Roast Beef

[Sandra51]

I posted my experience of cooking a joint of beef using my APC for 27 hours as I thought that it may help someone, in what I thought was the correct place, but I have struggled to find it since it said it was published and it looks like it may only be visible to myself.

Have I posted it in the wrong place or should I have ticked something to allow others to see it ?

This is where it is posted :

Sous Vide Roast Beef

[chatnoir]

Thank you Sandra, you posted your SV Roast Beef item in the site's correct location.

From cattle facing a sunrise the Chuck is closest to the sun and the Rump will be closest to the sunset.

How was the flavour?
Would you make any adjustments to your recipe?
Salt and pepper?

You discovered that 3 hours make little to no difference in a 24-hour cook.

[Sandra51]

The flavour was great, much better than when I have cooked the same type of joint either in a slow cooker or in an oven.

I do tend to normally add quite a bit of salt and black pepper during cooking in more traditional ways but this tasted fine with nothing but a little horseradish on my sandwich. This evening, as we seem to be enjoying one or two nice warm days here at the moment, I had some of it cold with some potato salad and my variation of a Greek salad, just tomatoes, feta cheese and olives, and I just added a little salt and black pepper to the beef but that was probably more out of habit as when I was eating some of the beef as I was slicing it it tasted fine without any seasoning.

So I do not thing that I would add anything to what I did from sealing it to searing it. The only thing I may try on another day is to try a few hours less as I didn't think going from my planned 24 hours to 27 would make much difference but would dropping down to 20 or even to 16 hours affect it in any noticeable or detrimental way ?

[chatnoir]

Sandra, i would not recommend reducing the cooking time in your recipe for that cut of meat and its thickness. As you discovered it's right at the cusp of needing longer due to its thickness which you gave it. You might even consider adjusting your recipe to better suit most folks.

Most conventional cooks wouldn't consider cooking any cut of beef from the hind quarter to the low end of Medium-Rare as you did. That's the benefit of SV, but you need to give it enough time to sufficiently break down its tissues.

If you enjoy a chewier slice of tough Medium-Rare meat 20 hours might be acceptable for you, but definitely not 16 hours unless your knife skills are such that you can effectively peel shavings off a roast.

[Sandra51]

OK thanks as that saves me from trying it at a few hours less, do you think that a full 24 hours would give me about the same tenderness and texture that I got at 27 hours or would you stick to 27 hours or suggest even a little longer ?

[chatnoir]

Sandra, you have had the experience of that thickness of that roast at that time and temperature. Consider the reason why you would adjust the cooking time. I can't do that for you.

Always plan a cook with your expected outcome in mind.

Generally 24 hours or 27 matters very little. Tenderness increases very gradually over that length of time and longer. I would repeat at 27 hours because you have indicated you have no reason to change the time.
Do you?

[Sandra51]

OK I will stick at 27 hours

[chatnoir]

Good.

One last item Sandra, do yourself a big favour and starting with this roast record the details of all your SV cooking.

Here's what i record in a bound hard cover journal:
(Some of this Community prefer to use their computer.)

Specific type or cut of meat.
Product thickness.
Desired degree of doneness / cook temperature.
Thawed or frozen?
Planned / actual cook time.
Finishing method.
Cook-serve / cook-chill / cook-freeze?
Comments on outcome and any recommendations you may have for future cooks with the item.

[Sandra51]

I already do that but I store it on my computer

[chatnoir]

Good going, doing that makes it so easy to replicate your great meals.

[Fishchris]

Thank you for mentioning this. I'm going to start this now, while I still remember the details of my first few SV's

[Sandra51]

I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed mine Chris, please let us know how yours comes out

[Fishchris]

Well hopefully this one will be great. I will report about it here. But read my post: Catastrophe ! That was all bad, but the replacement is looking good so far

[Andrew_Gupta]

i love roast beef and your way is quite unique to me. I would let my wife read this so that we can try

[Sandra51]

I hope you both enjoy it Andrew, I have only had it served cold either in sandwiches or with salads as we have had a few days of nice weather here but I am sure it would be just as nice served as a traditional English roast beef dinner with Yorkshire pudding and roast potatoes