Hands up if you're tired of cooking dry chicken breast or pork tenderloin!! Why is it so hard to cook some of these meats and keep them juicy??? Complain no more-- the solution is clear!
I'm sure many of you have heard of, or even use, the sous vide method of cooking. It has become super popular, and I understand why 100%! It is a cooking method that gives you the benefit of cooking your food at a consistent and even temperature- every single time. It takes the guess work out of how long to cook meats or what temp to cook them. You'll never look at chicken breast or pork tenderloin the same! No dry meat here- just juicy, perfectly cooked dinner! Because of this method, in our house, it is WAY easier to eat a really healthy meal focused on meats and veggies almost every single day!
Interested? You'll need these two products before you can move forward!
Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker- This precision cooker comes in different price points, and the app that comes along with this Anova is a MUST-HAVE!! You can find them at any store with a good kitchen section (Target, Walmart,) but I have it linked through Amazon!
Sous Vide Container- While you can use a pot to cook with the precision cooker, this container is just SO MUCH easier and has way more space. It is super affordable too, so it is a no-brainer!
So What's the Deal??
It is a lot easier to use this method of cooking than you may think! You prep your meat, fish, veggies, eggs, etc. however you want, drop it into a Ziploc bag using the water immersion method to remove all of the air, and then set your precision cooker for the temperature at which you want to cook your food.
The app that comes along with the Anova Sous Vide Machine will tell you exactly what temp to cook certain foods, so it takes all of the guess work out of it! Here is an example of what kind of information you'll get from it. You can find recipes, guides, and great answers to many of the questions you may have!
When you remove the meat from the bag, it won't have the look of beautifully finished meat if you only use the sous vide cooking method. You'll need to finish it in a pan or a cast-iron skillet to give it that crisp look you're used to seeing in restaurants. You might notice that when you take the meat out of the bag, it doesn't look just right- red meat may seem a bit gray, which is why you want to finish it to give it that golden-brown look and crisp exterior. Plan to keep it in the pan for just a minute or two on each side. You'll want it on high heat so you can get a flash sear. The inside will stay perfectly cooked from the precision cooker while the outside gets great texture.
Look at the start to finish of this beef! It was prepped with a mix of shallots, garlic, and other yumminess, dropped into the Ziploc and cooked using the precision cooker, finished on a cast iron skillet, and served! It was PERFECT!
Want to see chicken breast from start to finish???
We set the Anova precision cooker for 150 degrees for the correct amount of time that the app recommended. Again, no guessing! The meat was seasoned with a sauteed mixture of garlic, shallots, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper in a lemon butter sauce. We added a lemon slice, bagged it using the immersion technique, and dropped it in to cook.
When it was finished, it looked almost like boiled meat- like I said before, it doesn't have the best looking skin when it comes out, so it needed to be finished off in a high-heat cast-iron skillet.
When it was finished, it looked like this picture below!! It was SO juicy and absolutely delicious- exactly what chicken SHOULD be, but what if very often isn't.
This is the BEST invention that has happened to our family lately! We have been using this cooker nightly. Along with a side of veggies (peas, broccoli, or green beans usually) and, lately, a side of cous-cous, our meats have been perfect, and our family has been enjoying super healthy and delicious meals.
My husband, Charles, is an absolute sous vide master! If you have questions for me to ask him, drop them in the comments and I'll get the answer for you!
Do you cook your food using the sous vide method??? Are you planning on it?? Let me know! And let me know if you have any questions at all!
As always, follow me on instagram at @imlivingforthesummer and on facebook!