Is there a Precision Cooking for Dummies book anyone can recommend. I mistakenly thought this was going to be a walk in the park but I’m seem to be having question after question as I try my first cook.
Curlie, there are a lot of books available. I advise knowing what you are doing v blindly following recipes. With a thorough understanding of SV cooking principles you won’t have many questions.
Doug Baldwin was one of the first with a book for the home cook. His site covers all the essentials you need to know to be a success.
http://www.douglasbaldwin.com/sous-vide
Start with something simple.
Thanks chatnoir
My pleasure. Let us know the results of your first cook.
If you want to have an unfair advantage over other home cooks, after you’ve acquired a knowledge of SV fundamentals start keeping a detailed written record of each cook. Record the type of item like this, Choice Beef Top Sirloin cap-on 2" thick. Also record the cooking temperature and time. Most importantly, also record every cook’s outcome and any suggestion for improvement the next time. You are allowed to praise yourself and elaborate on details.
The most important take away from Baldwin is that thickness is critical in setting SV cooking times. Weight doesn’t much matter after you leave the store.
Keep well.
Wasn’t too bad but I was totally focused on the steak and over cooked the shallots for the green bean accompaniment. 
I seared to for too long but no one complained. The learning curve has begun and I’ll take your advice and set-up a record of cooks. Thanks
Try the mayo method I told you about in your other thread, it’s so quick that you would struggle to over sear as it can be done after you have plated everything else up.
Used the Mayo Sandra and just didn’t have the discipline to stop. Intuition told me to keep going while experience now tells me to follow the plan and stop 
Practice makes perfect
Did the different steaks cook as you had hoped in the same time and at the same temperature ?
Apologies for the delay in answering, they did all cook as I had hoped.
1 Like
Im having difficulty getting outstanding results. I’ll try that book you mentioned but my results with recipes on this website have not been exceptional. I did a 2 lb chuck roast/steak at 135 temperature for 29 hours. it was 1 inch thick. It came out medium rare and not as tender as I expected. Any suggestions.
Thanks,
Nancy
Welcome Nancy, and please dispense with the buts. That’s because we are attempting to guide you away from other peoples’ recipes and into discovering precise SV cooking to please yourself. The unhelpful terms “outstanding” and “exceptional” tend to be subjective and personal, so let’s try a few adjustments to your technique.
First, are you keeping a Cooking Journal as i described above? It’s an essential factor in effectively managing and anchoring your continuous cooking improvements.
Next, consider that less-than-successful product. A 1-inch thick piece of chuck presents a considerable challenge for all cooks, particularly if you added an unmentioned searing step.
135ᴼF is at the high end of Medium-Rare temperature range. Next time, and if Medium-Rare is your exact preference, use 131ᴼF which is the middle of that doneness range. Try cooking a piece of meat twice as thick as it will retain more moisture, particularly if you sear before service, - and you should. Keep the same cooking time for your next attempt.
On tenderness, it’s probably the most subjective factor of all. I suggest starting with possibly a more tender cut from the chuck. Names vary from regions and countries, but the meat doesn’t. Explain to your butcher that you want the first roast cut from the inside of the Chuck. What’s First Cut? That’s where the Chuck section was separated from the Rib section, far away from the neck. You want that tender and flavourful piece of meat that is the extension of the Rib Eye forward into the Chuck section. And hope that you got there before me because that’s what i almost always buy and there’s only one piece per side of the animal.
For some fine tuning, please advise on your results.