We did a little roast beast this year on Christmas, and although it turned out great, there was a huge amount of consternation involving variations in oven temperature, at what intervals to re-baste, and that sort of thing. If only there were a precision cooking instrument in which I could put a vacuum-packed hunk of meat and have it suspended in a perfect mass of temperature-controlled water — oh, there is?
The SousVide Supreme Water Oven is a slow-cooker’s fantasy, and as long as your food doesn’t need to get too much past 200°F. The vacuum sealing is, of course, terribly eco-unfriendly, but it does make the meat, or apples, or whatever you put in there, stew in nothing but its own juices.
One caveat: without a hot pan, grill, or oven, and with the food basting itself, there is a side effect. According to a New York Times review:
Although amazing flavor infusion can take place inside the bag (a skirt steak I sealed with bacon fat, then cooked for two days, was memorable), the food emerges unnervingly pale and soft.
Very appetizing! Well, the proof of the pudding is in the taste, they say, and apparently the taste is insanely good. Too bad this thing costs $449 and you’ll need a vacuum sealer to do the job correctly as well.
[via RedFerret]