How Long Can You Keep Sous Vide Meat? What To Know

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Sous vide is a French word that means under vacuum. It denotes a process of food vacuum-sealing in a clean bag and later preparing it in a water bath to some particular temperatures. Such a cooking method gives results that are not possible if one uses any other cooking method. But how long can you keep sous vide meat? High-end eateries are known to be using a sous vide machine to prepare their food for quite some time now. Restaurants have been able to produce the exact level of desired food using this cooking equipment.

Why should you cook sous vide meat?

Why should you cook sous vide meat

Sous vide food meat cooking uses specific temperatures control with movement to yield results that cannot be attained when cooking meat with any other method. The reason behind this is that when one is using another traditional meat cooking method, you do not have control over temperatures and heat. It consumes time and is not easy for one to cook great meat.

Most people end up overcooking or undercooking meat. Sometimes you might cook meat and find out that the center portion is undercooked while the outer part is overcooked. Meat that is undercooked is unhealthy for human consumption. We need to consider well-cooked meat if we have to enjoy eating meat.

How Long Can You Keep Sous Vide Meat?

How Long Can You Keep Sous Vide Meat

When it comes to storing sous vide meat, there are two options to choose from. You can decide to refrigerate or freeze. Before you decide on the storage method to adopt, you need to first make a decision on whether to store the meat while cooking or storing it while raw.

However, the easiest storage procedure is storing the meat while raw. This way, you do not have to deal with temperature fluctuations in a bid to meet the recommended conditions. However, keeping your meat while raw means that you will undergo a long cooking process. On the other hand, if you store your meat while cooked, you will only need to heat it before consumption. That said, here are storage methods that you should consider adopting.

Refrigeration

This storage mode is best suited for meat that you plan to consume within a short period. For instance, if you have meat you want to consume in a couple of days, then it is the best suited way for storing. Refrigerated meat sous vide meat should be consumed within 4n hours. If you plan to store uncooked meat, you can simply place it directly in the refrigerator.

However, if the meat is already cooked, you need to allow it to cool before placing it in the refrigerator. To hasten the cooling process, place the pouches in an ice bath for 30 mins to 2 hours. The ideal temperature for the ice bath should be 5 degrees Celsius or 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the meat has cooled down, dry the pouches and place in the refrigerator.

Freezing

If you have huge portions of meat that you do not plan to consume any time soon, freezing is undoubtedly the way to go. Before you store the meat, consider subdividing it into smaller portions to avoid wastage. Just like in refrigeration, you can decide to store your meat raw or cooked. The easiest way to store the meat is in its raw form.

However, if you are bent at storing it cooked, ensure it is chilled before you can place it in the freezer. Place the pouches containing the cooked meat in an ice water bath and allow to sit. Thereafter, dry the pouches and place in the freezer. Frozen meat can last for at least 2 months.

Benefits of Consuming Sous Vide Meat

Benefits of Consuming Sous Vide Meat

There are numerous motives for individuals to consider sous vide meat. Cooking your meat for a longer time at lower temperatures helps in enhancing flavor, tenderness, and textures, not mentioning more other healthier benefits advised by the doctor.Here are a few reasons why you should consider sous vide meat.

1. Sous vide meat is tastier

Meat cooked using sous vide looks more appealing when compared to other cooked using the traditional methods. When the meat is vacuumed sealed in the sous vide carrier bag, it does not lose water or lose form when preparing. The original flavor, color, aroma, and weight of the meat is not lost. It is different when one cooks meat using any other method. The first thing you notice is how water is lost meaning the weight will go down, the color starts changing and you obtain the aroma of the flavors you add to your meat.

2. Sous vide meat is healthier

You need to add little or choose to do away with fat and salt when cooking meat using sous vide. In addition, when you vacuum seals your meat, you hinder vitamins and minerals from being lost during the preparation process which is different from when one is steaming, boiling, or cooking meat using any other method.

3. It is one of the quality meats preferred by many in restaurants

Sous vide meat is not only tastier, but it gives one the experience of having a texture that is supposed to be felt in meat. We are past the days when we should eat chewy meat, today sous vide meat is moist and tender with its original color and crunch.

4. Consistently best results

Using precise temperatures when preparing your meat, you will always receive the same meat results anytime you choose the sous vide preparation method. Everyone who has used these methods for preparing their meal has received similar results all the time. You do not expect disappointments as long as you follow the procedure of preparation.

5. No more chewy, burnt, or undercooked meat

When pan-frying, boiling, or steaming your meat, you are likely to end up with outside cooked meat and inside that is not cooked. Cooking meat until the inside is cooked, means that there are higher chances of overcooking your meat if the outside is not burnt. Using sous vide, you do not have to worry about such issues. The meat will cook equally at low temperatures and will not overcook or undercook.

Conclusion

Meat is highly vulnerable to bacterial infections. For this reason, it ought to be handled cautiously. Ensure that meat does not last under room temperature for more than 2 hours. As soon as you have purchased or cooked sous vide, ensure it is stored in the proper refrigerated or frozen temperature. In addition, ensure that the pouches are fully airtight.

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