Su-kind - what is it? The special technology of cooking sous-vide

Today, more often you can hear the culinary term "su-kind". What is it, though, is not every mistress knows. And not every chef who has got used to work "in the old manner", like this word, because he is not familiar with it. Meanwhile, this technology is becoming more popular every day, because it allows you to cook at low temperatures and at the same time preserve its structure. Thus, we receive ecologically pure food in which all its vitamins and useful substances are kept. At first this method can cause bewilderment, but in time you will learn to appreciate all its charms and understand that the su-kind is really great.

History of the method

Su-kind - what is it? Such a question is primarily asked by those who have never heard anything about such a method of cooking. Su-type is a technology of low-temperature food preparation in a vacuum. There was a method in France - the country of gastronomic gourmets and restaurateurs, who know a lot about food. The inventor of the technology is the chef Jorge Pralju, who worked at the French restaurant "Truagro". Using a new vacuum technology, the cook cooked a foie gras in 1974.

But George Pralju was not the only person thanks to which the technology of su-kind appeared. At the same time, another person came up with it. And everything went like this: originally this elite technology was created not for the institutions of high cuisine. The owner of the restaurant, which enters the chain of fast food establishments, wondered how hard and inexpensive meat to cook is much more delicious than competitors do. To solve this problem, the restaurateur asked for help from his friend Bruno Husso - a biochemist by education. He asked his friend to come up with a method of cooking so that the dry meat as a result became juicy and soft. At the same time, the aforementioned chef Jorge Prahlou reflected on how to preserve priceless fat during the preparation of foie gras. Thus, the same stunning idea simultaneously dawned on two strangers: both cooks came up with the idea to pack the product in a vacuum, lower it into the water of the necessary temperature and languish there for a long time. Therefore, it is rather difficult to understand who was the first. Yes, it does not matter, the main thing is that in the world of cooking a new and ingenious technology of cooking has emerged. And since then, the method of vacuuming has been successful in many drinking establishments on the planet.

Brief description of the method

The way of evacuation of Sous Vide is connected with cooking and storage. The whole essence of the technology boils down to the following: a fresh product is packed into a vacuum cooking bag (if necessary, various spices are put in it) with the help of a special vacuum packaging machine. Then the bag is lowered into a tray with warm water and a certain time is prepared at a certain temperature. And then the "vacuum" product gives a shock freeze. In a refrigerator compartment, a similar workpiece can be stored for a long time.

Before serving, meat dishes can be lightly fried on a grill or a heated frying pan to enhance the aroma and the appearance of a golden crust. The temperature of cooking the sou-kind is 50-70 degrees. For this method absolutely any products are suitable, but this technology is best suited for cooking seafood and fish.

Technology advantages

Extraordinary popularity in our days has the technology of su-kind. What is it, we have already told, now we will understand with the advantages of this method. So, as a result of applying vacuum preparation, the following goals are achieved:

1. During baking or roasting, the surface of meat is influenced by temperatures that are several times higher than the cooking temperature. Su-type technology allows you to cook food gently, the temperature inside and on top of the finished product will be the same, nothing will burn and will not dry up.

2. Dishes will be more succulent, as low-temperature treatment leaves cell membranes intact.

3. Vacuum packaging allows you to save in the middle of the product all its smells and tastes. It also promotes better penetration of marinades and spices into the product.

4. The correct selection of temperature and cooking time makes the products softer. In solid pieces of meat, which are stewed or boiled, the muscle collagen is converted into gelatin. As a result, even the cheapest cut can be prepared in such a way that it will have a divine texture and taste.

5. Prepared in this way, vegetables retain a crisp and fresh texture, which is almost impossible to achieve with ordinary cooking.

What and how to cook

Preparation by the method of the su-kind can last from 20 minutes to half an hour. This time is necessary for making omelets, foie gras, small fish. But hard meat pieces and pork ribs are prepared for a couple of days. The time needed to heat a portion of food to the right temperature does not depend on its total mass, but on its thickness. The amount of time depends on the density of food, so that the food warms up to the desired temperature. The softness of the products affects the duration of their preparation.

Delicate and soft foods, such as lamb chops, pork and veal fillets, foie gras and shellfish, will be usable as soon as they warm up to the right temperature.

Lack of

Sous Vide preparation has a disadvantage. If the food is cooked for more than four hours at a temperature lower than 52 degrees, there are chances of multiplying bacteria that provoke botulism. In such conditions, these pathogens feel most comfortable. To avoid infection, it is necessary to choose higher temperatures for those products that are prepared for more than four hours.

Shelf life

Many gourmets prefer products prepared according to the technology of su-kind. What is it, they know firsthand, since most modern restaurants specialize in such dishes. These delicacies are good not only for their taste, but also for their long shelf life (for most of these dishes it is at least five days, including the day of manufacture and consumption). But some products can be stored and much longer, however, only if these terms have been tested experimentally.

So, the fish can be stored for four to six days, but beef and veal are saved for as long as 25-30 days. For pork, this period is slightly shorter: from 15 to 18 days. For 10-18 days you can store a bird, and the shelf life of vegetables beats all records. It is 45 days.