We made this guide so that you can clear up the main doubts about the vacuum cooking process, better known as sous vide. This is a process already widely used in Europe and that is growing more and more here in Brazil as well. If you work in the food segment, knowing what sous vide is can be very important for you. We have divided this guide into five parts:
It comes from French and means Under Vacuum. It is a technique where the raw food is vacuum packed and then cooked at a lower temperature than traditional cooking. This will prevent the outside of the product from cooking more than the inside.
Cooking food using this technique is done both in water baths and in combi ovens. Bain marie vats (thermocirculator) are more efficient because the hot water is in contact with the entire surface of the food. Orved Brock has therefore developed a patented thermocirculator that can cook the food as efficiently as possible.
This is the basis of sous vide, where the raw food is vacuum packed (it can be packed already seasoned and even sealed) using a vacuum sealer. It is this step that will help extend the shelf life of the food and also ensures that there will be no exchange with the outside environment while the food is cooking, thus improving quality.
When you vacuum pack the product, you end up retaining all the liquid, proteins, and nutrients inside the package.
The vacuum-packed food is submerged in a thermocirculator at a desired temperature, then cooked for a predetermined time. The time is equal to the time required for the center of the product to reach the selected temperature. Therefore, the harder or thicker the product, the longer the cooking time.
This is the main step of the process, it will ensure the cooking point of the food and consequently the expected result. It is important that the thermocirculator ensures a homogeneous temperature at all points of the vat, otherwise for the same product you may have different results.
This step is only necessary if you want to store your food (which is one of the great advantages of sous vide). It serves to eliminate possible microorganisms that may have survived the cooking process and with time in storage could develop to a level that would mean risk for human consumption.
In this stage the thermal shock is carried out in order for pasteurization to take place, where the center of the food has to reach less than 10ºC in less than 50 minutes. This thermal shock can be done using a thermo-chiller, ultra-freezer, and sometimes it can even be done with a vat of water and ice (not the most indicated, it works more as a “troubleshooter”). If you want to consume the food right after the thermocirculator, the thermal shock does not need to be performed.
After suffering the thermal shock, the food is ready to be stored. The average shelf life added to the refrigerator or cooler is 30 to 40 days. In both cases the quality of the food is entirely maintained, since it is vacuum packed.
If you want to consume the food directly after it comes out of the thermocirculator, you will only need to seal/temper it (if this has not been done previously). Now, if it’s stored in the fridge/freezer, to consume it you just need to heat it up again (you can use a microwave, the thermocirculator itself, or even a pot of water at a temperature between 35ºC~45ºC) and season/seal it (if you haven’t done it before). This process takes about 5 to 10 minutes if the food is just cooled and 20 to 30 minutes if it is frozen.
Switching to the sous vide technique for cooking your products will bring a number of advantages.
This process allows you to extend the shelf life of your food from 30 to 40 days (in the refrigerator/refrigerator at 3°C), preventing food from being thrown away due to expiration. There is also a reduction in losses, because as the food is cooked at a lower temperature, it loses less weight in the process.
The dish that is stored in the refrigerator is already pre-prepared. The time to prepare it is only the time to reheat it and season/seal (if necessary). Average of 5 to 10 minutes.
In this process, the dishes are usually prepared in free time, since they will be stored in the refrigerator/refrigerator.
Produce in your spare time and reduce the flow at peak hours. Any employee will be able to prepare a dish (that is already pre-prepared), without the need of the Chef. Optimize your kitchen!
With sous vide you can precisely control the result of your food: rare, medium, or well done? You choose. The dish your customer consumes today will be the same one he will consume when he returns!
Sous Vide cooking is cooking at a lower temperature than traditional cooking, and is done in a food that is vacuum-packed, avoiding the loss of liquids, nutrients, and proteins. The result is a more flavorful and tender food. Sous vide makes second-rate meats look like first-rate!
Practically anything you can imagine can be made using this technique. Red meat, white meat, vegetables, eggs, desserts… just about anything you can imagine. Replace the traditional method with sous vide and get better results!
Would you like to get in contact with Orved Brock to know more about our professional sous vide machines? Reach us via phone: +55 85 98793-6777, e-mail: vendas@orvedbrock.com.br or whatsapp.
