Thought sous vide was a gimmick until I tried it on a pork shoulder last month

I was dead set against it for years, thinking it was just another gadget for home cooks. Then I did a 24-hour bath on a cheap shoulder at 145F and pulled the most tender, juicy meat I've ever served at my Sunday brunch spot. Anyone else cave on something they used to bash?

2 comments

2 Comments

jade2711mo ago

Jumping in because 145F for 24 hours will give you awesome pork but that's actually past the point where true collagen breakdown peaks. If you drop it to around 135F to 140F for 36 hours you get even more tender meat without drying it out. I learned that the hard way after a few test batches where the shoulder came out shreddable but slightly stringy.

campbell.logan1mo ago

Picked up a tip from a BBQ science blog that said the same thing. They had a whole breakdown of how collagen actually converts to gelatin the most between 135 and 140, something about the enzyme activity lasting way longer at those temps.