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Category: Main Dish

Experiment: Smoked Sous Vide Hamburger

Today I performed a second test of the smoke generator, this time on a hamburger. By ‘smoking’ the burger then cooking it sous vide, I want to get an outdoor cooked result without firing up the BBQ. The process was similar to the smoked sous vide hot dogs – place the meat into a recloseable bag with a valve, force the smoke in, allow it to ‘soak’ in, cook it sous vide, then grill if desired. Again, the fun of my job allowing me to test new products has me excited for the results. These burgers are not going to be plain either. Upon visiting the Angry Pig Tavern in Chicago last week, I want to do my take on their signature Angry Pig…

Experiment: Smoked Sous Vide Hot Dogs

Today I spent some time testing and playing with a new smoke generating device. I have to admit that I really enjoy this aspect of my job.  This conical battery operated smoke generator is simply awesome for adding smoked effects to cocktails and foods. And in honor of Memorial Day and the ubiquitous BBQ picnic, I decided my first test would be smoked hot dogs, cooked sous vide. Also, this endeavor allowed me to include testing my recently received Vesta Imersa. For preparation, I created some cherry wood shavings from some of my barbeque smoker chips as the smoke generator creates plumes of smoke with just a bit of shavings.  So here is the plan: Heat a water bath to 140 degrees F. Place two hot dogs in…

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Leave it to me to make a soup once the weather turns for the better and everyone else is firing up their grills.  But this soup was begging to be made and it is quick to prepare so no slaving over a hot stove or hours with a burner on. The beauty of this dish is in the simplicity; the few ingredients needed, the simple preparation, and the short time it takes to produce wonderful results. This recipe is a combination of several recipes I found while doing some research, along with my own creative touch. The majority of the recipes I used for this variation came from Eastern Europe – primarily of Hungarian, Czech, and Slovak origins – and from my experience, I need to explore this…

Sous Vide Schweinebraten

Tonight’s dinner uses sous vide to easily cook a pork tenderloin to juicy tenderness that is difficult to do with roasting. By now you know the drill – season the meat, place into a vacuum bag, vacuum seal with a sealer or use the immersion technique, drop into a water bath at a specific temperature for a set amount of time, then finish with a sear when that time has elapsed. One of the aspects of this method of cooking I really like is the free time you gain while the dish cooks in the water bath. The results of preparing this meal using sous vide speak for themselves as I mentioned above. This sous vide twist on the popular German schweinebraten is a fabulous way…

Pasta alla Norcina

I want to give a hearty thanks to the gang at Mad and Delicacy for sharing this recipe recently. After seeing this delicious and simple dish, I knew I had to make it for one. This pasta dish is perfect for a quick weeknight meal and a budget conscious diner. Originating from Nursia in the central region of Italy – a town well known for scenery, truffles, and sausages – this dish is similar to many regional favorites like Penne Arrabiatta, Pasta all’Amatriciana, Pasta alla Genovese, Pasta Puttanesca, Spaghetti alla Carbonara, and a host of others. Made with just pasta (like penne), Italian sausage, Parmesan cheese, butter, and cream, it definitely is not a diet friendly dish though.  Oh well, you can’t have everything…

Sous Vide Chicken and Artichokes

Tonight my experiment was to make a simple chicken and artichoke meal sous vide – something with tender and juicy chicken and a delicious sauce. This dish does just that – flavorful sous vide chicken with a silky, savory, citrus tinged sauce. I like this type of dish in various other incarnations – chicken piccata, chicken marsala, etc.  And I enjoy the subtle flavors added by the artichokes and sun dried tomatoes into this simple sherry and lemon sauce. I paired it with orzo and roasted Brussels sprouts, a delightful combination all around and the sides are just as simple to prepare as the main dish. Give it a try and enjoy this tasty chicken dish – easily prepared using your sous vide cooking device! Save Print Sous…

Experiment: Sous Vide Deconstructed Chicken Cacciatore

Here is one of the bonuses of my new job – testing pre-production equipment. Tonight I used the Vesta Imersa immersion circulator to make a sous vide chicken cacciatore. Yep, you read that right and the process was simple. I placed the sauce ingredients into a large recloseable bag with a valve, suctioned the air out, and cooked it in the water bath at 185F for at least 6 hours. After the 6 hours (or more), I lowered the temperature of the water bath to 145F in order to cook the chicken. Here is a pro tip – adding ice to the water bath will bring the temperature down to the target. I placed a chicken breast in a small recloseable bag with the desired spices and…

Japchae

Last night’s dinner was another Korean dish I recently encountered while doing some research.  I have enjoyed this wonderful dish at my Korean friends’ parties and honestly, I just had to pare and simplify this recipe down for one. Or two, depending on how hungry you are. From the recipe I used as a base, I had to find a way to make this easier so I broke out the components of this dish. Marinated stir fried beef. That is easy enough, I have done that several times in the past. Stir fried vegetables. Same.  Korean glass noodles.  Well, that is a new one for me.  I have read several ways to prepare these sweet potato starch noodles – from what I can tell one…

Pasta Frittata

Tonight’s dish is a great dish for using leftover pasta, especially straight pasta like spaghetti, capellini, etc. And if you don’t have any leftover pasta? No sweat, just make a small batch while you crisp up the guanciale!  This dish is based on a flexible ‘use what you have’ type of recipe but can be adapted to a planned meal easily enough. I used asparagus and red pepper for vegetables, which pairs wonderfully with eggs and pasta. Just think, this dish is just out of the ordinary to give you something new to enjoy for dinner… or brunch! Give it a try and adapt it to suit your pantry and tastes. I am confident you will enjoy the results! Save Print…

Take-out Fried Rice

Today’s dish is one that many people enjoy when ordering take-out or delivery Chinese food. This simple fried rice, usually with diced Chinese BBQ pork, scrambled egg, and peas and carrots, just satisfies a hunger like many other comfort foods. And that is a good way to look at this dish – a satisfying comfort food that you can make at home faster than your nearest joint can deliver! Using leftover rice insures it fries nicely without turning into a ‘stuck to the bottom of the pan’ mess. With just a few ingredients alongside the leftover rice, this dish comes together almost on its own. Are you ready to give your belly something you both will enjoy?  If so, read on! Save Print…