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Introduction to Cooking Sous Vide
Cooking sous vide allows you to produce food exactly to your preferred done-ness. Water is maintained at a constant
set temperature according to recipe, eliminating the stress of overcooked food. While cooking sous vide, it is
important to be aware of the following basic principles:
• Food thickness is a very important factor in determining the cooking time of your food (particularly with meat).
Please make sure that the food thickness matches with your chosen recipe, or scale the cooking time up. If cooking
a steak that is double the thickness required of a recipe, it is important to note that the actual cooking time may
need to increase by as much as 4 times the specified amount.
• Additionally, tougher and leaner meats will require greater cooking time at the desired serving temperature.
• Food pouches may be held at serving temperature beyond a recipe’s recommended cooking time. Cooking for a
longer period of time will only continue to tenderize foods, without the loss of flavour.
• Fatty cuts held for at least 24 hours at 60°C.
• Tender cuts of meat often will lose ideal texture if cooked longer than the suggested time.
• Poultry is best cooked in individual portions, to avoid trapped air cavities.
• Vegetables generally require higher temperatures of 83°C or more.
