I don't do much long term freezing so it is really hard to justify it. Mainly it's just buying bulk then portioning and freezing for a week or two until I need it. I think I'll hold off for now.
One thing that we do is cook it sous vide and then freeze it as is. It's nice to have a salmon filet ready to eat after thawing overnight in the fridge. Just season, seal, cook, and freeze. Thaw when you want and just heat to eat. Costco sells fish chunks already frozen and vacuum sealed, I just drop them into the water, let them go for a bit, then into the fridge or freezer. I'll season them when I cut open the bag at meal time. So there's your justification for yet still more kitchen stuff.
go big or go home- https://www.ebay.com/itm/VacMaster-...165337&hash=item1a4632a628:g:QjgAAOSwtIBZtI1U
Fold the top of the bag down, stick your hand in the bottom like a glove, and don't have to wash your hand for the 4th time....That said, Beth just ordered a $70 sealer for $29......from ???? Kohl's of course!
Vac sealer storage folks.....Do you salt before sealing? Will salt affect the meat if it goes directly to the freezer or is it not a good thing to do? Or, seal, freeze, remove and season, reseal, cook?
Just told the boss the amazon box was the sous vide, she makes comments about now she doesn't have to go to Kohls and use the coupons she has - so I told her to go anyway and send me pics of the vacuum sealers Not having an issue with the bag other than it's a little tight for a 5 pound brisket so the salt/spices on it rubbed off some as I put it in. Even with the double setup it's coming loose after 12-18 hours. So far I just push the tiny bit of air out and reseal. Cleaning the zipper didn't help any.
Yeah, I'd like to get Costco packs of steak, salt pepper seal and freeze but didn't figure it'd be a good idea.
Mongo: this thing actually works and is cheap. It isn’t a vacuum but it does seal. There are cheaper versions on eBay but I wanted to buy one that day in a store so that’s what I got. https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...OKYlmNZbZ4_lTBHgAnkcEUw__kicg7IkaAggWEALw_wcB
I've read that you shouldn't salt meat before sous vide, but I do and have no complaints. Steaks usually get salt+pepper, sealed and frozen right away. Chops and chicken I pour various marinades in the bag, seal and freeze.
I've done the same with no (noticeable) degradation. I believe that the oxygen free environment helps delay any food spoiling or concerns with spices and such.
I have a vacmaster 215. Its worth the money but takes up a lot of counter space and is heavy as hell. If you are just homecooking get a food saver. I never season anything pre sous vide besides herbs and maybe a little bit of olive oil in the pouch. Salt draws moisture out which is the exact opposite application of sous vide cooking
I tried my hand at sous vide last night on a heavily marbled ribeye and learned that the method isn't universal for all cuts of meat. While the lean parts of the steak were cooked to perfection and I used a smoking hot pan to sear the edges, I found that the fattier parts didn't crisp up enough for my liking. Maybe I need to experiment more, but I think my next attempt will be using a more lean cut.
I have found that putting about a 1/4 of oil in the pan helps. It needs to be really hot. 5-600 degrees. Also leaner cuts don’t need to be cooked as long as fattier cuts. Filet is about an hour to 2 hours max. Ribeye can go 3 hours to help break fat down a little more.
So I think first try at sous vide will be overnight tonight. Going to do ribs since I had some in the freezer downstairs and really needed to unplug it since that's all that was in the entire fridge. Going with Kenji Lopez-Alts suggestions for the rub and cook time. I'll get the rub on them in a few then start cooking right before bed. Pull them and chill after 12 hours at 165 then finish in the oven for dinner with a little more rub. He does have an option for doing them at 145 for 36 hours but screw that
I did 145 for 24ish hours, was ok but not great. I was going to do the 165 for 12 next time; report back!
