Sous Vide or Not Sous Vide...

This post is in honor of and a tribute to a long-time friend of mine that I have just recently learned passed away. Although it was almost two years ago, I feel it as if it were yesterday. He and I did some crazy things together, laughed, rocked hard, got twisted and silly, got in trouble, but most of all, enjoyed many of life's great things together. We rode bikes, in which he was a dominator on the racing circuit in the SF California area and introduced me to great street riding(me, I was always a dirt rider). We got into some great music and jammed at many-a-rock concert. We would hang out and venture into the Puget Sound and then again in the Bay Area when I moved down there. The thing I am saddest about is that I have not talked with him since I left SF in 1986 to move back to Seattle. No cell phones, no Internet really, no number. People move, and lose touch. From what I heard, he was challenged with troubles and now, no longer. I know his family think of him often and I pray for them all and wish them well. I know that Chris is in a better place now and only hope that he knows that I miss him. Sorry for not contacting you bud. This post, as humble as it is, is about the search for passion, about seeking what you find exciting and about perfecting your craft. I know that Chris was always doing so in his cycling, so this is for you as a tribute in my own search of perfecting my craft of cooking. ...Sous vide or Not Sous Vide~ that is the question, or at least it was last Thursday for this great exploration of taste, texture and flavor using this old, yet renewed technique of precision cookery. We were charged with a mission to create a tasting menu with the idea of comparing things cooked or processed "sous vide" (literally "under vacuum) and those of traditional or normal cookery methods. The experience was to be evaluated both from a cooks point of view(mine) and from a guests view as a diner. Interesting to say the very least. Here are pictures of a few of the dishes. We ended up getting quite busy, so some dishes were not photographed. My bad. Overall, the items cooked sous vide; vacuum sealed in a bag, then cooked slowly in a hot water bath by means of a digitally controlled immersion circulator were extraordinary. Remarkable. Even profound. I have cooked sous vide many times, but without the new technology of today, which was really cool. The foodstuffs we cooked sous vide tended to have a very clean, natural taste and flavor, while the items cooked traditionally or using regular cooking methods were richer, more augmented with heartiness. Sautes and roasts seemed more intense, while the sous vide ended up softer and cleaner. The textures that were displayed were phenomenal. Tender pieces of fish and meat were left to provide for a deeper flavor in and of itself. I have always enjoyed the flavors of roasts and pan sauteed items as the caramelization is flavor that is so awesome. Some of the dishes we cooked sous vide became so "in your face" with pureness that it was almost incomprehensive, in a good way mind you! Some things we found that are better on their own and by themselves, rather than being flanked by say a piece of squab or soft shell crab, and others were better as a whole collection of parts. One of the most unique and fascinating observations was the olive oil sponge cake cooked in a bag sous vide. Simply wild. The play on Thomas Keller's octopus sous vide was tasty, although lacked some depth. The melons, rhubarb and strawberries that were compressed was stellar. The squab although perfect for my taste and palette, was a bit rare in hindsight. The lamb was tender and tasty and perfectly cooked, but again, was amiss in some of the "charred grill" nuance that it's counterpart so gracefully flaunted. Here below is the 12 courses of goodness we crafted at the chef's table. I hope you enjoy the read as much as we did cooking it while coming to our own conclusions about taste and texture. As stated by T.K. in Under Pressure...sous vide cookery is not meant to replace other means of cookery and is not the catch-all for everything, merely a precise method of temperature, texture enhancement and flavor control for some things. It is the answer at times to our questions of what we aim to accomplish in the final product and let the method and/or technology help us get there, not control what we cook and how we cook it by being the preliminary focal point. This is to add to our repertoire, not become the only method in it. And finally to Chris' family...God bless.

Hawaiian Ahi Tuna "Crudo"

Compressed Watermelon, Citrus, Avocado, American Sturgeon Caviar

and Mango-Togarashi Foam

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House Cured vs. Local Artisan Prosciutto

Compressed Melon, Mostarda, Mosto Cotto "Paint", Olive Oil, Orange Dust

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Honey Bunches of Oats Crusted Foie Gras

Compressed Rhubarb, Hazelnuts, Cacao Nibs, Rhubarb Gastrique

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Baby Octopus Sous Vide vs. Traditional French Method

Charred with Chorizo Potatoes, Lovage, Tuberous Begonia and Green Olive Vierge

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Porcini & Smoked Paprika Dusted Soft Shell Crab

Anson Mills Grits, House Cured Bacon, Corn, Grilled Porcini

Sweet Corn Nage Sous Vide vs. Traditional Pot Cooked Corn Nage

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Bouche Revigorant

Pickled Melon Rind, Cured Ham Sorbet, Pedro Ximenez, Spanish Olive Oil

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Squab Breast Sous Vide vs. Traditional Pan Roasted Squab

Morels, Fava Beans, Pea-Morel Tortellini, Huckleberry Jus

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Grilled Lamb Loin Sous Vide vs. Traditional Grill of Lamb

Fennel & Artichoke Sous Vide vs. Fennel & Artichokes a'la Blanc and Glace

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Spice Basted, Slow Roasted Beef Brisket

Heated Sous Vide with Baby Carrots Sous Vide Glace

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Piedmontese Tuma Trifulera

Cow's & Sheep's Milk Cheese, Warmed Compressed Local Strawberries

Elderflower Essence, Grains of Paradise, Meyer Lemon Olive Oil

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Dauro de L'emporda Spanish Olive Oil Sponge Cake Sous Vide

Pistachio, Basil Infusion, Golden Raisin Coulis, Rose Geranium Milkshake

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Hazelnut Macaroon-Mascarpone Sandwiches, Strawberry Jellies

Salted Caramels, Valrhona Manjari Chocolates

Tastes from the Last Chef's Table...

Copper River Salmon Agnolotti
Orange-Dill Essence, Crispy Sweetbreads, French Breakfast Radishes, Peas
Pea Jus, Lovage Chiffonade

Although the menus from the chef's table are really never the same on any given evening from all the others, there are nuances and componentry that are very similar. This is not due to becoming complacent or unimaginative or not creative in our thought process and desire to develop new dishes, it is simply a purpose to further understand and refine the dishes we are doing. If one is to really only do something once, how does one learn? How can they grow and get better in that technique? How can the cuisine evolve? It can not really in my mind. I have been asked a few times via this blog about repetition, but our cooking is not repetitive, moreso evolving. However, repetition is an important fundamental in a cooks repertoire to improve upon ones skills. As an example, if you have been reading, you can see multiple photos of a copper river salmon belly sashimi, flame torched with salmon-orange-dill agnolotti. As one reads, it seems like the "same ol-same ol". It is not. Sure, the dish may look like it, but what one does not see (pardon if you do) is the evolution of the dish, the flavor, the technique. The menu has been changed up, with different accompaniments and style and composition. We purchase fresh unique ingredients, and those ingredients are meant to be shared with others. If we as a team plan a dish, we may do that dish many times over but with a different approach each time and with the make up of different components as a whole. The experience for the diner is totally different each meal, but at face value sometimes, it seems the same. Learning is the key. If we have to do something a hundred times over, then so be it. Our gain, and ultimately, the guests'. The point is, when you see the dish, look deeper at the whole, not the fact that we have once again done a similar composure. Evolution is the focus, in which I strive to achieve on a continual and never ending basis.

Hawaiian Ahi Tuna "Crudo"
Oranges, Meyer Lemon Olive Oil, Golden Caviar
Lime Creme Fraiche, Black Olive Brittle

Compressed Watermelon

Elderflower Infusion, Prosciutto Sorbet, Orange Dust, Ham Sand, Mosto Cotto Redux

"Squab Two Ways"
Sous Vide Breast, Spicy Pancake, Caramelized Onions, Braised Carrots, Foie Gras

Grilled Marinated Leg, Rhubarb, Carrot Oil and Wild Huckleberry-Manjari Jus

Burrata, aka; "Buttery"...

Fresh Burrata

warmed Compressed Strawberries, Elderflower Jus, Meyer Lemon Olive Oil

Black Pepper

Or so the name implies! And oh are they correct. Fresh Burrata is so creamy and sweet with a very silky texture, it is seemingly sinful to indulge upon. So be it. That doesn't stop many artisan cheese enthusiasts who have come to seek out and become obsessed with this prized southern Italian delicacy of dairyness. Originally from the southern region in Puglia, but also finding it's place in other sun-inspired regions such as Basilicata, this cheese most prominently from the water buffalo, but now much more commonly from cow's milk is amongst some of the most delicious cheeses one can find. Outside of their own villages and towns(and regions in Italy), it almost becomes foreign to other areas within the country, and yet, it is actually marketed more heavily into other countries whom appreciate this mozzarella-like cheese. Made from fresh mozzarella curds, this cheese boasts an interior filling of fresh mozz scraps, that have been shredded and mixed with fresh cream (panna) and stuffed into a fresh mozz pouch that has been stretched to obtain that amazingly smooth, elastic and texturous shell and then sealed with a twist to encapsulate the soft, ricotta-like filling. Originally wrapped up with a leaf from the leek-like plant called asphodel, it is now done with plastic and a tie and contains the natural brine and milky water from the final soaking that seals the burrata. It is best consumed within 24-48 hours, but this can be a challenge within any country out of a "stone's throw" from Italy. With overnight shipping and great exporters, it can be obtained. As a test, we examined to see how long the cheese would hold, and surprisingly, it held quite well, although we could see the freshness wither as days passed. Here are several shots of plating the cheese...

Into the Fire...

Here is a close up view of the burning beast(reads marinated leg of lamb) as it hangs... slowly cooking, caramelizing, roasting and toasting before being put under the knife of the tender of the flame. He who tends to the beast whilst it cooks, gets to taste first! After a day or two of marination in numerous savory herbs, garlic, juniper, evoo, pepper, and smoked paprika, we tie her up and hang her next to a roaring fire only to sit patiently until several hours from then when it is time to serve. Juicy, intoxicatingly aromatic and oh-so flavorful. What a sight. Not much better than that. This is one of the cool perks I have by working here. Where else are you able to cook like this over a thousand-degree fire? Primitive to say the least, but awe-inspiring. Good times.

Slow Cooked Brisket, Revised...

After reviewing our thoughts and tastes of the end product from our first slow cooked(27 hour) marinated beef brisket(see previous post), we wanted to refine our outcome by means of added moisture and further tenderization while maintaining the wonderful caramelization and flavor that we did experience. We set out to achieve this by exploring two different techniques and at the same time, be able to see the results side by side while doing so. On the first subject brisket, we went about the marinade in the same fashion as before with a base layer of our tasso rub, then adding ground coffee, cumin, chipotle powder, garlic, thyme, rosemary, sage, bay, smoked paprika and some other love here and there. We let this one go 24 hours in marinade this time(as opposed to only three hours). Then, we cooked at the same temperature of 155 f. in a warming box, but this time for only 14 hours, instead of 27. We were looking to see if the last time was simply too much time, regardless of the fact that we kept it at a temperature that could avoid the cell walls from rupturing and thus losing all the moisture. We basted along the way with our wicked mop sauce and it continued to look fab just as before. The aromas were again amazing. So, out it came at 9am and at 10am, we sliced it and tasted it.

The color was beautifully pink, moist and very flavorful. This was killer! It did have a bit of a "tooth" to it as it just did not seem to have the length of time necessary to break down the connective tissues, but very edible and awesome mind you. No complaints here. Store in refrigerator until later and we will come back to this...Our second subject brisket was brined in a liquid concoction of cider, cider vinegar, honey, brown sugar, salt, water, chilies, spices and aromats for 24 hours. Removed, then dried, we again smothered it in spices as the marinated subject. Into the box it went at about 2:30pm in the afternoon. Slow as she goes, we basted as normal and let it do it's thing throughout the evening.

We started basting again first thing in the morning and throughout the day. It rendered a nice smokey fat and it too looked intoxicating as we waited anxiously to taste it. At 27 hours (the amount of time we had cooked the first time around), we removed the brisket.

With this one, we had wanted to test our theory of the long cooking time but with the addition of a brine to retain moisture by means of the salt and provide for a more tender cut with the flavor of the acidity and spice from the duration of heat. We had intended to rest and hour and then taste, but as luck in this damn business will have it, we had multiple things happening (service, a wine soiree, a wedding and several tasting menus) and thus did not get to try it until much later in the evening. It had chilled quite thoroughly, but not completely. The juices had sank back into the meat. What we discovered was two fold...the brisket was definitely tender and we could observe the work of the brine, but not really taste much of it...a good thing? Perhaps, although I was hoping to.

The flavor was not as pronounced as the marinated brisket however. The longer cooking this time did not lend itself to dryness as before, due to the brine I am certain, but was not quite as moist as the 14 hour marinated subject. Was the 24 hour+ concept just too much for this cut? Do we need to go even lower in heat? We sliced into the marinated one and then back to the brined one to continue our observations and comparisons of taste, texture and thought. What we came to as a conclusion, was that the marinated brisket was definitely more flavorful of the heartiness and boldness of spice and that the rosiness and moisture were much more awesome and yet the brined brisket was more tender and ate really well, had a great mouth feel, but lacked body. We cut into the center of the brined brisket and found it to be a bit more rosy and moist, but still needed flavor. So, what I have concluded was that if we were to take a collaboration of both results and combine the two, we would have a completely stellar cut. On our next attempt, we aim to first brine for 24 hours, then marinate for 24 hours, then cook slow at 150 degrees for only about 16 hours. This seems to be the "best of both worlds" so to speak. Can't wait to try it on a sandwich or over a bed of grits...or corn, red onions and heirloom beans...or?

5 Days in Mexico...

Carne Asada, Tripe, Corn Tortillas

Asado Master in Action

A trip like no other. Not in such a culinary sense (although I tried to make it one) but in a spiritual and godly sense. A group of teens and adults ventured to just outside Tecate on a mission trip to build a house for a less-than-fortunate familia. It was an eye opener for sure. We, as Americans, do not know first hand what it is like to truly suffer and try to survive. To have to wonder if our children will die today because of no food or water, or to have to sit idle and watch as our dog passes away from malnutrition and only to be left for the rodents and maggots to dispose of. I write that obviously without knowing few(if any) of you, so I apologize if I stand corrected, but in a general sense, we do not. Our community that stands alone as one under the bridges, begging for food, grabbing a blanket when they can, sleeping in alleys, yes are less fortunate and out of luck and down. We feel for them and try to help. But they are really living like kings compared to some of what I have witnessed. In a few words...appreciative, fortunate, blessed, those are descriptors that have now become a more prominent vocab for me. I was brought up that way, but living in this wasteful society we call the U.S., it is easy to become desensitized to it. I will leave you with that visual for now. Ok, now about the food...we were fortunate to be able to stay at a nearby ranch in Tecate before travelling about 30 minutes towards the job site each day and this where the couple who managed it cooked for us all, both breakfast and lunch. Tasty, home cooked meals with a lot of love and passion. Fresh made corn tortillas and several salsas every meal. It was the bomb! Tomatillo-Jalepeno-Cilantro...fresh Tomato-Chile de Arbol and Cilantro...Pico de Gallo...Chipotle-Poblano! Very good. We ate carne asada, braised beef and chilies with rice, spice roasted chicken with fiery adobo sauce. We were loving life for sure. Then there was chorizo, huevos and salsa with charred tortillas~ Simply awesome. We ate like this for four days while we rose, devoured, worked hard, played, dined for dinner, praised and searched our souls for an understanding and comprehension of what we saw each day. By then of our work, it was very emotional. To see the look on the family's faces when we turned over the house to them, was priceless. Tears of joy were running freely among the group. for us, we accomplished a mission, a commitment, a journey...for them, it was like Christmas a hundred fold. Our last night was spent in town at a local taqueria called taqueria Dumas. Crazy good! Out of control tasty. Our asado master was in true form and practicing his art without sigh or complaint. In the restaurant industry, it is not uncommon for the cooks to get bent or become bitchy when a table of 34 walk in un-announced. For him, it meant he could perhaps buy his wife something nice, afford another piece of meat, have his cooks stay an hour later, or simply take that financial edge off. We were ordering from everything they had on the menu...burros, tacos, quesadillas, tostadas, and the like. The flavors were freaking intoxicating. I started out with a quesadilla sensilla(cheese and cilantro), tacos cabeza,(literally head, with cheeks, toungue and eye balls, grilled, roasted and chopped with spicy sauce, chilies, avocado and cilantro) Not their best flavor combination, but still very tasty and besides...I could not travel to Mexico and not try this! Tacos campechanos(made with carne asada and grilled tripe mixed with avocado, chili sauce, and spices and fresh corn tortilla) a very hearty taco indeed and extremely tasty,... tacos adobadas (spicy marinated and slow cooked pork tacos roasted on a rotating barbecue of sorts with tomatillos, avocados, cumin, chilies and fresh corn tortillas. I went back for seconds as did everyone as they were probably my favorite. The chica making the fresh corn tortillas was cool She would roll the masa, stamp and grill then pass them to the amigo on the grill who was busting out the tacos faster than we could order. At one point, he called for some reinforcements but in an instant, had it under control. Fascinating. He had a warm welcoming look on his face and one that inspired the group. He was "at home", making people happy with the art and love of his craft. We should all be so fortunate. A quick glimpse of what we ate and experienced...

Condiment Bar...hot & spicy!

the Team...

Adobada, aka roasted marinated pork. Crazy Good Eats!

Chica on Tortilla Duty...

fresher than fresh

24 Hour Brisket part 2...

Came in today with a bit of down mood due to the dryness of the brisket, but feeling stoked at the new opportunities. We tasted it again to review the dryness I was implicating and low and behold, after 60 hours or so in the walk-in, the meat had thoroughly rested and maintained it's rosy red color. The flavor was still freaky, crazy good and the glaze was superb. What we found though was that ti was not as dry as it was that night when hot. It had reabsorbed it's juices. When in it's cold state, it was tasty for sure, but the flavors were not as pronounced. Sliced thin, then popped onto the plancha for merely seconds, this allowed the fat to render slightly, then this became an entirely different beast. Moist, tasty, succulent and very flavorful. It is destined for a warm spicy sandwich for sure. As for the future experiments, we will still move forward as that is what we do, but we will not discard the latter so quickly mind you. I have rekindled my thoughts and ideas as to what it may produce in a very positive way. Stay tuned for future results.

24 Hour Brisket...

The thought conjures up visions of slow roasted goodness. Succulent mouth watering luscious meat...tasty and tender with flavor abound. A crust and texture that is simply out of this world. That is what we sought out to achieve. We started with a marination. Not as long as would have liked as we were pressed for time(a problem from the start) with the weekend approaching and we were not going to be around. We used a dry rub with some liquid goodness...the whole gamut from chili powders, cumin and coriander, garlic and mustard, cayenne and a plethora of herbs and aromats along with Worcestershire and Tabasco. This was applied and allowed to set for only 3 hours. Then at 6:30pm into a 155 degree box it went with the addition of a slathering of ground coffee, ancho chili powder, chipotle, smoked paprika and garlic powder. The idea was to go nice and slow for 24 hours just as we do for our shortibs or shanks, shoulders etc. A tough cut for sure and one that could withstand the tenure and provide for the nice crusty and flavorful result as one experiences in a nice southern barbecue. Each hour or two, I applied a special "mop sauce" concocted of cider, vinegar, sugar, honey, mustard, herbs, spices and such. Here is a recap of notes made whilst researching the process...
7:30pm- not much difference at all.
8:30pm- basted. Smells great already!
9:30pm- departing for night. Box holding steady at 155. Feeling good.
6:15am- Jim in to take a peek. Smells awesome. Basted. Has developed a nice crust and caramelization around meat.
9:30am- more basting to be done. Temp holding steady. Tough when probed with knife. Would seem like needs much more time to tenderize.
11:45am- not much new to report. Baste again.
2:30pm- 20 hours in box. Great aroma and caramelization. Getting very excited about this endeavor. Want to taste it. Still tough, with some signs of give on ends.
4:30pm- Again basted. Not much different to report. Still somewhat tough.
6:30pm- Can barely keep myself from removing and slicing into it. All cooks coming to see and smell.
7:30pm- 25 hours in the making. Why still tough? Smells great though.
8:30pm- last baste(no more mop sauce). Putting out a banquet. One more hour to allow fro ample tenderization.
9:30pm- Pulled brisket. Looks beautiful. Smells out of control, freakin crazy good. Rest 25-30 minutes or so while cleaning up.
10pm-ish...slices wonderfully. Exterior is beautifully sexy. Then, the major bummer....it is dry. How could this be? It was slow cooked at 155, so as not to put undue stress on the cell structure. Nothing to extract all of it's moisture by excessive heat. This may be my last journal entry as I am not sure about eating it as the internal heat temp took some time to achieve even 130. If so is to be, then I hope it tastes great.
Taste Notes- the crust was caramelized and moist and thoroughly superb. If only the rest of it were in this realm. The meat actually tasted good, but just so damn dry. Dry like one left a tenderloin in a 375 degree oven for an hour, but very moist on the outside. So frustrating, yet exciting about learning about a new process. Sure, we have slow roasted many, many things in the past with stellar results. Braised beyond belief with the same outcome. Here is what has come to mind to look towards for the next experiment...second brisket subjected to an initial brine to allow for more moisture retention and cook for same amount of time, third brisket subject processed the exact same way and only allowed to cook for half that amount of time(recalling an excerpt from T. Keller's book "Under pressure" about even though a piece of meat can be kept at a low temp, it can still overcook, even though it is not overcooked). I am hesitant to increase the heat level of the box as I do not want to rupture the cell walls. I also know that when we braise shortribs for 24-48 hours, it works very well. Is it because the amount of collagen and elastin are far greater and superior to that of the brisket and thus ends up being a more moist cut? Is it due to the lack of a brine, which I know to be of great benefit when cooking poultry and other cuts? Why is our brisket for corned beef when boiled so nice and slow, and yet it tenderizes in the just under boiling temp a better outcome and at a fraction of the time? This will become the test to find out. I am hopeful that either the brining, the less cooking time, the temperature (if allowed to increase) will show signs of positive growth. So...two days later, feeling fine personally, yet disappointed emotionally. Only in the sense that we failed at that attempt. I enjoy and seek the ability to be successful on the first time of any project I take on. That is my nature. And yet, the drive and devotion to my own success is to persevere and strive to achieve that success in an accomplishment of the project itself, even if that means doing a billion times!