In this article I show you the art of Sous Vide cooking. Sous Vide has been around for a while:
Definition:
Sous vide (/suːˈviːd/; French for 'under vacuum'), also known as low temperature long time (LTLT) cooking, is a method of cooking in which food is placed in a plastic pouch or a glass jar and cooked in a water bath for longer than usual cooking times (usually 1 to 7 hours, up to 72 or more hours in some cases) at a precisely regulated temperature.
The temperature is much lower than usually used for cooking, typically around 55 to 60 °C (130 to 140 °F) for red meat, 66 to 71 °C (150 to 160 °F) for poultry, and higher for vegetables. The intent is to cook the item evenly, ensuring that the inside is properly cooked without overcooking the outside, and to retain moisture.
What you may not realize is that most major high-end restaurants all use Sous Vide to cook precisely and consistently.
- Harbour 60 Toronto – a destination dining with classic fare & an extensive wine list in wood-accented, old-world environs
- Barberian’s Steak House – a classic longtime steakhouse with a Canadian art collection & a wine cellar offering 30,000 bottles
- BlueBlood Steakhouse – set in the opulent Casa Loma, this high-end outpost serves dry-aged steak & decadent seafood
- Hy’s Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar – delivers a classic menu featuring aged New York steaks & a lengthy wine list in a room with soaring ceilings
- Ruth’s Chris Steak House – an outpost of an upmarket steakhouse chain known for sizzling, butter-topped beef in an elegant setting
The move into home kitchens has been largely due to the influx of sous vide circulators with a lower price point, as professional devices cost over $1,000. In 2009, Sous Vide Supreme debuted as the first circulator for less than $500. In 2012, another sous vide circulator company called Nomiku launched, and they started selling machines for $359. In 2016, ChefSteps released their own circulator, called the Joule, for just $199. Today you can get a Sous Vide circulator for home for less than $100. An investment well worth the investment, especially if you are a meat/steak lover.
I have been using a BioloMix 1500W Sous Vide circulator for a while now and highly recommend it for anyone who loves steaks cooked to perfection.
Here is the result of cooking a steak meal in the Sous Vide:
As you can see I use an optional 11L Sous Vide plastic tank - here I am cooking Crème Brûlée:
To brown the Crème Brûlée - I recommend grabbing a Butane torch (~ $20) from your local kitchen supply store - I purchased one at Kitchen Plus+ but before I had one, I simply used a Propane torch.
Here is a video showing how I use the Sous Vide to cook steaks to medium rare:
Partu Sous Vide
My BioloMix Sous vide broke its clamp so I grabbed a Partu Sous Vide to replace it.
This sous vide allows you to connect it to your WiFi so that you can control it and get updates remotely. The recommended Partu app is not easy to get integrated and many folks were unable to even set up an account so I ended up using a different sous vide app called the “CTO Sous Vide” app (designed for IPhone) from the App Store.
Challenges Connecting Sous Vide to WiFi and CTO App
One of the biggest frustrations with users of this device (and other WiFi enabled sous vide devices) is their inability to get it connected to their WiFi via the apps. Here are the critical tips to get your Partu connected.
- Download the CTO Sous Vide app onto your phone
- Connect your phone to a 2.4MHz WiFi network. This is a critical and important step. The radio in the Partu does not support a 5GHz WiFi networks and only supports 2.4Mhz networks!
- Plug in your Partu - Do Not Turn It On !!!
- Press the “settings” wheel (bottom right) for several seconds until the small WiFi indicator (under the PARTU name) flashes very quickly. This puts the device into “pairing” mode.
- Run the CTO app on your phone (create an account and password if you don’t already have one) and then you can add “+” a device. You will need to provide the name of the 2.4Mhz wifi network (should automatically be shown as it gets this from your phone) and you simply supply the password. Once connected properly, your Partu app should now show your device in the list.
- Rename the device in the list (by clicking on the square to the right) to something that you will recognize.
- That is it - now each time you use your Partu device (simply press the settings wheel until it beeps), it will connect to your network via the 2.4MHz WiFi network and you can control or monitor it from the app on your phone.
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