My timer ran out!
In the General Sous Vide Questions Forum
I made a nube mistake: forgot to re-adjust my timer and my 72hr 130-131 degree chuck roasts had dropped to 105 when I returned home. I know they got a good 50 hours in, but I figure that the timer shut the heat off about 8-10 hours ago. It's back on and up to temp again, but this doesn't sound safe to me now. Were the bags pasteurized by the 50hrs? Would that matter? They look fine...no gas or bloating of the bag. Beyond disappointed in myself...wanted to check before I chunk them.
6 Replies So Far
Raneman, I can't answer yuour question but I have one for you. I have a chuck roast going right now which I had planned to pull at 6 o'clock after having been cooked sous vide at 134F for 48 hours. Why are your cooking yours for 72 hours? Should I be leaving mine in that long? This is the first time I have tried a chuck roast which is why I am asking this question. More experienced folks that I will have to asnwer yours.
Elsie
@raneman, I'm really sorry to hear that! Here's a similar post that can probably help answer your questions a little bit better:
sous vide power cut.
@ElsieD, it all depends on how tender you want your steak and how tough your steak is starting at. I usually do my chuck roasts for 48 hours but I know some people enjoy them cooked longer. It's worth experimenting to see what you personally prefer but either will usually be just fine.
Thank you Jason. When my 48 hours are up, can I take it out, test it, and if it is not tender enough for my liking, re-vacuum seal it and throw it back in for another, say, 12 hours and then test it again? I know my braising ribs are done perfectly at 48 hours but they are USDA Prime so they are more tender to start with. My chuck is just what I guess you would call Choice.
@ElsieD This is my first chuck roast and I was following someone else's suggestions. Now I have no idea what I'm going to do.
@Jason Thank you for the link. I tried searching and didn't find much. So if I'm reading that thread right, by IaninFrance's rationale if I know for a fact that the power cut happened on the back end after 50 or so hours of heat first, it should be sufficiently pasteurized and safe?
@raneman, yeah, that's what IaninFrance thought about it. I'm not an expert in these less usual sous vide experiences so I can't really say if it's right or not.
So what I ended up doing was slathering them in a bbq sauce, fired up the grill and cooked the tar out of them. I figured I had nothing to lose and wanted to be safe. The results were actually really good! Incredibly tender and tasty! It's inspiring an "impossibly tender fajitas" recipe.
I work in television, and a saying gets tossed around a fair bit that works here: "Today's mistake is tomorrow's effect."
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