It is the sous vide Alan. Used correctly it works magic on lean meats. I use it for a lot of things.
boondocks":1d0tngda said:
somewhere there's a microbiology professor having a stroke.... :lol:
If they know anything about the subject I seriously doubt that.
True, my suggestion would appear unsafe by USDA guidelines but these guidelines are put in place for general public because the USDA knows general public isn't very savvy when it comes to connecting the dots so they give extremely conservative recommendations on how to cook meat which results in overcooked dry meat. But it will make a turd and you won't get sick so no harm done. However, if you want to show some respect for the animal that gave its life for your meal and you desire something more than a dry piece of protein then there are better ways to approach this.
Chicken breasts are a prime example. They are lean and alkaloid making them a ripe environment for pathogen growth. The USDA suggests cooking them to 165F. At 165F the proteins constrict forcing what little flavor and moisture out resulting in a dry, tasteless piece meat suitable only for turd manufacturing. Granted, at 165F salmonella is killed instantly. However, if the same breast is cooked to 145F and held there for 9 minutes all the salmonella will be dead. At 150F its dead in 2 minutes. I suspect a microbiologist would agree dead salmonella isn't any
more dead at one temperature than the next. I mean, dead is dead. Right?
Of course you may be referring to the risk of botulism by putting the meat in an airtight bag. This is a valid concern because botulism is deadly and should be given the utmost respect. But I'm sure a microbiologist knows botulism grows best in a temp range of 78-95F so its extremely important not to have bagged meat sitting on your counter at room temperature. However, my recommendation calls for removing the roast from the brine then bagging and then placing in 145-150F water. I'm sure a microbiologist knows that botulism growth stalls at 118F and at temperatures exceeding 140F it cannot form its deadly toxin so there is no risk of this.
Since my recommendation has fully pasteurized the meat and all pathogens are dead, the result will be an extremely tender roast containing three times the moisture you would have if you followed USDA guidelines. Also, the magic of brining could possibly even make the roast contain as much if not more moisture than it had in its original form but more importantly you will enjoy the benefits of understanding microbiology and meat science and you will give your diners a great meal and
give the animal the respect it deserves.
However,
if these things seem to complicated then I'd surely just follow the USDA guidelines because odds are you won't get sick and it will make a turd.