Sous Vide in original pakaging

Steve

Just wondering has anyone sous vide meat in the original Lidl / Tesco package with the black back and transparent front.

Just worried it will open.

It's burgers so will be at 66 deg.

Mod note: Please see the mod note in post #16

vicwatson

Steve wrote: »

Just wondering has anyone sous vide meat in the original Lidl / Tesco package with the black back and transparent front.

Just worried it will open.

It's burgers so will be at 66 deg.

I wouldn't think it would, hard enough to open regularly !

Steve

Had to try it, the plastic shrank but the burgers were actually cooked as expected.



Yeah, it was difficult to open.

If I stop posting in the next week, con't copy this

vicwatson

What temp did you cook them at Steve? Was it 66deg after? and the plastic shrank:eek:

HeidiHeidi

Why on earth would you want to sous vide burgers??? :eek:

Steve

vicwatson wrote: »

What temp did you cook them at Steve? Was it 66deg after? and the plastic shrank:eek:

They were in for 2.5 hrs at 66 deg. Finished them off in a pan for about a minute a side.
They were still pink in the middle but cooked and really tender.

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Why on earth would you want to sous vide burgers??? :eek:

It was really to see if it would work with the packaging - the vacuum bags aren't that cheap.

Also, it's good to know and be able to pre-cook them for a BBQ or similar or where a good few may me needed and easily finished and guaranteed to be cooked through.

Normally I'd do a roast joint at 62 deg and finish in a pan.

rubadub

66C is very high, in the well done range, I have had plastic packs survive far better than that in the 50s

Why on earth would you want to sous vide burgers??

you would sear them again, to me burgers would be one of the more obvious things to be done sous vide. You can have rare burgers cooked for an extended length of time so less worry about bacteria.

Steaks can be tenderised with mechanical needles, pushing bacteria into the middle. Some gourmet burger places go on about freshly mincing meat and figure this can then be safely cooked rare. But with steaks I always hear the theory being bacteria is on the outside, and so this surface is seared and so safe, but if you are mincing that steak then the outside surface is going to be mixed in. Maybe some burger places carefully cut it and discard any outer bits?

Steve

rubadub wrote: »

66C is very high, in the well done range, I have had plastic packs survive far better than that in the 50s

I'm still learning how it works. Yes 66 is high but for the reasons you outlined above, I thought it was best.

beer enigma

I'd be a bit concerned that the packaging might react with the water and impart something into the burgers ? - maybe just me but the black part looks very industrial

Tree

rubadub wrote: »

66C is very high, in the well done range, I have had plastic packs survive far better than that in the 50s


you would sear them again, to me burgers would be one of the more obvious things to be done sous vide. You can have rare burgers cooked for an extended length of time so less worry about bacteria.

Steaks can be tenderised with mechanical needles, pushing bacteria into the middle. Some gourmet burger places go on about freshly mincing meat and figure this can then be safely cooked rare. But with steaks I always hear the theory being bacteria is on the outside, and so this surface is seared and so safe, but if you are mincing that steak then the outside surface is going to be mixed in. Maybe some burger places carefully cut it and discard any outer bits?

Burger places that serve their burgers on the rarer side blanch their meat before mincing inhouse, for the reasons you outlined.

Steve

Andip wrote: »

I'd be a bit concerned that the packaging might react with the water and impart something into the burgers ? - maybe just me but the black part looks very industrial

I'm not so concerned with the plastic used, just whatever they use to stick the transparent front to the black base.

I'm relying on the fact that all packaging materials legally have to be food safe and so would not be an issue.

L1011

Andip wrote: »

I'd be a bit concerned that the packaging might react with the water and impart something into the burgers ? - maybe just me but the black part looks very industrial

If the packaging stays intact, the water won't get near the burgers. Such is the point of sous vide.

am i bovvered

Hi Steve
Good to see you are into experimenting with cooking
Some flaws I see in this particular process.
1, I would not cook a processed burger soys vide at 66c
If you really think about it it does not make culinary sense.
The product is wrong and the temp too high.
2, The packaging is food safe, at normal temps, this does not mean it is safe at 66c. Probably is but again, why take the risk. If you do not want to get yourself a little vac pac machine then ask your butcher or fishmonger to prepare the ingredients.

Sous vide is great, but, a lot of cooks have poisoned a lot of people messing around without understanding the fundamental's of cookery.

Steve

am i bovvered wrote: »

Hi Steve
Good to see you are into experimenting with cooking
Some flaws I see in this particular process.
1, I would not cook a processed burger soys vide at 66c
If you really think about it it does not make culinary sense.
The product is wrong and the temp too high.

That is interesting, can you please elaborate on that?

I don't like to sous vide at less than 60deg C because of bacteria. Mostly I use 62 deg for long term (12 hr++) for this reason.

2, The packaging is food safe, at normal temps, this does not mean it is safe at 66c. Probably is but again, why take the risk. If you do not want to get yourself a little vac pac machine then ask your butcher or fishmonger to prepare the ingredients.

I have a vaccum bagger. That's not the issue. I was interested to know if commercial packaging was ok to use or was there some known issue with that.

Sous vide is great, but, a lot of cooks have poisoned a lot of people messing around without understanding the fundamental's of cookery.

And that is why I am here asking the opinions of the fine folks on boards

I am well aware of the risks.

The Hill Billy

Steve wrote: »

...I have a vaccum bagger. That's not the issue. I was interested to know if commercial packaging was ok to use or was there some known issue with that.

That's looking for food safety advice which is against the forum charter.

Faith

Mod note: we've discussed this a little behind the scenes, and this thread is verging towards food safety. The original question was 'Will the packaging open', which Steve has answered now. Discussions on the potential safety or risks of cooking in the packaging are beyond the scope of the forum. I'll leave the thread open for now, but please keep away from discussing anything that could constitute food safety advice