Has anyone used this method for preparing game? I seen it posted on another forum and researched it more. There's a lot of different models and brands and price points. What brands/models are better than others? Any other advice/comments are appreciated.
Here's a link to a Youtube video if you haven't seen/used the method, this one is for elk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z8h2eT3jC0

I know sous-vide was a thing, but it seems to have lost its mojo lately. I bought one for my wife some time ago, and she never used it, although she loves to cook. She told me it was more trouble than it was worth. (I don't question the cook, for fear of being the new cook.)

Thanks Kensco, I'm going to give it a chance. If all else fails it will be thrown in the cabinet with all of the other kitchen appliances we don't use LOL.

That and the exercise equipment/devices hidden in every part of the house, garage and attic.

I thought I wanted to try this, but I much prefer braised meat to anything. I don’t even really like a plain steak. Try Hank Shaw’s chillindron recipe, substitute smoked paprika for the hot/regular paprika and prepare to want to eat the whole damn thing.

I’ll change your mind BaxterB.

This is on my to do list. I find there’s a small temperature window between excellent venison and shoe leather. Seems to me that sous vide is an easier way to control internal temps.

Reckon we’ll see!

quote:

Originally posted by 16Bore:
I’ll change your mind BaxterB.

This is on my to do list. I find there’s a small temperature window between excellent venison and shoe leather. Seems to me that sous vide is an easier way to control internal temps.

Reckon we’ll see!

I agree with you about the meat is hard to get just right. I shot a cow moose this month and I want to get the steaks and roasts just right.

Here's a cheaper way to do it, I think I'll try this first before spending $100-$200 for the sous vide machine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h_y3svpNiw
In this video I like when he shows to steak cooked the regular way, cross cut it shows the steak well done on the edge, but rare in the center. I would like rare/medium rare all the way through, all I can do is try.

quote:

Originally posted by ronco:

quote:

Originally posted by 16Bore:
I’ll change your mind BaxterB.

This is on my to do list. I find there’s a small temperature window between excellent venison and shoe leather. Seems to me that sous vide is an easier way to control internal temps.

Reckon we’ll see!

I agree with you about the meat is hard to get just right. I shot a cow moose this month and I want to get the steaks and roasts just right.

Here's a cheaper way to do it, I think I'll try this first before spending $100-$200 for the sous vide machine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h_y3svpNiw
In this video I like when he shows to steak cooked the regular way, cross cut it shows the steak well done on the edge, but rare in the center. I would like rare/medium rare all the way through, all I can do is try.

If you want meat cooked evenly all the way through you cannot do better than sous vide, that's exactly what it does with no danger of overcooking. It also gives you great flexibility since leaving it in an extra hour or two does no harm at all.

Of course, you still want to sear the outside both for appearance purposes and to trigger the Maillard reaction for flavor.

Lots of other stuff that sous vide cooker can do. I make chili in big batches then freeze it in individual portions. When I want chili I can just crank up the circulator and drop a frozen bag in. No need to stir it, won't scorch if I leave it for a couple hours, just sits there ready when I want it. If you have several folks eating with varying schedules just drop in several and let folks eat when they like.

I've been cooking dead pigs in various ways for a lot of years. Best I've ever had was a Boston Butt cooked to 190 degrees in a sous vide then finished in a smoker to 195.

The cooler hack will absolutely work, I Posted a thread about that a couple years ago. Only drawback is you HAVE to tend it to keep the temperature up and steady.

A circulator does that automatically.

Try the cooler, when you love the outcome upgrade to a circulator.

Extra-double bonus: You can safely have rare pork chops from a sous vide. The USDA says holding pork at 130 degrees for an hour is as safe as raising it to 165 for 5 minutes (the standard).

You can cook a batch of bacon then toss it in a skillet for browning, can be removed at any stage of crispness because it's done before it gets to the skillet.

I don't care for recipes to make elk and deer or whatever fit to eat, like it wasn't to start with so folks screw it up..

All my elk is backstrap filets, or as much steak as possible, no roast..and hamburger. maybe 5 pounds of elk/pork sausage and the rest hamburger..we love elk hamburger and some chili meat, extra course chili meat..

Deer, all steak and chili meant, don't care for deer hamburger at all..love deer or elk chili con carne.

Fancy dishes of meat are beef for the most part and that's my dear wifes deal.

I see so many folks having game totally made into sausage, to give away to friends these days because they don't like the "wild taste"..and that's ok, just not my idea of finishing a good hunt..A lot has to do with folks raised on beef, and never had a chance to develope a taste for wild game..

quote:

A lot has to do with folks raised on beef, and never had a chance to develope a taste for wild game..

True that one, as well as the opposite outcome. I was raised on venison. When I finally had beef it tasted awful!

I gotta hijack this thresad for just a shot minute to tell something that happened to me in the early 80s. I went into the Safeway store in the meat section wanting something from the butcher, I don't recall the cut now. I was behind this lady in line + she asked the butcher for a cut that he didn't have in the display case. He said I'll go in the back + take it out of aside for you. She says, A side? What is a side? He says a side of beef ma'am. She gets hysterical + starts screaming that she's going to the SPCA, ad nauseum. The butcher is an employee who couldn't very well laugh at the woman but I could. Just before he turned + left we caught each others eye. They are out there.

sous vide is good for big rare cuts like prime rib as long as you reverse sear.

I bought my wife a sous vide apparatus a few years ago. She never used it. I think that technique has a certain following, but it's not generating much momentum.

I’ll take it off your hands
If you get or have one of those vacuum seal food savers, you will have a lot more opportunities to use it. If you meal plan or want to have lots of custom single serve frozen meals, it is a great combo to have both. You can also process your game into pre portioned packages, then cook it in the food bidet that is the Sous vide and then reverse sear for the miallard reaction for flavor.

We use ours all of the time. Tonight we had a seasoned pork roast that was so tender and delicious that it was to die for! The meat just melts in your mouth! And, we also have and regularly use the Food Saver vacuum sealer to help us divide our meats when we buy them. Ribeyes, roasts, hamburgers, etc. etc.-all are delicious using the sous vide.

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
We use ours all of the time. Tonight we had a seasoned pork roast that was so tender and delicious that it was to die for! The meat just melts in your mouth! And, we also have and regularly use the Food Saver vacuum sealer to help us divide our meats when we buy them. Ribeyes, roasts, hamburgers, etc. etc.-all are delicious using the sous vide.

Same for us. We always sous vide steaks at 128F for 2 hours then put them on a hot grill to get a nice crust. Best steaks we ever ate. Totally transforms a venison steak into a juicy cut of meat even after grilling.
Just as good when cooking veggies or potatoes with it.

I have one, got it for Christmas one year, too much trouble for me,. The juice isn't worth the squeeze.

When the kids were still here I cooked a lot but now if something calls for more than one pan forget it. I've gotten lazy in that respect.

quote:

Originally posted by Jefffive:

If you want meat cooked evenly all the way through you cannot do better than sous vide, that's exactly what it does with no danger of overcooking. It also gives you great flexibility since leavingfi

The cooler hack will absolutely work, I Posted a thread about that a couple years ago. Only drawback is you HAVE to tend it to keep the temperature up and steady.

A circulator does that automatically.

Try the cooler, when you love the outcome upgrade to a circulator.

After Jeffive posted the cooler method I used it for a while. It does give you meat that is perfectly cooked all the way through. I liked 140 degrees and then a quick sear.

I cook game meat almost every night. I have found that I can get meat that is tender and juicy with a bit of olive oil in a pan just by feel. And honestly I kinda like that my meat comes out with a bit of variation.

But if you want meat that is “right” every time sous vide is the way to go.

Just had ribeyes tonight initially done with sous vide, and then finished in the cast iron fying pan. As usual, they were to die for!

It is worth it. Your meat is cooked perfectly edge to edge when finished and at exact temp. The only hassle is vacuum sealing it to put into pot. I bought my machine for 49 bucks.

I recently cooked 4 pork loins at the same time with the sous vide. Vacuum sealed with my spice paste then cast iron reverse sealed
YUM!