I use something very similar to Sous Vide clear 11.4 litre 12q polycarbonate container tank polypropylene lid | eBay
Though mine is 7.5 litre and it fits perfectly into an m s cool bag I have for insulation.
https://www.avforums.com/attachments/fa3f6eb8-0dc1-47bb-97cc-fd58db2d1265-jpeg.1024091/ I bought this one from Asda (I think) for about £5. I just cut the lid to fit my sous vide machine and it works great.
I only really cook steak at around 53deg so the temp is nothing to worry about.
I’m sure it would work fine with higher temps too.
The rack inside was from TKMaxx and was about the same price and is wide enough for the thickest of steaks.
Another tip I picked up is to put magnets (wrapped in plastic) at the bottom the bag and then more magnets under the water bath and this holds the bag down.
I use bulldog clips right now with my rack but will invest in some waterproof weights at some point.
I'm going to sous vide some homemade steak burgers this evening and then finish them in the Kamado Joe on the griddle. I'll post some pics later on.
It's the first time I'm trying sous vide burgers....
For any Instant Pot fans I see their Sous Vide Wand is "50%" off on amazon today:https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01K4ZPINE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
So I had to buy one, obviously.
Stage 1:
Defrosted the minced steak and pressed it into burger shapes, seasoned with some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Stage 2:
Wrapped the burgers in greaseproof paper and put them into the freezer for about an hour to make sure they keep their shape
Stage 3:
Vacuum sealed the burgers and put them into the sous vide bath at 60 Celsius for 90 minutes.
https://www.avforums.com/attachments/img_8377-jpg.1024213/ https://www.avforums.com/attachments/img_8378-jpg.1024214/ https://www.avforums.com/attachments/img_8379-jpg.1024215/
More pics to follow in later posts data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
Really enjoying this thread and can't wait to get mine fully set up.
Stage 4:
Remove burgers from sous vide
https://www.avforums.com/attachments/img_8383-jpg.1024278/
Stage 5:
Gently fry chopped red onions in unsalted butter (really need to buy some ghee/clarified butter) until soft and brown, then add a splash of balsamic vinegar and cook/reduce for 10 minutes
https://www.avforums.com/attachments/img_8386-jpg.1024279/
Stage 6:
Get Kamado Joe ready using Luftlighter
https://www.avforums.com/attachments/img_8387-jpg.1024280/
https://www.avforums.com/attachments/img_8388-jpg.1024281/
Stage 7:
Brown the burgers on the griddle pan, 90 seconds each side, pressing down to ensure even
browning
https://www.avforums.com/attachments/img_8389-jpg.1024282/
https://www.avforums.com/attachments/img_8391-jpg.1024283/
Stage 8: Assemble the burgers and serve with fries.Mine's got american plastic cheese (carefully melted with a blowtorch), sliced gherkins, tomato, lettuce, browned onions, ketchup and spicy american yellow mustard.
https://www.avforums.com/attachments/img_8392-jpg.1024285/
https://www.avforums.com/attachments/img_8394-jpg.1024286/
https://www.avforums.com/attachments/img_8395-jpg.1024287/
Stage 9:
Wolf down in about 5 minutes with a chilled glass of Kent cider data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
If you're wondering, I don't like my burgers pink in the middle, just in case of dodgy bugs.
Verdict - the sous vide method worked very well. I think I'd make the burgers a bit thicker next time and add something spicier to the actual made-up, finished burger (possibly some fresh jalapeños) and perhaps some crispy bacon.The burger patties themselves were cooked perfectly in the sous vide and easy to finish on the griddle. They didn't lose their shape very much, but I probably should have frozen them for another 30 mins or so.They had a nice juicy texture and the fat within the minced steak had rendered perfectly.
Did anyone pick up the Anova one from Amazon in the Prime Day deals?
I just had my first attempt: pork chops.
Just filled big pot with hot water and threw in the wand, set to 57c and 5 minutes later water was at temp (it was already hot from the tap).
Seasoned the chops, put three flat in the same bag, vacuum, seal and chucked in the pot for an hour and a bit, gave them a quick sear on a super-hot skillet and enjoyed the most moist and delicious pork chops I've ever had the privilege of eating. To quote my 5yo daughter "Imagine if the whole world was made of these pork chops, that would be great". Truer words never spoken.
I was thinking I'd get a proper bath and rack at some point, but I'm not sure I'll bother since this went off without a hitch. I picked up a rump roast for tomorrow, salmon fillets for Tuesday and some steaks for Wednesday and I'm really looking forward to all of it.