A perfectly cooked steak is an iconic dish. And as many chefs know, throwing a steak on a grill isn’t the only way to get ideal flavor and appearance.
The sous vide method of cooking is as simple as it is versatile; cook anything from meat to fish, veggies, rice and more without having to dedicate extensive effort to the process. Sous vide cooking works by vacuum-sealing food with spices, seasoning and marinades into plastic pouches and cooking it in a water bath at a precise temperature.
Sous vide has been utilized at high-end establishments and chain restaurants alike for years because of the many benefits it brings to the table.
Increased consistency
Because cooking with sous vide involves heating ingredients slowly and at a consistent temperature, it’s easy to recreate a signature dish over and over once you’ve found the right heat for it. That translates to increased dish consistency and more satisfied customers.
Free up kitchen staff
Sous vide cooking isn’t labor-intensive, either. Once your ingredients are simmering, there’s no need for constant pot-watching or adjustments to the recipe. You can have multiple meals worth of food being prepared in the background, giving your kitchen staff more time to dedicate to other vital tasks.
More flavor and nutrition
Thanks to the vacuum-sealed cooking plastic bags, all the flavor and nutrients typically released during cooking are retained. Cooking a steak through the sous vide method creates tender and juicy results that speak for themselves – and you can always throw that steak on the grill for just a few minutes before serving to get those perfect aesthetics.
Faster ticket times
Sous vide cooking can also cut down on ticket times. Because food prepared with the sous vide method can cook in the figurative background, you don’t have to worry about getting everything ready from scratch.
Some larger models of sous vide equipment can help cut order-to-serve time by 75%. For example, use sous vide with a finishing touch for those beautiful grill marks, and you can dish up that perfect steak in 4 minutes.
And while many restaurants already use sous vide to lighten their loads, it’s possible for them to take production efficiency to the next level with larger sous vide equipment.
Certain pieces of equipment, like the electric or steam Sous Vide Cooker-Chiller units from CapKold, let restaurants expand the benefits of sous vide cooking to a larger scale. Prepare large batches of rice, ramen, chicken and more, then simply let them simmer for easy use throughout an entire evening.
Intelligent equipment
Additionally, sous vide units like CapKold’s feature intelligent controls that program recipes for future use to ensure consistency no matter who’s cooking. Controls like these can also include an automatic record of when and how food is prepared, making compliance with health regulations easily accessible.
You also have more control over your sous vide cooking with equipment that has multiple levels of temperature cooking – for example, being able to move from 130 to 185 degrees and everything in-between. This is ideal for cooking a variety of dishes while delivering a positive experience – taste, texture and ticket times – that will keep your customers coming back.
Whether you’re looking to whip up a few dishes at a time or tackle large batch cooking, sous vide provides tangible benefits to both your staff and your bottom line. If you’re interested in adding sous vide capabilities to your kitchen, be sure to contact CapKold Product Manager Tim Franks at Tim.Franks@electroluxprofessional.com.
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