So I’m a pretty decent home cook but I am new to SV cooking and I could use some expert advice. I’ve already SVed a few things with moderate success and I’m actually considering cooking this in the existing vacuum sealed bag. Is it OK to do that? As an experienced SV cook what would you advise? Also, when I see recipes that advise cooking at x° for 2 to 4 hours, I find that puzzling I don’t really understand the concept. Does cooking for the minimum recommended time produce different results than cooking for the maximum recommended time? The roast is about 2 1/3 pounds and about 2 inches thick.
by Yoga-OG
11 Comments
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No, you should never use vac bags they sell stuff in. They are not meant for SV.
Length of time at temp. is directly correlated to tenderness. So yes different times have different results. Really good cuts of meat can really suffer at long cooks, they can become mushy and odd. Cheap cuts can really shine on long cooks, such as chuck roast at 137 for 24 hours. You just gotta play around with it a little and you will see what works. As for the packaging, it’s generally reccomended to switch into a sousvide bag, you don’t know if that plastic is heat rated.
I would personally not. You have no idea what that bag is made of. It’s a very logical question and has been asked many times. But good thing you ask it again.
I have been doing sous vide constantly for 10 years. I used to be religious about using the vacuum sealer every time I did sous vide. But now I make it easy on myself and use Ziploc bags that are BPA free. And I just make sure I get as much air out of the bag as possible and then I add these silicone cupboard weights to the bag to hold it down.
Your question inspired me to go out and get a pork loin today. 😀
I was pondering this yesterday. I decided not to because I didn’t want the stickers peeling off and getting inside the machine.
FWIW Kroger does have some that say they already to sous vide in the bag they are packaged in, but they are labeled as such
I’ve tried many different brands of these, from Trader Joe’s (Aldi), Kroger, and Smithfield. I don’t know of something has changed in me or my perception of flavor, but I’ve begun to think they’re all very salty, with less real infused flavor than salt and preservatives. I always transfer to my own bags.
I’ve cooked a number of them over briquettes as well, and salt is still the dominant flavor that comes through.
I find using commercial or my own spice rubs add less salt, more flavor. Maybe it’s the amount of time between being seasoned and bagged (production), shipped and sold, and finally cooked that makes them taste too salty. And maybe my perception of flavor is changing.
You should put it in a bag that is known to be safe for SV temperatures. The one it’s in *might* be but you have no way to verify that.
I cook pork loin at 135 for like 4 hours and it is wonderful.
There’s no need to remove the loin from the bag. But that bag COULD fail, leading to “poached loin.”
So, just put it in a better bag. Even a ziploc using the submerge-and-seal method will do the trick.
Carrageenan, gross.
This is searchable, and has been answered HUNDREDS of times. Do not cook in store packaging. Ever.