2009/01/28
This was my first attempt at sous vide pork belly. Thomas Keller recommends 8-12 hours at 182F, just like all the things that would normally be slow-cooked or braised. But it seemed to me that it needn't be so hot; pork belly can dry out, believe it or not! What I've found when doing the more traditional braised pork belly is that, as with other braises, the finished product ends up losing all its juices because it is cooked at such a high temperature. Yes, the braising liquid is flavorful and sauces the meat, compensating for the moisture loss, and yes, in the case of pork belly, the fat keeps it moist anyway. But moistness from fat and moistness from juice are, I think, two different perceptions when eating something. Shouldn't we strive for both?
So I kept looking, and discovered a Heston Blumenthal recipe that recommended 36 hours @ 140F. That seemed a little low to me, but I decided to give it a shot anyway. I decided to up the temp by 2 degrees just to bring it a little further outside the danger zone, since I'm still operating under the assumption that that concept is not completely arbitrary. So here's what I did:
First, I brined the pork belly overnight:
1070g pork belly, meaty (about 6" x 6")
4 cups water
50g kosher salt
4 g sel rose
50 g dark brown sugar
1 g bird's eye chilis (about 10 of the little guys)
1 g bay leaves (about 4 whole)
.5 g dried thyme leaves
.5 g ginger powder
Then I rinsed it off, vacuum-sealed the pork belly with some lard, and cooked it sous vide for 36 hours @ 142F (61.1C). This is always nerve-wracking, as it is terrifying to leave a high-powered device such as my circulator running when away from the house. I am always afraid it will evaporate all the water and burst into flames and burn down our apartment building. That didn't happen.
After the three entire goddamned days had passed, I removed the pouches from the water bath, and--and this step is crucial in the quality of the finished dishes--pressed it flat as it cooled. To do this, I put it in a pyrex baking dish. Then I put another identical pyrex baking dish on top of the pork, in the first baking dish. Then I put some very heavy things on top of the second baking dish (in this case, a giant tupperware full of butternut squash soup, and several cans. Then the whole group goes into the refrigerator overnight. The next time, you can remove all the weights and just keep the pork belly in the pouch until you're ready to use it.
I used it in three different dishes.
It was definitely very delicious, and noticeably more juicy than normal braised pork belly. However, I do think it would be better if it were broken down a bit more. Also, 36 hours is a long time to wait, a lot of electrical energy expended, a lot of humid apartment, and a lot of time spent fretting over it. I think next time I will raise the temperature and lower the time. Maybe 160F for 18 hours.
Posted by Barzelay on 2009/01/28 @ 0:43 | Comments (15) | Meat, Science, Technology
Comments
You let the cat on the kitchen counter? I'm disappointed in your pet discipline...
Posted by: Cara at January 28, 2009 8:42 AM
What's wrong with the cat being on the counter? She likes to help out.
Posted by: Barzelay at January 28, 2009 10:28 AM
Why do you need to flatten it?
Posted by: sygyzy at January 28, 2009 2:42 PM
You need to press it in order to keep it flat or else it will kinda curl up unevenly while cooling. If that happens, then it won't crisp up evenly and won't look very good when you present it.
Posted by: Barzelay at January 28, 2009 3:01 PM
Hey, you appear to have multiple seals on your FoodSaver bags. Is this the case and, if so, how do you do it? I haven't yet tried it with my new machine . . . and I know we have different models . . . but I have been having some trouble getting complete vacuum seals, particularly with moist items. I'm hoping I didn't get a defective machine because it'll be a pain to return it. Any advice you can give me? Thanks!
Posted by: Food Rockz Man at January 29, 2009 11:01 AM
Food Rockz Man, I will answer that question in a full post about FoodSaver vacuum sealing tonight or tomorrow. The brief answer is, yes, I seal my bags multiple times if I'm going to be cooking with them.
Posted by: Barzelay at January 29, 2009 11:49 AM
is there any concern over cooking in plastic. seems chemical trespass would be more of a risk at higher temps
Posted by: cash at December 31, 2009 3:44 PM
Indeed, cash, different bags are rated food-safe up to certain temperatures. In fact, FoodSaver's bags hold up no problem in boiling water, but they are only rated food safe, as I recall, up to 178F. However, that doesn't stop me from using them at slightly higher temps.
Posted by: Barzelay at December 31, 2009 4:39 PM
Every time I try to send a comment I have an error message?
Do you have a word limit or something?
Posted by: Nicolas Ait-Haddi at February 15, 2010 1:55 PM
Ok, it went trough now. I was saying there is no issue cooking in plastic as long as it's food grade plastic. Don't use them if you're not sure, it can be extremely dangerous.
Barzelay? Did you ever had the problem of floating bags when doing long cooking? Even though there's a vacuum? I'm having the problem at the moment with a brisket I'm cooking for 48 Hours. Baldwin says that it's because gases expand during long cooking. I'll post the photos of my brisket on my blog tomorrow night (London time)www.fiftyfourdegrees.com
Excellent blog BTW.
N.
Posted by: Nicolas Ait-Haddi at February 15, 2010 2:00 PM
I am curious does the fat in the pork belly when sous vide'd melt and break down as it does when slowly braised?
Posted by: Adam at July 20, 2010 5:40 PM
Nicolas, yes it does, though in a slightly different way. The degree to which the fat melts depends on the temperature at which you sous vide the pork belly. Either way, the collagen and connective tissues break down, and the fat gets tender, but the higher the temperature the more the fat actually renders.
Posted by: Barzelay at August 16, 2010 3:15 AM
last I checked, aren't there 24 hours in a day, not 12?
Posted by: meng weng wong at April 15, 2011 12:15 AM
Meng weng wong, you're forgetting about the brining time.
Posted by: Barzelay at April 15, 2011 3:06 PM
I hope you didnt keep the bags sealed when you cooled them in the refrigerator. If so, then they took way too long to cool down and im sure spent a great while in the danger zone. Also, if you just shock them in an ice bath immediatley after cooking you shouldnt have any problem with it staying flat. I have been cooking it that way for 2 years and never had any problem with it curling. Good luck.
Posted by: mtnchef at December 8, 2011 5:32 PM