As the annual fitness and weight loss season arrives， chicken breast has become an indispensable part of many diets. However， chicken breast often suffers from a dry and tough texture， making the already challenging journey of weight loss even more arduous. Fortunately， there’s a method that can bring chicken breast back to life， making it tender and juicy: sous vide cooking.
Sous vide chicken breast | Photo credit: author’s own
Origins and History of Sous Vide Cooking
Sous vide， also known as “vacuum low-temperature cooking，” is not a novel culinary technique. At its core， it involves sealing food in a high-temperature resistant plastic bag， vacuum-sealing to remove air， and then cooking it in a temperature-controlled water bath， combi oven， or other precise heating systems. The typical temperature range is between 50°C and 80°C， with cooking times extending for several hours， or even much longer. This method began to gain traction in the 1960s.
Meat and marinade sealed for sous vide preparation | Photo credit: author’s own
In the 1960s， NASA faced challenges in providing food for astronauts. The bulkiness of jars and cans made food storage difficult on spacecraft， leading to experiments with high-temperature plastic bags for food preservation – an early exploration akin to sous vide. Simultaneously， a Swedish hospital was experimenting with sealing freshly cooked， hot food in plastic bags and continuing to cook them for 3-10 minutes before cooling. This practice， which provided at least 5 million meals to patients， was remarkably close to sous vide principles.
Sous vide method， courtesy of Wiki
Also in the 1960s， Ambrose T. McGuckian developed a new method of vacuum-sealing uncooked ingredients and then cooking them at controlled times and temperatures. This innovation， termed “vacuum low-temperature cooking，” was aimed at improving the quality of food served in hospitals. McGuckian later adapted this technique for food services in hotels where he worked as a technical consultant. By the early 1970s， Georges Pralus utilized sous vide to address the issue of fat and juice loss during the cooking of foie gras in terrines， reducing losses from 40% to just 5%.
This success led to his collaboration with a company that produced multi-layer， heat-resistant plastics， designed to retain more juices during cooking. Georges Pralus is widely recognized as the “father of sous vide.” By the late 1970s， sous vide began to be adopted by the Anglo-French aviation and rail industries to enhance passenger dining experiences. Subsequently， the technique continued to evolve， with many appliance manufacturers developing specialized commercial and home-use equipment.
Considering its developmental trajectory and various applications， sous vide cooking emphasizes both deliciousness and convenience. So， is this type of kitchen equipment worth purchasing? Let’s weigh its pros and cons before making a decision.
Advantages of Sous Vide Cooking
Sous vide cooking offers numerous benefits， primarily:
1. Prevention of Harmful Compound Formation: The cooking temperatures in sous vide typically range from 50°C to 80°C， eliminating concerns about the formation of carcinogens. Furthermore， there is virtually no cooking oil smoke， which not only reduces cancer risk but also protects respiratory health from the impact of smoke.
Unlike traditional methods like pan-frying fish or steak， where the exterior can become overcooked and tough， leading to nutrient loss and potentially carcinogenic compounds， sous vide perfectly cooks the food to the desired internal temperature without these drawbacks.
2. Reduced Effort in Cooking: Sous vide allows for a “set it and forget it” approach. It eliminates the need to constantly monitor cooking temperatures or worry about scorched pots or burnt food due to oversight. Even slight overcooking beyond the set time has minimal impact on food quality， making it ideal for those who don’t have extensive culinary experience. For instance， achieving perfect soft-boiled eggs or steaks with sous vide is remarkably difficult to mess up.
Moreover， the inherent stability of the sous vide process ensures consistent flavor profiles. The food texture becomes more tender and juicy: modern technology allows for precise control over the sous vide temperature and time， ensuring even heating and achieving uniform internal temperatures that are nearly impossible with traditional cooking methods， especially for larger cuts of meat.
For example， sous vide steak can achieve an melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. Beef cooked sous vide at 60°C for 4 hours not only minimizes nutrient loss through evaporation but also significantly improves the texture of beef， which can often become tough and dry with high-temperature cooking.
Sous vide steak | Photo credit: author’s own
Sous vide also addresses the issues of dry， unsatisfactory texture， and significant nutrient loss in chicken breast， while enhancing its water-holding capacity. Studies on the impact of sous vide on scallop muscle quality have shown that cooking at 70°C and 75°C for 30 minutes yields the best sensory qualities and minimal juice loss for scallops.
3. Enhanced Food Preservation: Sous vide is also an excellent method for food preservation. Foods prepared using this technique retain their flavor and texture well upon reheating (which explains their initial use in hospitals， railways， and airlines). Traditional preservation methods can lead to fishy odors from fish fat oxidation， the browning of bright red meat due to myoglobin oxidation， and the brown discoloration of sliced fruits. Sous vide effectively prevents all of these.
This is because vacuum sealing prevents chemical reactions between the food and oxygen. Additionally， the sealed plastic bag prevents cross-contamination between different foods during storage， thereby ensuring food safety.
Food preserved by freezing after sous vide cooking has distinct advantages over direct freezing. Sous vide preparation before freezing better inhibits bacterial growth， minimizes juice loss and evaporation of volatile compounds， and prevents oxidative rancidity during freezing.
Furthermore， it can extend shelf life. Research indicates that chicken leg meat cooked at 75°C for 6 hours and then stored at refrigeration (3°C) and room temperature (20°C) showed an increase in bacterial counts， lactobacilli， and Bacillus cereus with prolonged storage. However， under refrigeration， the storage period could exceed 25 days， significantly extending the typical refrigerated shelf life of chicken legs.
Some also suggest that sous vide reduces nutrient loss. While sous vide’s lower temperatures and emphasis on preserving “original flavor” might suggest this， nutrient loss is also related to cooking time. Certain nutrients， particularly vitamins， may experience greater degradation during prolonged heating over several hours compared to quick stir-frying for a few seconds.
Disadvantages of Sous Vide Cooking
Despite its many accolades， sous vide cooking does have its drawbacks:
1. Extended Cooking Time: As the name suggests， “sous vide” implies slow cooking. While pan-frying or boiling chicken breast might take 10-15 minutes， sous vide cooking can require 40 minutes or much longer.
2. High Equipment Requirements: The method necessitates three key elements: vacuum sealing， precise low-temperature control， and slow cooking. This means acquiring a vacuum sealer， a precise sous vide immersion circulator or water oven， and a suitable water container. Quality equipment can be expensive and also require significant storage space.
3. Potential for Foodborne Illness: Inexperienced users might not cook food for sufficient time， failing to adequately eliminate viruses and bacteria. Additionally， the vacuum sealing step raises concerns about the cleanliness of the vacuum machine. Certain foods also carry inherent risks of poisoning if not heated adequately， making them unsuitable for sous vide. These include:
a. Fungi: Many mushrooms contain toxins that are difficult to neutralize under sous vide’s low-temperature， slow-cooking environment.
b. Legumes: For example， green beans， snap peas， and kidney beans contain lectins or saponins that can irritate the stomach lining， damage cells， and cause hemolysis. Safe consumption requires heating to 100°C for several minutes， or even over half an hour.
c. Meats with Connective Tissue: Generally， cuts from the abdominal area near the ribs are rich in connective tissue， such as fatty brisket. Connective tissue does not break down adequately at low temperatures and requires high-heat treatment for safe consumption.
Sous Vide Recipes
In summary， sous vide cooking boasts significant advantages， including enhanced flavor， better preservation， and effectiveness with large cuts of meat or seafood. However， it demands specialized equipment， involves a more complex process， requires considerable time， and is suited for a limited range of ingredients. Therefore， it’s wise to carefully consider your needs before purchasing a sous vide machine. If you do decide to invest， here are some simple sous vide recipes for chicken breast and steak that have been personally tested and approved:
Chicken Breast: 60°C for 45 minutes.
Steak: The cooking time depends on thickness. Steaks less than 1cm thick do not require sous vide. For a 1.5cm thick steak， cook for 1.5 hours. For every additional 0.5cm in thickness， add 0.5 hours to the cooking time.
There are three temperature settings: 55°C， 58°C， and 61°C， corresponding to rare， medium-rare， and medium-well， respectively. (Note: These different doneness levels are only recommended for whole-cut steaks. For pre-seasoned or processed steaks， it’s best to cook them thoroughly， rather than using the sous vide method.)
It is important to note that if the sous vide food is not consumed immediately， it should be rapidly chilled in the refrigerator or an ice bath to prevent bacterial growth.
