new to sous vide and need help please

[AndyB]

I just got a Joule and am new to sous vide. Where should I turn to for recipes and learn technique? I would like to start with beef and would love something simple for me to learn on.
Thanks in advance for your help

Andy

[mgaretz]

Use the recipes in the Joule app as a good way to start. Start with a steak, as long as you have a way to sear it afterwards.

[GolfGeezer]

As mgaretz says, the Joule app has plenty of recipes. Anovaculinary.com, the website for a competitor's product, has quite a few - and the fact that it is a different maker of the device has no material impact on recipe usage. Seriouseats.com has a whole sous vide recipe section. And, if you search here on The Pit, you will find a number of posts using sous vide, from simple steak ones, pork chops, chicken, eggs, up to more involved ones for brisket, tri-tip, roasts, etc.

[rickgregory]

Serious Eats has a lot of good stuff and it's where I started. Here's their primer https://www.seriouseats.com/first-th...ential-recipes and here's the search results for the term on their site with a lot of good recipes and some summary posts (the one on chicken is good) https://www.seriouseats.com/search?q=sous+vide

On here, you can search for QVQ or SVQ and you'll find good threads. Briefly, QVQ is the idea of smoking a large hunk of meat (brisket or pork butt mostly_ to a temp, usually something in the medium rare range, then sous viding, then smoking again to that same temp. SVQ skips the first smoke. Those aren't hard but I'd not start there until you get comfy with SV.

[Murdy]

Simply Recipes has some as well, and a section titled "New To Sous Vide?"

[klflowers]

If I use anything other than what our AR bethren and sistren post here, it is Kenji at Serious Eats. And beyond proteins, try some corn on the cob, asparagus if you like asparagus, and carrots. SV is my preferred method for corn and carrots now. For the corn, I usually remove the husks.

https://www.seriouseats.com/sous-vide-glazed-carrots-recipe

https://www.seriouseats.com/sous-vide-corn-recipe

[WillTravelForFood]

Alton Brown has two Good Eats episodes this year about immersion cooking, so also worthwhile to watch.

We've enjoyed watching Sous Vide Everything on the YouTube as well. Lots of practical advice and entertainment here too.

Start with something relatively painless (like steak or pork) where you know what the target internal temperature should be. Set the Stick about anywhere from 3-10 degrees below that target so you can sear it up to temperature without going too far over.

Some people have suggested searing FIRST and then sous vide. We haven't tried this option yet so have no idea if this method is worthwhile or not.

As others have said, there are lots and lots of good recipes and advice all over the Pit and in the Meathead book and stuff from Kenji / Serious Eats. Half the fun is picking something and diving in.

Worst case, you cooked a meal while you were doing something else, and you've learned what to do (or not to do) for your next attempt.

[WillTravelForFood]

As they say on the SVE intro video: your first sous vide cook is your Most Important Cook Ever. 'cause it'll be the one you're going to learn the most from vs doing your 100th cook.

[Jfrosty27]

I started with the Joule app recipes and gained confidence. From there, so many sources here and other places online for easy to follow recipes. Just google "sous vide ******" and you’ll get all you can handle.

[fzxdoc]

Just start with your Joule app on your phone. It couldn't be easier. Just follow along with each prompt

On the app, you would select "Beef" then "Basic Steak" and as you choose a temp, a video simultaneously shows you what the steak will look like. Then you select a time based on thickness, put the steak in a ziploc bag, and add it to the water-filled stock pot with the Joule in it, and click Start when the desired temp is reached. Use the water to help force out any air, clip the bag to the edge of the pot, then wait for the magic to happen. When the Joule dings on your phone, the cook time is over.

Take the meat out, dry it well, add rub if desired, and sear in your grill or in a hot skillet.

Enjoy.

Here's the Chef Steps link that describes the process with a Joule that I just outlined:

https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/sous-vide-steak

Kathryn

[GolfGeezer]

Just a side note: Joule is now "owned" by Breville. Chef Steps is no longer in business as a business entity although the web address/domain still functions well.

[pdlichty]

I have been using sous vide and BBQ for about 3 years. A couple of observations:

If your wife has to commute home and the traffic is unpredictable, having meat in the sous vide allows a time buffer that eliminates the worry of overdone meat, and knowing when to turn on the grill or light the charcoal.

The meat never dries out.

Fresh herbs in the sous vide over 12 hours can create a funk on the meat due to contamination. Go with dried for long runs.

If your meat has a marinade, I put half in during the sous vide cook, and baste with half before finishing on the grill.

I prefer grilled fish without any sous vide time

The new cookbook "Sous vide BBQ..." is quite good, and has an unusual variety of flavors I hadn't tried before. I bought it on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1612437818/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_47V6YJFZWC8PR0W93S6T?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1