Salt - Freeze - Sous Vide

[Missin44]

This is only an FYI. Often I'll bring home some chops or steaks in multi packs. Typically I would salt both sides, at a piece of crushed garlic and vacuum pack and freeze. Then go straight from freezer to sous vide. I had read that seasoning with pepper and herbs made little if any difference during the sous vide. Salting before sealing does make a difference, adding the garlic also helps.

My new way that works just as well, actually a bit better. Par-freeze steaks/chops: add a teaspoon or so of salt to vacuum bag, piece of garlic, them par-frozen meat and seal. Toss in freezer. As steaks/chops cook the salt dissolves regardless if meat is salted or if just tossed in the bag. The meats brine as they cook. It's just something I tried and seems to work and same a bit of salting time. Also I the plan it to first thaw I would salt the meat before sealing. Par-freezing isn't required but does make for easier sealing.

[Potkettleblack]

Raw garlic in low temp sous vide?

A: You're wasting your garlic. It won't really cook at steak temperature. If you're tasting it, it's essentially raw garlic on the surface of your steak. And not very deep.

B: It's not worth the risk. Botulism is no laughing matter.

http://sousvideresources.com/2016/07/23/fresh-garlic-in-sous-vide/

Par freezing is fine. Pre-salting is fine. Garlic is generally bad mojo.

[Missin44]

Disagree on both points. A. I taste it and like it, so not a waste. You don't like the taste, thats ok. B. You would be correct if I were it take the garlic and eat it. The steak or chops get grilled or seared over coals or in skillet, any botulism is killed. Garlic is tossed in garbage.

[Potkettleblack]

Whatever works.

[dirtman]

Potkettleblack seriously please renew! We all learn much from your posts and you are a great resource! I would never have know not to include fresh garlic SV under 140 as the article link you provided shows.

[hogdog6]

Ditto

[Potkettleblack]

NFW. There are dozens of useful references on the web. sousvideresources.com, lipavi.com, The Alcoholian, Kosher Dosher... Lots of folks with more and better cooks than I.
I don't feel like having a weekly fight over what BBQ is because I don't care. Sous vide will never be respected by some folks here, so I'm only monitoring the SV threads and the discount thread until I expire. NFW do I renew.

[Troutman]

Potkettleblack There are certain foods I will never cook again without a full or partial sous vide technique. Rare steak like chuck is only achieved via SV-que. Yes I read various SV resources but here in my primary bbq site, that marriage of the two techniques is probably explored as well as anywhere else I’ve found. You, Mr. PKB, have been at the forefront and instrumental in that development. Your presence is therefore required sir. Let’s bring these techniques to the next level.

[barelfly]

Just when I got my SV and looking forward to gleaning PKBs knowledge!

But at least he is lurking the SV forum. And I agree, the SVQ method was wonders on the chuck I cooked this weekend. Near perfect pulled beef the first time I’ve ever made it. And the tenderness SV provides to a steak is outstanding followed by the reverse sear.

So, hopefully he’s a bit active on the SVQ area!

[Potkettleblack]

I will respond but I’m making no new posts.

[DogFaced PonySoldier]

This is only an FYI. Often I'll bring home some chops or steaks in multi packs. Typically I would salt both sides, at a piece of crushed garlic and vacuum pack and freeze. Then go straight from freezer to sous vide. I had read that seasoning with pepper and herbs made little if any difference during the sous vide. Salting before sealing does make a difference, adding the garlic also helps.

My new way that works just as well, actually a bit better. Par-freeze steaks/chops: add a teaspoon or so of salt to vacuum bag, piece of garlic, them par-frozen meat and seal. Toss in freezer. As steaks/chops cook the salt dissolves regardless if meat is salted or if just tossed in the bag. The meats brine as they cook. It's just something I tried and seems to work and same a bit of salting time. Also I the plan it to first thaw I would salt the meat before sealing. Par-freezing isn't required but does make for easier sealing.

Give it a shot with garlic powder. In fact, I like it just as much, if not better, than fresh garlic in sous vide. It is safer, and works as well. Give it a try and see what you think.

FYI - I definitely prefer fresh garlic in every other application over garlic powder, but for some reason, when doing steaks sous vide, the fresh garlic seems to offer no advantage to me in flavor, and with the added risk, I've decided against it.

[Arkady]

I'm with PotKettleBlack on this one. The risk associated with raw garlic in SV applications just doesn't make sense. Make some garlic butter or maitre' d butter to finish with, instead.

[Spinaker]

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