How To Sous Vide 5 Popular Proteins

At first glance, sous vide cooking seems like one of those techniques that's best left to the experts, but it's actually never been easier or more affordable to give it a try at home. You can get a decent sous vide machine for less than $100 these days, and all sous vide takes is four easy steps. For a little pro advice to get started, we reached out to Matt Kreider, executive chef at Steak 954 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for a few pointers on how to prepare some of the most popular proteins.

Kreider knows his way around a good cut of steak as well as a vacuum bag after honing his skills at the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, apprenticing at Gramercy Tavern undercChef Michael Anthony, and later putting down roots in southern Florida to rise in the ranks at Steak 954. Here, he shares some tips for cooking chicken breast, egg bites, pork chops, pork tenderloin, and salmon using sous vide, which will give you plenty of options to get started with this slow, low-temperature technique.

Probably the easiest protein to work with if you're interested in finding out what sous vide is all about is a simple chicken breast. You can flavor them in a million different ways, and the gentle heat of this cooking method is ideal for juicy, tender meat every time. Chef Matt Kreider says to hold the temperature in your sous vide bath at 155 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes to get the best results.

"The protein from the chicken generally starts to release during the process," he said. Kreider added that you'll cook the meat to a safe temperature during the final cook. Finally, he told us, "A nice seasoned marinade or rub to season it is always a good idea."

Eggs and sous vide are an excellent match because it's so easy to overcook the delicate proteins. The slow, gentle, moist heat can create egg dishes that are silky, smooth, and unlike anything you can make on the stove. Chef Matt Kreider says that he likes to set the sous vide bath to 150 degrees Fahrenheit for egg bites, then hold that temperature for 30 to 45 minutes. Kreider says to "add whatever you like!" And he confirms that this combination will keep your eggs from getting rubbery.

How many times have you cooked a piece of pork only to find it tough and dry? Sous vide is definitely a method to try if you like pork chops because, much like eggs, there's less danger of overcooking the protein and drying out the meat. Kreider says that you want to set the machine to 130 degrees Fahrenheit and hold it there for 30 minutes for pork chops.

"I like most of my pork medium, and this gets you most of the way there without overcooking it," he said. Kreider added, "Put a dry rub on it; it will be great."

Much like pork chops, pork tenderloin is a delicate protein that can easily become overcooked if you're not careful. Pork tenderloins are also small, thin cuts of meat that weigh around 1 pound each and cook fairly quickly. To keep them nice and tender, Kreider says to again set the sous vide for 130 degrees Fahrenheit, then hold the meat at that temperature for 30 minutes. Don't forget to add some aromatics to the bag. "I like to add crushed garlic cloves and thyme," said Kreider.

Although chef Matt Kreider heads up the kitchen at a luxe steakhouse, he still knows quite a lot about cooking fish and seafood thanks to his proximity to the Atlantic Ocean in Fort Lauderdale. When it comes to salmon, he said it only takes a few minutes to get results with sous vide. Set the machine for 135 degrees Fahrenheit and cook the fish for 15 minutes.

"Salmon does not take as long to cook and is generally a smaller portion size than a lot of steaks," he said. "You can heat it only a little bit more during the final cook and it's perfect for a lunch salad."