re: Beef Shank w/ pic

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Interesting that you seared before the sous vide process. Do you normally do it that way?

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No, I haven't. The reason I seared the meat this time (and it was a poor sear...the pan wasn't quite hot enough) is because I'm trying to figure out a way to add seasoning in the bag without salt curing it. In my research it was pointed out to me that simply salting the meat literally cures it if more than a few hours (especially approaching 72 hours), drawing moisture out resulting in dry protein. My first attempt at short ribs was a huge disappointment. They were very dry and tough, which is what I thought was the opposite of what sous vide was capable of. One recipe suggested to season and sear the meat as usual, toss in the mirepoix, deglaze the fond, strain, reduce and add the liquid to the bag, thus mimicking a traditional braise. Because of my poor sear, I'm sure that I'm going to need cause some Maillard reaction to happen after it's bath, perhaps with a torch.

The fact that it's bone-in will definitely help. There's a whole bunch of marrow goodness in that shank to flavor the meat as well as the jus.

Will update after the results Sunday.

As for the people that think I'm low balling the temp, sous vide is a whole different ballgame folks. Cooking white meat chicken at 140 degrees is mind blowing to some.