Sous Vide Essentials The Perfect Hotdog Recipes

SOUS VIDE ESSENTIALS: THE PERFECT HOTDOG

Steps:

• PREP/PREPARE
• The Goal: There are many things that you have to do right to be a successful caterer. But, two stand out to me: 1. Never make your clients sick. Making people sick, and sending them to hospital is really bad for business. 2. Come up with recipes that, although standard fare, somehow taste better when you serve them. With that in mind, this recipe is how to create the perfect succulent hotdog.
• Cooking your doggies: Okay, we need to get something straight, you do not cook hotdogs... I repeat, you do not cook hotdog. You only reheat them. You can take a hotdog straight out of the package, and eat it. They are already cooked... you probably already knew that. So the question is: What is the best way to "reheat" a hotdog, and that is exactly what we are going to talk about.
• The Best Doggie: This whole process begins with the actual hotdog. In my opinion two of the best companies are Nathan's, and Hebrew National. Make sure that they are all beef , or angus. And, one other thing, I prefer my dogs with the skin on. It give them that satisfying "snap" when you bite into them.
• The Best Temperature: Believe it or not, there is a "best" temperature to reheat your doggies. I did a lot of research on this, and then performed my own tests... And, the winner is 155f (68c). This temperature is only valid if you are working with good, all-beef, doggies. I tried cooking them at lower temps, and higher temps, and 155f (68c), is the "sweet" spot for the perfect juicy dog.
• The Crisping: Okay, you cannot just take those reheated doggies, and eat them... Well, actually you could, but we need a finishing step. That involve crisping those bad boys in a high-heat skillet, or a quick trip on the grill.
• Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• Add the doggies, melted butter, salt, and pepper, to a Ziploc bag, squeeze as much as out of the bag as you can, and place into a pot with the sous vide machine, set to 155f (68c).
• Allow the dogs to stay in the water bath for about an hour.
• Remove from the water bath, and place the dogs, and the melted butter, into a hot skillet.
• Roll back and forth in the skillet for about 1 - 2 minutes, until the skin crisps up, and the dogs turn a nice red. Remember they are already cooked, you just want to crisp the skin.
• PLATE/PRESENT
• Serve with your favorite condiments. Enjoy.
• Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

SOUS VIDE ESSENTIALS: PERFECT RICE

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. I have been cooking sous vide, long before it became popular in American kitchens. The process is simple: You seal your food in Ziploc bag, or use a vacuum sealer, and immerse into a water bath that maintains an exact temperature. Time on sous vide can range from 15 minutes, to 48 hours.
• 3. For this recipe you will need a sous vide machine. They come in all shapes, sizes, and prices. However, once you get the hang of using one, I really believe you will love it.
• 4. If you are not using a vacuum-sealing machine (Food Saver, etc.), then you are probably using standard plastic food bags (Ziploc, etc.). To get as much of the air out of the bag, as possible, use the water displacement method. The easiest way to accomplish this is to slowly sink it into a pan of water, with the top open, and allow the pressure of the water pushing against the bag to force out most of the air. Then, seal the bag, and you are good to go. If I am using Ziploc-type bags, I always clip the bag to the side of the container with the zip-seal portion above the water line. One more thing, do not use the "regular" Ziploc bags; use the ones designed to go into the freezer. They are much stronger and less prone to leaks.
• 5. Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• 6. Place the sous vide machine into a pot of water and bring it up to a temperature of 200f (95c).
• 7. Add the rice, water (or broth), salt, and butter to a Ziploc bag, or vacuum bag.
• 8. If you notice, in step 7 there are two small round objects on the bottom ends of the bags... Those are two pairs of heavy-duty magnets that I clip to the bottom of the bag. Their additional weight keeps the bag from floating to the surface.
• 9. Add any desired seasonings.
• 10. Allow the rice to cook for 25 minutes.
• 11. PLATE/PRESENT
• 12. Remove from the bag, place on a plate or bowl, and serve while nice and warm. Enjoy.
• 13. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.