Does it matter how long you leave your steak swimming?

Anova Precision® Cooker First Cook Essentials
1

Hi all,

I very much understand the minimum cooking time. However what effect would a longer soak have on your your food? Does it matter if you leave a steak in much longer? Does it affect the texture?

Regards,

Léon

2

Hi @Leon_Vos

The guys at the YouTube channel “Sous Vide Everything” did a test on this. Hope this helps!

2 Likes
3

Thanx @Mirozen!! Nice

4

Basically the maximum time is related to the cut of meat and the amount of collagen it contains. A naturally hard working muscle group like brisket or cheek contains a lot more collagen than a lower work muscle.

The tenderness and mouthfeel that you’re after comes from the collagen in the muscle being converted to gelatin. So a muscle that contains a lot of collagen can handle longer cooking times. Grilling steak cuts tend to be from lower work muscle groups, but even among those there are variations.