Does water evaporate during the sous vide cooking session?
It depends on the machine. Water ovens or polycarbonate tanks with precut lids lose almost no water if the lid is on. Pots or other tanks without a lid will experience evaporation over time during a long cooking session. Simply pour in additional water to keep the level above the minimum line.
    Fill Up the Tank
    Filling up the tank or pot with water is one of the first things that you will need to do when getting started. With almost every sous vide machine there is a minimum and a maximum water line. The water bath needs to be within that level before turning on the machine and before placing the food bags in the bath. Water ovens, like the SousVide Supreme, have minimum and maximum indicator lines on the inside of the water tank. For immersion circulators, the indicator lines are found on the machine itself, and once the circulator is clamped on to the pot or tank, it is easy to see the required water level.
    Getting Prepped
    Before the food goes into the food-safe bag, it is best to make sure that everything is ready to go. Whether it is simply washing hands or chopping vegetables, it is important to get everything prepped.
    Here is a list of things to do to get ready:
     
Wash hands and make sure that you are using sanitary tools and environment. Rinse vegetables and anything else necessary to ensure things are clean.
Get out the food-safe bags. This puts them within reach and also makes sure that you have enough.
Get out all the ingredients to make sure that you have enough of everything and to ensure that all the ingredients are within reach. There is nothing more frustrating than being unable to find an ingredient in the pantry or fridge while you are in the middle of cooking.
Trim the meat of any extra fat, membrane, and tissue. If desired or necessary, cut the meat into chunks or serving portions (this can be particularly helpful for large cuts of meat or whole salmon fillets).
If vegetables are used in the recipe, peel, chop, or slice them so that they are ready to go.
Measure out and mix up any marinades or spice blends for seasoning the meat or other vegetables.
    The Basic Steps for Sous Vide
    After you are ready to go and have all the food prepped, there are some standard steps that apply to almost every sous vide cooking session. These steps are simple, and following them will help you in the journey of sous vide.
    Season
    One of the most important steps in cooking is properly seasoning the food. Poorly seasoned meat or vegetables can result in food that is both bland and completely forgettable. Knowing how much to season and when to properly season can seem tricky, as there is not much worse than a piece of perfectly cooked