It took me a few tries to get the hang of cooking with an Anova sous-vide immersion circulator, but now I love it.
Here’s how you cook something sous vide (under vacuum) style – put meat or vegetables (along with spices and fat) into a plastic bag with the air removed, and submerse it in a controlled temperature water bath for a couple of hours of more. Remove the food and sear it in a pan or with a torch. Sous vide cooks food gently and evenly all the way through. I made pork tenderloin using this Nom Nom Paleo recipe and it was incredibly tender.
My 12-year-old enjoys searing meat with a crème brûlée torch
The Anova has a Bluetooth radio. You can sync it to an iPhone, call up a recipe, and press a button on the app to start a temperature cycle. But I usually just use the buttons on the Anova device itself to set the temperature. When I make the pork tenderloin, I set the temperature to 135F and let it run for about 5 or 6 hours (the Nom Nom recipe calls for a minimum of 2 hours). I have learned that it’s better to cook something for at least 3 or 4 hours. That way, the food is completely cooked, yet it is still tender.
I’d love to hear your favorite sous vide recipes and tips in the comments.
Learn more about Anova’s precision cookers at their website.