I finally got a new sous vide machine. My previous one, a cheapy from The Warehouse, expired under the effort of making 48 hour short ribs. Actually I think it was just generally old and exhausted.
So I got a new one on Trade Me from an outfit called Pro-Cision NZ. (Start price - $100 / Buy Now $159). It certainly looked different from any sous vide machine I'd previously seen, what with the bend in the middle 'n' all, but it has been working just fine, easy to use and (as far as I can tell) accurate. Their service was, I should say, exemplary,
So... pork chops. Pork chops, of all food, are the thing I reckon benefit most from soud vide cooking. Steaks are fine and it makes things much easier if you have a crowd, but they are eminently cookable in a regular manner. But pork chops are - in my humble option - a bitch to cook properly. They always dry out around the edges. It is just damn near impossible to get them cooked through the right amount. Not any more. Sous vide means perfect pork chops every time.
(NOTE: I also realise that you might not like your pork chops the same way I do. Some people do like them more cooked, medium-well, or even well done. I've put a temperature chart at the bottom of the page - check it and adjust your sous-vide temperature accordingly.)
This week it's pork chops in Berbere spices. That's because I was chatting to The Spice Guy at The Tauranga Farmers Market and last week we were talking about Berbere spice, the Ethiopian spice blend - it just happened that I'd bought some out of curiosity from Vetro a few days earlier.
Oddly the two blends were completely different colours, the Vetro one brown, the Spice Guy one red. It's the extra paprika apparently and he swore that some Ethiopian punter had declared his to be "the most authentic they'd found." So I used that. As you can see, it is very red...
I have to say that it was also very mild, just the slightest tingle of heat despite a bit of chilli and cayenne in the blend. There's also coriander, turmeric, cumin, fenugreek and half a dozen others and all in all it was a very smooth mix with nothing individual really standing out and just a hint of the same sort of flavours you get in a Jamaican jerk seasoning. I liked it, though I'll probably add an extra heat hit next time!
SOUS VIDE PORK CHOPS IN BERBERE SPICE
Ingredients
- 2 Pork Chops
- Berbere spices (or any other spice blend you fancy of course)
- mayonnaise
Method
Set the sous vide cooker to 140°F / 60°C. I like pork chops cooked for 2 1/2 hours, though unless they're really thick they should be cooked after an hour. I find the extra time tenderises them to the degree I like. (See the chart at the bottom of the page)
1. Sprinkle the chops with Berbere spice (it also contains salt so I skipped the usual salt).
2. Seal them in a vacuum bag.
3. Drop them in the "bath". They should sink, or at least half sink. Make sure they don't block or crowd the sous vide machine's "bits".
4. After the desired time take them out and remove from bag.
5. When ready to eat, smother the chops with a thin layer of mayonnaise. I know this sounds weird but it helps get a nice quick crust on them. It's an "internet hack" I came across and it really works. I used Kewpie Mayo.
6. Fry, in a very hot pan for about a minute each side. Maybe hold them on their side and crisp the fat. Serve and enjoy. (I know, I forgot to take a picture of the final dish. Bugger. We just ate them straight away. With a salad and some chips. And they were good. Really good!)
These temperatures and times are from Anova, who make very good sous vide machines and have "The World's Largest Sous Vide Recipe Resource".
SOUS VIDE TIMES FOR PORK CHOPS
Rare: 130°F / 54°C, 1 to 4 hours - Tender, juicy, and a little slippery.
Medium-Rare: 140°F / 60°C, 1 to 4 hours - Tender, juicy, and meaty (This is what I do)
Medium-Well: 150°F / 66°C, 1 to 4 hours - Quite firm and just starting to dry out.
Well Done: 160°F / 71°C, 1 to 4 hours - Firm, a little dry and tough, but still moist.
NOTE: times just affect the texture, not how well-cooked the food is. The chops becomes more tender the longer they are cooked, until the fibres start to fall apart and you head more towards the "pulled pork" area. (These times won't do that, even 4 hours.)
No comments:
Post a Comment