Cooking Sous Vide - Thomas N. England (2016)

Pork

PORK basics

Before the mid-twentieth century, pork fat was the most expensive part of the pig. However, once other cooking fats became prevalent on the market, the pork industry began breeding pigs to make them leaner.

This change in animal genetics means older pork recipes no longer work, as “rendering the fat” is no longer possible-there isn’t any fat! And when it comes to tougher cuts, such as shoulder roasts, they need to be cooked over a long period of time in order to melt down the fibers that make the meat tough. Cooked the traditional way, a lean, tough cut of pork is more likely to come out dry and bland.

Cooking pork sous vide can help mitigate the loss of fat in pork by retaining moisture. This moisture, cooked at lower temperatures, can also help to break down the tough connective tissues. With the longer cooking times associated with sous vide, the connective tissue is given plenty of time to melt away, giving you a tenderer cut of meat. With all that moisture and tenderizing, you’ll find your pork comes out with an amazing texture and rich flavor.

When preparing...

Sometimes pork needs is a bit of seasoning. A sprinkling of salt and pepper or a mixture of spices can enhance the meat’s flavor during the sous vide process. Adding an acidic liquid (such as apple cider) to the sous vide bag helps complement the pork’s sweetness, increasing the depth of flavor.

When finishing...

The flavor and the look of pork are more appreciable if it’s smoked after making the meat tender via the sous vide process. First, give pork a bit of time to cool the food down. Once that’s done, put it into a smoker for a few minutes. This extra finishing time is worth the enhanced smell and flavor.

PORK
times & temperatures

pho

A variation of the French pot-au-feu soup, this Vietnamese street food is a noodle soup with a rich broth, multiple types of meat, and various spices.

2 lb. (1kg) beef knuckle

2 lb. (1kg) beef brisket

1 white onion, charred

1 (4-in.; 10cm) piece ginger, charred

5 star anise pods

6 whole cloves

1 (3-in.; 7.5cm) piece cinnamon

2 lb. (1kg) pork roast

1 TB. kosher salt

1 TB. granulated sugar

1 tsp. soy sauce

1 TB. mirin

4 TB. fish sauce

2 TB. light brown sugar, tightly packed

1½ lb. (680g) rice noodles, soaked

20 mint leaves

20 basil leaves

20 cilantro leaves

½ lb. (225g) bean sprouts

8 lime wedges

2 TB. red chile sauce

1 Preheat the sous vide machine to 136°F (58°C).

2 Combine beef knuckle, beef brisket, white onion, ginger, star anise pods, cloves, cinnamon, and enough water to cover. Use the sous vide technique for cooking broths (see Broths) for these ingredients. Cover and store in the refrigerator.

3 Season pork roast with kosher salt and sugar.

4 Put seasoned pork, soy sauce, and mirin in a 1-quart (1l) plastic bag and seal.

1 Once the sous vide water bath has reached the desired temperature, insert the plastic bag of pork and allow to cook for 5 hours.

2 Remove the plastic bag from the water bath and set aside.

1 Strain broth and measure the amount of broth and oil. Pour into a large stockpot and add enough water to bring the volume up to 10 cups.

2 Place the pot on the stovetop and bring broth and oil to a boil over high heat. Add fish sauce and light brown sugar, and keep broth at a slow rolling boil over medium-low heat for 1 hour.

3 Remove pork from the plastic bag, discarding liquid, and slice into 24 ¼-inch (.5cm) slices.

4 Divide rice noodles among bowls. Top noodles with three slices pork roast, and pour boiling broth over pork and noodles.

5 Serve pho with mint, basil, cilantro, bean sprouts, lime wedges, and red chile sauce on the side.

Pho

pork & APPLE SALAD

This recipe is a delightful treat for your taste buds, with sweet pork, acidic apples, spicy arugula, and bitter bleu cheese.

4 (8-oz.; 225g) ½-in.-thick (1.25cm) boneless pork chops

1 TB. kosher salt

½ tsp. ground black pepper

1 cup apple cider

2 tart apples, cored and medium dice

¼ cup poppy seed dressing

1 cup baby arugula, washed

2 oz. (55g) bleu cheese, crumbled

1 Preheat the sous vide machine to 145°F (63°C).

2 Season pork chops with kosher salt and black pepper.

3 Put pork chops and apple cider in a 1-gallon (3.75l) plastic bag, making sure pork is in a single layer in the bag, and seal.

1 Once the sous vide water bath has reached the desired temperature, insert the plastic bag of pork chops and apple cider and allow to cook for 1 hour for medium doneness. (See the chart in the back of the book for other doneness levels.)

2 Remove the plastic bag from the water bath.

1 Remove pork chops from the plastic bag, discarding liquid, and dry meat with paper towels.

2 Sear pork chops using a hot grill, cast-iron skillet, or blowtorch for 1 to 2 minutes per side. Set aside.

3 In a large bowl, place apples and poppy seed dressing and toss.

4 Separate baby arugula among bowls. Arrange apple mixture on top of arugula. Sprinkle bleu cheese crumbles, top with pork, and serve.

Pork & Apple Salad

HAM & BEAN soup

In this recipe, sous vide softens the beans and cooks out the chemicals that don’t digest well. When combined with ham hock, this makes for a hearty comfort food.

1 (1-lb.; 450g) ham hock

1 lb. (450g) navy beans

2 qt. (2l) water

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 white onion, chopped

Ground black pepper (optional)

1 Preheat the sous vide machine to 132°F (56°C).

2 Put ham hock in a 1-quart (1l) plastic bag and seal.

1 Once the sous vide water bath has reached the desired temperature, insert the plastic bag of ham hock and allow to cook for 72 hours.

2 Remove the plastic bag from the water bath and store in the refrigerator until needed.

3 In a large stockpot, place navy beans and 5 cups water. Allow to soak overnight.

4 Preheat the sous vide machine to 194°F (90°C).

5 Drain water off navy beans. Combine navy beans, kosher salt, white onion, and remaining 3 cups water in a 1-gallon (3.75l) plastic bag and seal.

6 Once the sous vide water bath has reached the desired temperature, insert the plastic bag of bean soup and allow to cook for 1 hour, 30 minutes.

7 Squeeze a bean inside the plastic bag to see whether it’s tender and remove from the water bath if that’s the case. (If it isn’t, cook in 15-minute intervals until beans are cooked through.)

1 Remove ham hock from the plastic bag, discarding liquid.

2 Cut off ham hock skin and then shred meat.

3 In a large bowl, pour in bean soup and add shredded ham hock. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper, if you’d like, and serve.

THAI PORK MEATBALL salad

This hearty salad includes pork meatballs flavored with traditional Thai spices. The meatballs are coated with a spicy-sweet dressing and served over lettuce.

2 lemongrass stalks, tender inner part, bottom 4 in. (10cm) only

3 shallots, peeled

¼ cup fresh cilantro

3 green onions

1 (1-in.; 2.5cm) piece ginger, peeled

1 small jalapeño, stemmed and seeded

2 TB. + ¼ cup fish sauce

1 tsp. coarse salt

1½ lb. (680g) ground pork

¼ cup lime juice

3 TB. vegetable oil

2 TB. granulated sugar

2 TB. grated carrot

2 TB. grated cucumber

3 TB. sambal oelek chile sauce

1 head Bibb lettuce

2 cucumbers, julienned

1 Preheat the sous vide machine to 150°F (66°C).

2 In a food processor, place lemongrass, shallots, cilantro, green onions, ginger, jalapeño, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, and coarse salt. Pulse until mixture is chopped into fine pieces.

3 In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine chopped mixture and ground pork on low speed until mixture is evenly distributed. (Don’t overmix, as this will result in meatballs that are dry and firm.)

4 Form seasoned meat into 40 ½-inch (1.25cm) meatballs.

5 Put meatballs in a 1-gallon (3.75l) plastic bag and seal.

1 Once the sous vide water bath has reached the desired temperature, insert the plastic bag of meatballs and allow to cook for 1 hour.

2 Remove the plastic bag from the water bath and set aside.

1 In a medium bowl, combine lime juice, remaining ¼ cup fish sauce, vegetable oil, sugar, carrot, grated cucumber, and sambal oelek chile sauce.

2 Remove meatballs from the plastic bag. Add to dressing and toss to coat.

3 Divide Bibb lettuce and then julienned cucumber among plates. Top each with meatballs and serve.

pork chops WITH CHERRY GLAZE

These pork chops, cooked sous vide to the specifications of a steak of medium doneness, are served in a tart cherry glaze.

2 (12-oz.; 340g) ¾- to 1-in.-thick (2 to 2.5cm) boneless pork chops

1 TB. kosher salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

2 TB. sour cherry juice

1 TB. vegetable oil

2 oz. (60ml) pinot noir wine

1 Preheat the sous vide machine to 140°F (60°C).

2 Season pork chops with kosher salt and black pepper.

3 Put seasoned pork chops and sour cherry juice in a 1-gallon (3.75l) plastic bag and seal.

1 Once the sous vide water bath has reached the desired temperature, insert the plastic bag of pork chops and allow to cook for 45 minutes for medium-rare doness. (See the chart in the back of the book for other doneness levels.)

2 Remove the plastic bag from the water bath.

1 Remove pork chops and juice from the bag, separating meat from juice. Strain juice through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl and set aside.

2 Dry pork chops with paper towels. Coat dried pork chops in vegetable oil.

3 In a cast-iron skillet over high heat, sear both sides of oiled pork chops, about 1 to 2 minutes per side.

4 Remove seared pork chops from the skillet, place each on a plate, and set aside.

5 Deglaze the still-hot skillet with pinot noir wine. Add strained juices and cook until liquid is reduced down to a syrup consistency, about 5 minutes.

6 Pour glaze over pork chops and serve.

Pork Chops with Cherry Glaze

italian sausage & PEPPERS

Salty Italian sausage links are cooked sous vide with sweet bell peppers and onions, browned on the grill, and sandwiched between buns for a truly filling meal.

8 Italian sausage links

2 red bell peppers, cut into strips

2 yellow bell peppers, cut into strips

1 white onion, cut into strips

1 TB. kosher salt

8 hoagie buns

1 Preheat the sous vide machine to 140°F (60°C).

2 Put Italian sausage, red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, white onion, and kosher salt in a 1-gallon (3.75l) plastic bag or two 1-quart (1l) plastic bags and seal.

1 Once the sous vide water bath has reached the desired temperature, insert the plastic bag of sausage and peppers and allow to cook for 1 hour.

2 Remove the plastic bag from the water bath.

1 Remove Italian sausage from the plastic bag and wipe dry with paper towels. Set aside.

2 Preheat a grill on high. In a saucepan over high heat, pour peppers, onion, and juices from the plastic bag.

3 Let pepper-onion mixture simmer until there’s no more liquid in the saucepan, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat and set aside.

4 When the grill has reached the desired temperature, place Italian sausages and allow to brown for no more than 1 minute per side.

5 Divide pepper-onion mixture between hoagie buns. Place an Italian sausage link in each and serve.

Italian Sausage & Peppers

orange pork TENDERLOIN

This delicate piece of meat is cooked sous vide for a short time to ensure it doesn’t get too mushy, and then coated in an orange glaze.

¼ tsp. thyme leaves

¼ tsp. rosemary leaves, chopped

½ tsp. ground black pepper

2 slices dried orange

1 (1½-lb.; 680g) whole pork tenderloin, silverskin removed

½ TB. kosher salt

1 TB. vegetable oil

¼ cup orange liqueur

1 Preheat the sous vide machine to 140°F (60°C).

2 In a small bowl, combine thyme, rosemary, black pepper, and dried orange.

3 Season pork tenderloin with dry ingredient mixture.

4 Put seasoned pork tenderloin in a 1-gallon (3.75l) plastic bag and seal.

1 Once the sous vide water bath has reached the desired temperature, insert the plastic bag of seasoned pork tenderloin and allow to cook for 1 hour for medium-rare doneness. (See the chart in the back of the book for other doneness levels.)

2 Remove the plastic bag from the water bath.

1 Remove pork tenderloin and juice from the bag, separating meat from juice.

2 Strain juice through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl and set aside.

3 Dry pork tenderloin with paper towels and season with kosher salt. Coat salted pork tenderloin in vegetable oil.

4 Using a blowtorch, grill, or cast-iron skillet over high heat, sear both sides of pork tenderloin until caramelized, about 2 minutes per side. Set aside.

5 In a medium skillet over high heat, combine orange liqueur and strained juices and cook until liquid has reduced to a glaze, about 4 minutes.

6 Pour glaze over pork tenderloin. Cut glazed pork tenderloin into ⅓-inch (.75cm) slices and serve.

Orange Pork Tenderloin

carnitas

Carnitas, the Mexican version of pulled pork, uses tough but flavorful pork shoulder. Cooking sous vide breaks down the connective tissue, giving you tender meat for your tacos.

1 white onion

4 stems fresh chopped cilantro

Juice of 1 orange

1 lb. (450g) boneless pork butt, cut into 2-in. (5cm) cubes

Peel of 1 orange

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 bay leaf

¼ cinnamon stick, broken into 3 or 4 pieces

4 TB. lard

8 corn tortillas

1 tomatillo, husk removed and diced

1 jalapeño pepper, minced

1 cup crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese

1 lime, cut into wedges

1 Preheat the sous vide machine to 158°F (70°C).

2 Cut white onion in half. Dice one half and, in a medium bowl, combine with cilantro and orange juice. Refrigerate until tacos are ready to serve.

3 Split remaining onion into quarters.

4 Put onion quarters, pork butt, orange peel, garlic, bay leaf, cinnamon, and lard in a 1-gallon (3.75l) plastic bag and seal.

1 Once the sous vide water bath has reached the desired temperature, insert the plastic bag of pork butt and seasonings and allow to cook for 24 hours.

2 Remove the plastic bag from the water bath.

1 Open a corner of the plastic bag and allow liquid to strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl for 10 minutes.

2 Skim fat from top of liquid and add back to the plastic bag of pork butt. Remove orange peel, garlic, and spice pieces from the bag.

3 While it’s still in the bag, shred pork butt by hand into pulled pork pieces. Mix well with fat that was added back.

4 Remove pork butt from the plastic bag and spread it out on a sheet pan. In an oven set to broil or using a blowtorch, sear top of carnitas until top bits are crispy, about 2 minutes.

5 Place two corn tortillas on each plate. Divide carnitas, cilantro-onion mixture, tomatillo, jalapeño, and queso fresco among tortillas. Serve plates with a lime wedge on the side.

SMOKED pork cheeks

Pork cheeks are very similar in flavor and texture to pork belly. Cooked sous vide, this lean yet moist cut becomes very tender.

1 TB. kosher salt

⅛ tsp. pink salt (instacure #2)

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. Hungarian paprika

½ tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. ground black pepper

½ tsp. oregano

2 (1-lb.; 450g) whole pork cheeks

1 Preheat the sous vide machine to 158°F (70°C).

2 In a medium bowl, combine kosher salt, pink salt, cayenne pepper, Hungarian paprika, cumin, black pepper, and oregano.

3 Season pork cheeks with herb and spice mixture.

4 Put seasoned pork cheeks in a 1-gallon (3.75l) plastic bag and seal.

1 Once the sous vide water bath has reached the desired temperature, insert the plastic bag of seasoned pork cheeks and allow to cook for 72 hours.

2 Remove the plastic bag from the water bath.

1 Place the plastic bag into an ice bath and allow to chill for at least 20 minutes.

2 Preheat a smoker to 190°F (88°C).

3 Remove pork cheeks from the plastic bag and cut off skin. Dry pork cheeks completely with paper towels.

4 When the smoker has reached the desired temperature, place pork cheeks inside and allow to smoke for 20 minutes.

5 Remove pork cheeks from the smoker and slice into ¼-inch (.5cm) slices.

6 Serve pork cheeks with mashed potatoes or other sides.

CRISPY SKIN PORK belly

This Asian barbecue dish is given the sous vide treatment in this recipe. Cooking the pork belly sous vide allows the meat to stay moist during the crisping process.

2 lb. (1kg) pork belly

2 TB. kosher salt

1 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder

1 tsp. ground black pepper

2 TB. apple cider vinegar

1 Preheat the sous vide machine to 164°F (73°C).

2 Cut through skin of pork belly at a 45-degree angle in 1-inch (2.5cm) intervals across entire belly. Cut across pork belly skin the opposite way to create perfect squares.

3 In a small bowl, combine kosher salt, Chinese five-spice powder, and black pepper. Season pork belly with dry mixture.

4 Put seasoned pork belly and apple cider vinegar in a 1-quart (1l) plastic bag and seal.

1 Once the sous vide water bath has reached the desired temperature, insert the plastic bag of seasoned pork belly and allow to cook for 6 hours.

2 Remove the plastic bag from the water bath.

1 Remove pork belly from the plastic bag and dry with paper towels.

2 Place pork belly on a rack and broil in the oven until skin is crispy, about 3 minutes.

3 Slice crispy pork belly into ¼-inch (.5cm) slices and serve.

Crispy Skin Pork Belly

SMOKED PORK ribs

Smoked pork ribs are a summer grilling staple. This recipe takes the meat to new heights of flavor and moistness while allowing you to spend less time at the grill.

1 (4-lb.; 2kg) rack country pork ribs

2 TB. yellow mustard

3 TB. paprika

3 TB. light brown sugar, tightly packed

1 TB. oregano

1 TB. coriander

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp. pink salt (instacure #1)

1 TB. garlic powder

1 tsp. liquid smoke

½ cup barbecue sauce

1 Preheat the sous vide machine to 150°F (66°C).

2 Using a towel for grip, grab edge of silverskin on backside of pork ribs and pull off.

3 Rub both sides of rib rack with yellow mustard.

4 In a medium bowl, combine paprika, light brown sugar, oregano, coriander, crushed red pepper flakes, pink salt, and garlic powder. Sprinkle seasoning mixture on pork ribs.

5 Place seasoned pork ribs and liquid smoke in a 1-gallon (3.75l) plastic bag and seal.

1 Once the sous vide water bath has reached the desired temperature, insert the plastic bag of seasoned pork ribs and allow to cook for 36 hours.

2 Remove the plastic bag from the water bath.

1 Preheat a grill to a temperature above 600°F (316°C).

2 Remove pork ribs and from the bag and dry completely with paper towels. Set aside.

3 Strain juice from the bag through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium saucepan.

4 Add barbecue sauce to the saucepan and bring mixture to a simmer over low heat on the stovetop. Set aside.

5 Once the grill reaches the desired temperature, place pork ribs on the grill and sear for 2 minutes per side.

6 Remove pork ribs from the grill and brush with sauce. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Smoked Pork Ribs