FOOD NEWS
Why Butter Isn't The Best Option When Making Sous Vide Meat
BY ELIZABETH OKOSUN
Sous vide cooking involves vacuum-sealing ingredients and steeping them in hot water to cook. While you may use butter to pan-sear meat, it doesn't work as well with sous vide.
During the slow-cooking process of sous vide, butter doesn't absorb into the meat. Instead, the butter absorbs the flavor of the meat, making the final dish less flavorful.
Vegetables and lean proteins like fish can benefit from butter when cooked sous vide, but butter dilutes the flavorful fat already present in most cuts of beef or pork.
Use dried or fresh herbs, liquid marinade, coarse salt, and/or pepper to flavor sous vide steak or pork chops. Only add butter when it's time to sear and serve the meat.
You can add herbs to chicken while it's in the sous vide machine, but hold off on dried spices and salt until afterward, since they can draw out moisture and make the meat dry.