Page 12 - Sous Vide Que

Here’s a chicken breast soaked several hours in a commercial marinade that we enhanced with some green dye. As you can see it is all on the surface. That’s because the marinade can get into pores and cracks and fissures, but not any deeper.
And that turkey brine with all the apple juice, pepper, garlic and sugar? Wasted. Only salt will penetrate. The rest will just season the surface. If you want those flavors, put them in a rub.
As for using herbs and spices in the sous vide bag, when you pull the vacuum, they emboss their shape on the food. A lemon slice will imprint itself in a salmon. Also, spices and herbs can harbor bacterial spores.
And the oil in marinades? Who are you kidding? Meat is about 75% water. Oil and water don’t mix. Don’t forget, oils are solvents and can actually extract flavor from fats in the meat. Also, fat in the bag can break a sauce if you attempt to make one from the juices in the bag.
12