The Everything Guide to Cooking Sous Vide Read Online Free PDF Page B

pork that is way too salty.

In some cases, meat is seared prior to being placed in the food-safe bag and vacuum sealed. This searing can enhance the flavor and mimic braising. It is important that the meat be cooled completely after it is seared because when hot meat is vacuum sealed it has a steaming effect on the meat when added to the sous vide water bath.
    When it comes to sous vide cooking there will be times that you will want to season the meat or vegetables prior to them being vacuum sealed in a food-safe bag. Other times, you will want to vacuum seal them without any seasoning, knowing that there will be a sauce, glaze, or other seasoning added after the food comes out of the water bath. The recipes in this book include times when food is seasoned first and examples when it is seasoned after. Both can work well depending on the dish.
    Here are a few tips regarding seasoning meat:
     
Some seasoning includes a spice blend that is rubbed all over the meat. To maximize flavor, make sure that every part of the meat is rubbed down with the spices.
Fresh herbs are wonderful and they can have a strong impact on the meat. A small sprig of thyme or rosemary can really enhance a chicken breast, pork chop, or other cut of meat.
Marinades can be an excellent way to season the meat. Adding a little bit of honey garlic sauce, homemade marinade, or even a few squirts of barbecue sauce with the meat can provide enhanced flavor.
Not much liquid is needed for a marinade and it is best to minimize how much is used. A lot of liquid can make sealing the bag difficult, particularly if using an edge vacuum sealer. Also, if a lot of liquid is surrounding the meat in the bag, it can impact the actual cooking, requiring more time for the meat to cook through.
Although adding alcohol like beer or wine can infuse a wonderful flavor to the meat, it can also cause a bitter taste in the meat. To solve this, simply boil off the alcohol from the beer, wine, or other liquor in a saucepan. Then let it cool completely before pouring it into the food-safe bag with the meat.

    Marinades are great ways to season meat and add moisture and flavor during the sous vide cooking process.

Now, while there may not be scientific proof for this, it seems that less seasoning is needed when vacuum sealing meat. It could be that the pressured environment enhances the flavor and improves how it infuses into the meat. So, the “less is more” philosophy is sometimes helpful, and don’t forget, more seasoning can always be added later.
    Meat is not the only food that can be seasoned before it is sealed in the food-safe bag. Vegetables are amazing cooked in the sous vide and one of the impressive aspects of this cooking technique is that aromatics are easily infused into the cooked vegetables.
    Seal
    Once the meat or vegetables have been seasoned, they are ready to be bagged and sealed. Typically, a special food-safe bag is used, and then a vacuum sealer removes the air and seals the bag with a heat bar on the vacuum sealer. Remember, sous vide is French for “under vacuum,” and this vacuum sealing of the food is standard to the sous vide practice. It is essential that the air be removed from the bag, as air will lift the bag out of the water. Air also prevents the temperature-controlled water from being pressed up against the meat or other food, which is necessary for proper sous vide cooking.

Does all the air need to be removed from the bag?
It may be impossible to remove all the air with certain foods. When vacuum sealing carrots it is pretty much impossible to get all the air out because the carrots will not all be perfectly flush side by side. That is okay, as long as most of the air is gone. It is more important for meat to have as much of the air removed as possible.
    Here are a few tips for bagging and sealing the food:
     
Make sure that everything is clean and sanitary. This includes your hands and any tongs or other utensils that will be transferring