Sous-vide cooking times – it's that simple
Sous-vide cooking is becoming increasingly popular. No wonder, because this low-temperature method can be used to achieve professional quality cooking results. And it's relatively easy and stress-free.
In sous-vide cooking, the meat, fish or vegetables are first sealed airtight in a vacuum bag and then cooked in a water bath at a relatively low and constant temperature for a specific period of time. A sous-vide bath or a handy sous-vide stick is used for cooking. By keeping the water bath at a constant temperature, the optimal core temperature of the food cannot be exceeded. This protects the cell structure of the food which means that, in theory, overcooking is not possible. In addition, no flavours can be lost by cooking in the vacuum bag. Meat stays wonderfully juicy, aromatic and tender, while vegetables stay crisp and fresh.
Sous-vide cooking is easier than you think
All you need to know to prepare the perfect sous-vide dish is the optimum core temperature of the food, and how long it takes to reach this core temperature. Since these values vary depending on the type and size of the food to be cooked, we have listed some values in a sous-vide cooking table below:
The perfect sous-vide steak
Do you want to prepare the perfect sous-vide steak and don't have a cooking table at hand? No problem, with this simple rule of thumb your steak will be a success.
Rule of thumb for a medium steak: At a water temperature of 54 °C – cooking time = 1 hour per cm of meat thickness.
The right vacuum bag for sous-vide cooking
Vacuum bags are heated for a longer period of time during sous-vide cooking and are in constant contact with food during the process. Therefore, it is particularly important to use high-quality bags. All Lava vacuum bags meet high quality standards and are ideally suited for sous-vide cooking. For sous-vide dishes that are cooked for more than 2 hours at over 70 °C, we recommend our Lava cooking bags. These can be used like normal vacuum bags, but provide added security to the contents of the bag.
PORK:
| Cut | Cooking level | Temp. | Cooking time (h:m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fillet/back (3-4 cm) | Medium | 56 °C | 01:00 |
| Fillet/back (4-5 cm) | Medium | 51.5 °C | 01:05 |
| Shoulder/breast (piece)* | 58 °C | 01:20 | |
| Ham (piece) | 51.5 °C | 01:45 | |
| Belly (piece) | 58 °C | 02:45 | |
| Ribs/spare ribs (2.5 cm) | Medium | 51.5 °C | 02:25 |
| Steak (2-3 cm) | Medium | 58 °C | 02:50 |
| Steak (3-4 cm) | Medium | 57 °C | 12:00 |
*We recommend using the original Lava cooking bag.
BEEF:
| Cut | Cooking level | Temp. | Cooking time (h:m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tri-tip cut | 56 °C | 01:00 | |
| Fillet/roast beef/prime rib (3-4 cm) | Rare | 51.5 °C | 01:05 |
| Fillet/roast beef/prime rib (3-4 cm) | Medium | 58 °C | 01:20 |
| Fillet/roast beef/prime rib (4-5 cm) | Rare | 51.5 °C | 01:45 |
| Fillet/roast beef/prime rib (4-5 cm) | Medium | 58 °C | 02:45 |
| Fillet/roast beef/prime rib (5-6 cm) | Rare | 51.5 °C | 02:25 |
| Fillet/roast beef/prime rib (5-6 cm) | Medium | 58 °C | 02:50 |
| Flank steak | Medium | 57 °C | 12:00 |
| Porterhouse/rib eye steak (2,5 cm) | Medium | 56 °C | 00:45 |
| Ribs – short ribs* | 65° C | 16:00 | |
| Shoulder (1kg) | 64 °C | 48:00 | |
| Loin (7.5cm) | 59 °C | 00:45 | |
| Sauerbraten (1 kg)* | 65° C | 16:00 | |
| Boiled beef* | 72 °C | 03:15 |
*We recommend using the original Lava cooking bag.
POULTRY:
| Cut | Cooking level | Temp. | Cooking time (h:m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duck breast (2-3 cm) | Medium | 58 °C | 01:30 |
| Duck breast (3-4 cm) | Medium | 58 °C | 02:00 |
| Duck leg* | 80 °C | 10:00 | |
| Goose breast (3-4 cm) | Medium | 58 °C | 01:10 |
| Chicken breast (piece) | 65° C | 00:40 | |
| Chicken thigh (piece) | 65° C | 01:30 | |
| Pigeon breast | Medium | 61 °C | 00:20 |
LAMB:
| Cut | Cooking level | Temp. | Cooking time (h:m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fillet (2 cm) | Medium | 55 °C | 00:40 |
| Knuckle* | 72 °C | 24:00 | |
| Shank | Medium | 60 °C | 00:55 |
| Leg of lamb | Medium | 58 °C | 06:00 |
| Saddle of lamb | Medium | 58 °C | 00:35 |
*We recommend using the original Lava cooking bag.
GAME:
| Cut | Cooking level | Temp. | Cooking time (h:m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saddle of venison (2-3 cm) | Medium | 58 °C | 00:30 |
| Venison fillet (2-3 cm) | Medium | 58 °C | 00:20 |
| Saddle of venison (2-3 cm) | Medium | 58 °C | 00:30 |
| Wild boar (2.5 cm) | Medium | 60 °C | 00:30 |
| Rabbit leg | Medium | 62 °C | 04:00 |
FISH AND SEAFOOD:
| Cut | Cooking level | Temp. | Cooking time (h:m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trout fillet (2-3 cm) | Medium | 47 °C | 00:18 |
| Salmon fillet (2-3 cm) | Medium | 55 °C | 00:15 |
| Sole fillet (2-3 cm) | Medium | 52 °C | 00:15 |
| Tuna fillet (2-3 cm) | Medium | 58 °C | 00:30 |
| Tuna fillet (3-4 cm) | Medium | 58 °C | 00:45 |
| Cod fillet (2-3 cm) | Medium | 58 °C | 00:25 |
| Halibut fillet (2.5 cm) | Medium | 59 °C | 00:15 |
| Cod fillet (2.5 cm) | Medium | 60 °C | 00:11 |
| Turbot fillet (2.5 cm) | Medium | 52 °C | 00:20 |
| Shrimps | 50 °C | 00:25 | |
| Lobster | 59 °C | 00:15 | |
| Scallops | 47 °C | 00:30 |
VEGETABLES:
| Cut | Temp. | Cooking time (h:m) |
|---|---|---|
| Artichokes | 85 °C | 00:50 |
| Chicory | 85 °C | 01:00 |
| Carrots | 85 °C | 00:50 |
| Potatoes | 85 °C | 00:50 |
| Kohlrabi | 85 °C | 01:00 |
| Pumpkin | 85 °C | 00:25 |
| Corn on the cob | 85 °C | 01:00 |
| Asparagus | 85 °C | 00:35 |
| Beetroot | 85 °C | 00:50 |
Did you know?
Lava’s vacuum bags are manufactured exclusively in Switzerland, and are not only food-safe, neutral in taste and smell, but also 100 % free of plasticisers and BPA. In addition, no microplastics are used in the production process and no microparticles can detach from the bags during vacuum packing or sous-vide cooking.
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