Poultry and Meat

COOKING MEAT MAY REPRESENT THE PINNACLE OF SOUS VIDE TECHNIQUE; IT’S A category where sous vide really soars. I’ve talked a lot about my love of braising because there are so many enjoyable phases of the braising process and because it’s kind of magical in that it transforms an inexpensive cut of meat into something tender and succulent. Sous vide takes the braise cut one step further. With the traditional braising technique, the meat is cooked to well above the point at which the muscle fibers contract and squeeze out their juices, in order to melt the connective tissues that make them tough. With sous vide, we can cook these meats at temperatures below the point at which the muscle fibers contract, but long enough for the connective tissue to melt into gelatin. The result is braised meat of extraordinary tenderness and juiciness.