Can you over cook food?

Anova Precision® Cooker
1

Hello,

I have never used the precision cooker.
My question is can you over cook meat?
I’m a bit confused because all recipes provide a time, but if the meat stays in the cooker, can it over cook?
For example, let’s say the recipes calls for 2 hours for steak, but if it cooks for 8 hour (let’s say I turn it on before work) will it be over cooked?

2

Overcook is a word that has two parts.

Food can never get above the temperature you set for the water bath. So with regard to temperature which directs done-ness, no. you can’t overcook it.

Cooking is also a matter of texture, or more accurately the conversion of collagen to gelatin. This is a process of time at temperature. Too long and too much texture is lost to this conversion. Too long and the texture can become mushy. In this case, yes, it is possible to overcook.

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3

You could potentially overcook food temperature-wise if you set too high of a temperature, but if you do your homework, it should be ok. Personally, I’ve not noticed much of a difference in texture for foods cooked for 2, 4, or 6 hours, but maybe I’m just easy to please?

4

That kind of overcooking isn’t the fault of the equipment though.

Sous vide is very forgiving when it comes to cooking duration. That’s one of the reasons why it is becoming so popular. At the low temperatures used things happen slowly.

5

I have a question. If longer cooks break down more collagen in meat, what happens if you cook , say carrots for hours longer than a recipe suggests?

6

You’ll be competing with Gerber and Heinz.

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7

Not really much of a difference. How long, though? I’ve done veggies for a little longer than a recipe might recommend and I didn’t see anything different. Maybe experiment and see what happens. I have a feeling very little will change, but again, I haven’t tried extending the cook time considerably.

8

Thanks Alyssa…I really don’t want to be the Gerber baby. Might be as bad as being Donny Bonaduce. By the way, the main problem with baby food is they don’t pour tons of salt in it. YUK!

9

It would take many extra hours to break down to mash.

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