Page 33 - Sous Vide Que
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Sous Vide And Smoke
Sous vide can also be paired with a smoker or a grill set up for smoking.
You can smoke the meat before it goes into the bag or after it is cooked. When you smoke at a low temperature such as 180 to 225°F for as little as an hour before it goes in the bag you will get a hint of smoke flavor in the finished dish, but not a lot. You will also get a bright pink smoke ring. Smoke rings are a positive trigger to barbecue lovers, a sign that it is real barbecue. The smoke ring is caused by gases in smoke (NO and CO) that lock in the natural pink color of the protein myoglobin in meat preventing it from turning brown or gray during cooking. You can’t get a smoke ring if you smoke after cooking because by then all the myoglobin has changed color. Alas, the smoke ring has no flavor.
Still, we prefer to smoke after cooking sous vide. The compounds in smoke are volatile, ephemeral, and some are water soluble. Many wash off with the purge that comes out of the meat in the bag. If you smoke long enough after sous vide you get a lovely seductive new layer of smoke flavor.
How long? That depends on how much you like and the type of smoke. We like a wee bit of smoke on steaks and chicken, and a lot
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