Easy And Unique: How To Cook the Perfect Sous Vide Short Ribs?

Cooking methods are not only limited to frying, boiling, and steaming. You can also try to upgrade your skills to a whole new level by cooking in a sous vide way. Though this new method sounds sophisticated, it is actually not difficult as what you thought it is. In fact, sous vide is just as easy as sealing and temperature-controlling of foods.

From vegetable to meat, sous vide is definitely applicable to any main ingredient that you desire. And because we know that you love eating ribs as much as cooking them (Admit it!), this article would focus more on how to cook those lovely ribs in a unique way! (But for those veggie lovers out there, you can try sous vide vegetable cooking as well).

Here are some of the things you need to know about sous vide short ribs cooking.

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How To Cook Sous Vide Short Ribs

What Is A Sous Vide?

Sous-vide, a French term which means under vacuum, is a cooking method that basically involves sealing of food in airtight plastic bags and exposing them to an environment with a controlled temperature.

Usually, the exposure lasts longer than the usual cooking hours, because it lasts longer for about 6-48 hours, depending on the cuisine.

The temperature, which is accurately controlled, is set lower than normal, typically about 55 to 60°C for meat such as pork and beef. The goal is to cook them evenly and precisely with no overcooking of the outside while maintaining the juiciness inside.

Essential Features

What makes the sous vide method distinct are the following essential features that contribute to the accuracy of the cooked meat.

Temperature

The cooking temperature is based on the food to be cooked. As for pork short ribs, the temperature required and the cooking time is higher or more complex than fish due to their differences in thickness and composition.

Cooking Time

In contrary to normal cooking time in which the heating process is stopped once the center of the food reached below the target temperature, sous vide cooking continues even if the center heats up more than the target temperature.

If you think that it will cause overcooking, well surprisingly, it’s not. The total time to reach the aimed temperature is based on the thickness and shape of the pork and the water’s temperature. Furthermore, the heat is only stopped once the short ribs are tender. However, cooking time may extend up to 48 to 72 hours.

• Read more: Sous Vide Time and Temperature Guide

How Is It Done?

As simple as one, two, and three, your short pork ribs would already be sous vide!

1. Season

Flavor your short ribs with your favorite herbs and spice. It’s up to you what to add.

2. Seal

Place the pork in an airtight cooking pouch then seal with a vacuum sealer.

The Benefits Of Vacuum Sealing

This method is an effective way to transfer the water’s heat to the food efficiently. It has been proven that heat transfer via water is ten times more efficient than transferring heat through air. When the air between the food and the water obstructs heat transfer, cooking becomes uneven, thereby producing unsatisfying results.

With a vacuum sealer, it ensures that air is completely removed from the pouch, hence makes the cooking time more specified and the uneven cooking prevented.

Tips for Optimal Sealing

• Don’t overfill. Save an adequate space on top of the pouch.
• Position the pork evenly.
• Set the speed of the sealing process to normal and moist for you short pork ribs.
• When you notice that water starts to reach the pouch, press the Seal Only button immediately before moisture fills the chamber.
• But if water already got into the chamber, absorb them using paper towels, wipe with soapy water, and dry it first before reusing.

3. Simmer

Just immerse the packages into a temperature-regulated water oven. Then, leave.

Why Cook In A Sous Vide Way?

1. Outstanding Taste

Dryness is not included in the sous vide vocabulary. Because the natural flavors are well infused into the meat, the pork retains its outstanding juiciness and tenderness.

Traditionally cooked steak (left) vs. Sous vide steak (right). [Via Modernist Cuisine]

2. Accurate and Consistent

Perfection is what sous vide aims. With accurate temperature control, your short pork ribs will definitely be mouthwatering.

3. Convenient

Seal and leave – the two basic steps of sous vide. If you are too busy to spend hours in the kitchen, the sous vide technique is for you!

4. Versatile

Name it, and cook it. Sous vide is almost applicable to everything from appetizer to desserts. Even liquors and syrups are part of the list.

How To Cook Frozen Sous Vide Short Ribs?

With sous vide cooking, you’ll be able to cook a fiesta of short ribs in no time! Hungry tummies will never get bored of waiting because meals will be ready quickly after the water bath cook process.

By following the steps below, your frozen sous vide short ribs will be cooked deliciously!

Via The Food Canon

1. Cut the short ribs according to your desired sizes.
2. Incorporate it with your favorite herbs and spices.
3. Seal using a vacuum sealer.

You can also use the freezer:

1. Season the vacuum sealed pork and cook them together at 56.5°C to 60°C.
2. After cooking, chill the pouches for 30 minutes in ice water.
3. Label with the date and Freeze.
4. Reheat at cooking temperature (56.5 – 70°C) for 45 minutes.

What Are The Different Recipes For Sous Vide Short Ribs?

1. Classic Sous Vide Short Ribs

Satisfy your taste buds with this jaw dropping sous vide recipe. The pork’s flesh are well blended with fine herbs and spices which made this recipe extraordinary than the normal pork ribs.

Yield: 4.

• Ingredients
• Instructions

• 2 racks of short pork ribs.
• 12 tablespoons (160 ml) your favorite BBQ Sauce.
• Salt and pepper.

1. Preheat the water oven or bath to 61.5°C.
2. Pull the rib racks’ back and cut the rack into halves.
3. Sprinkle the rack with salt and pepper and brush the entire meat with barbecue sauce.
4. Place the 2 racks separately in large cooking pouches. Seal in a vacuum sealer.
5. Immerse the pouches in the water and cook for 12-48 hours.
6. Preheat a pan to high heat.
7. Take out the racks and brush them with BBQ sauce.
8. You can sear the racks for a minute to caramelize the surface.

2. Fried Spicy Sous Vide Short Ribs

Via Serious Eats

Spice up your meal with this perfectly cooked ribs. Immersed in sesame oil, chili, and soy sauce, you’ll experience the sous vide cooking on an extreme way with this special recipe.

Yield: 4.

• Ingredients
• Instructions

2 slabs of short ribs.

For the Marinade:

• 3½ cups water.
• 3/4 cup soy sauce.
• 6 tbsp. apple juice.
• 1 tbsp. chili pepper.
• 5 tbsp. mirin.
• 2 tbsp. sesame oil.
• 2 pears, chopped.
• 1 onion, chopped.
• 2 tsps. ground pepper, fresh.

1. Preheat the water oven or bath to 60°C.
2. Combine all ingredients into a blender.
3. Heat the combined product over a stove for 10 minutes.
4. Seal in a freezer bag then seal in a vacuum sealer.
5. Place them inside the oven or bath and cook for 48 hours.
6. Remove the pouch from water bath.
7. Take out the ribs and let it dry.
8. Strain the liquid that remained from the pouch to a pot. Boil for 10 minutes.
9. Remove the bones and fats of the ribs. Slice them into small pieces.
10. Heat oil over a pan.
11. Fry until golden brown.
12. Serve with sauce and assorted vegetables.

3. Sous Vide Roast Beef

Who would have forgotten roasted beef? Though compared with frying, roasting itself is quite tedious. It may even leave the beef overcooked! But, sous vide has come to save the day.

• Cooks: 131°F (55°C) for 12 to 48 hours.

Yield: 8.

• Ingredients
• Instructions

For the Sous Vide Sirloin Roast:
(Note: You can use any part of the beef. I only used sirloin for specificity).

• 5 lb. sirloin beef roast.
• 1 tbsp. garlic powder.
• 1/2 tbsp. ancho chili powder.
• 1 tbsp. paprika powder.
• 3 rosemary sprigs.
• 3 thyme sprigs.

For the Crust:

• 10 garlic cloves.
• 6 rosemary sprigs.
• 6 thyme springs.
• 5 tbsp. sweet marjoram.
• 5 tbsps. olive oil.

1. Pre-heat the water bath to 55°C.
2. Add with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and chili to the pouch.
3. Seal the roast in a Ziploc then cook in a water bath for 12-48 hours.
4. Once done, preheat the oven to 450°C.
5. To make the paste for the crust, mix marjoram, rosemary, thyme, garlic, and olive oil in a blender.
6. Take the roast beef out of the pouch. Let it dry.
7. Place it on a roasting tray. Spread the paste on the entire meat.
8. Start roasting.
9. Serve with turnips, mashed potatoes, or a side salad.

After a long tiring day, you deserve this unique and most accurate way on cooking short ribs. Hopefully, you’ll be able to apply them all in your kitchen.

In case you have any suggestions or questions with regard to the cooking of sous vide short ribs, you can comment it here. We are happy to answer them all!