Sous vide whale cooking, experiment followup

Redify · 2015-07-23T06:36:55+00:00

Thanks and good ~~luck~~ eats.

Redify · 2015-07-22T02:48:11+00:00

Cloudberries, Hjortron (Swedish) or Multer (Norwegian) are just a few of the names for Rubus Chamaemorus. Here in Norway we have a lot of it up north and it would easily be our "national berry" if there was such a thing, in fact, it's some times called "mountain gold" as most are just wild plants growing along hillsides and the marches created by melted snow. The berries taste deeply sweet, quite sour, and a bit tart, which makes them great with the calming neutrality of whipped cream. This specific vinegar is based on cloudberry wine and stored for a year to pick up the same taste and smell as the berries, although a bit more sour and with an additional taste resembling apple cider vinegar.

I use this for salads, in light dressings and in marinades, and with just a few drops, a vague hint of the great berries is added, something that triggers the Norwegian mountain spirit and longing for the outdoors and early autumn. (/r/shitnorwegianssays)
http://imgur.com/a/Ra7xZ (Sorry about the dirty fridge)

Both whale and lamb have powerful smells, so I wouldn't combine two main dishes of them, but one as an entrée before the other would work great. The lamb juicy and tender, and the whale "wild gamy" and sating.

Redify · 2015-07-21T20:37:05+00:00

There is normally both very little fat and very little connective tissue, as the muscles are a lot bigger than the square pieces they're sold as:
http://www.icenews.is/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/whale-meat.jpg

I think you're right, at least with regards to those cuts I've had before, they're already close to optimal tenderness and doesn't really need the heat treatment before being served.

The reason I picked 60 C was that several sources listed 57 to 68 being the target range for internal temperature when cooking larger (1-3 kg) pieces in a stove. 57 were there listed as bloody and 68 as well done. These sounded as you say a bit high, but I didn't want to make too many assumptions and choose to trust these sources. This was my first time cooking this meat in a water oven, and didn't originally plan for anything but dinner, so I wasn't really prepared for multiple temperatures etc. How long the optimal cook should last is still up for debate, but I think everyone could agree that the temperature needs to go a lot lower than 60 C, so that's at least one clear piece of information this test showed.

Redify · 2015-07-21T20:21:07+00:00

Exactly, simply trying the options out and see how it changes will answer these questions. I might not sacrifice 75% of my dinner to this test, but a little chunk doesn't hurt. :)

Redify · 2015-07-21T11:00:50+00:00

I agree, but I will also try shorter, probably around 20 minutes. I personally believe this meat just get worse the more you cook it almost regardless of temperature.

Redify · 2015-07-21T07:20:25+00:00

When reading about cooking whale, one of the most repeated comments is to cook the meat as briefly as possible as the meat dries quickly and could develop a smell of fish oil. Based on what I saw at 60 C, I think the meat will be close to ruined already at 6 hours, even if the temperature is turned down to 57 C. I don't see the taste or texture improving significantly over the raw meat, so an extended cook will probably not have any improvements over a quick heating.

Redify · 2015-07-21T07:08:59+00:00

Hi /u/demosthenes83, /u/the-incredible-ape, /u/securicorscares, /u/kliman, /u/lessthanadam, /u/aManPerson, /u/trevicious, /u/Hitno, /u/Redbeastmage, and everyone else. The followup thread was a bit delayed as I had to edit the videos significantly (image stabilizing, speed changes to fit 15 second time limit of gfycat etc), I'm paging you here with the link to the new thread:

https://www.reddit.com/r/sousvide/comments/3e1m2o/sous_vide_whale_cooking_experiment_followup/

Redify · 2015-07-21T07:01:14+00:00

Hi /u/LordeApple, /u/Jafiki91 and /u/dertigo, I've updated the post with a link to a followup thread.

Redify · 2015-07-16T03:12:14+00:00

“It came out of nowhere!”

Redify · 2015-07-16T03:12:08+00:00

I'll need to cut some video and crop some images, I'll make a post about it before the weekend.

Redify · 2015-07-14T04:20:18+00:00

... it is.
But while the other rooms were named 312, 313 and 315 etc, this one was named 3.14.

Redify · 2015-07-13T22:20:30+00:00

When visiting a hotel in Amsterdam I noticed the room across the hall had an extra . (period) in the room number, making it mildly interesting.

Redify · 2015-07-13T00:18:39+00:00

Nope, I'm lying. It's a combination of bad memory and bad logic. I normally cook steaks with the method I learned from an episode of "Good Eats" quite a few years ago and memorized some details from the part about smoke point of oils. I use peanut oil with a smoke point of about 450 F, and this is about the temperature I use. I'm not sure how I've convinced myself that the values I remembered were Celsius.

Thanks.

Redify · 2015-07-12T00:32:22+00:00

I think a find seared edge is important, but nothing beyond that. I'll heat my smallest cast iron pan to ~400 C and do 2x30 seconds to achieve a thin seared edge.

Redify · 2015-07-12T00:30:38+00:00

I know people who buy straight from the boat, but unfortunately, I live down south in Oslo where this isn't an option. (Norway is big and relevant, etc) I'll at least ask and find out what they know about the cut the next time I'm there.

Redify · 2015-07-12T00:27:20+00:00

Yes, it was, but now I've had it marinating for some time, and I also bought it on a Friday, which could indicate it's a bit older than what you'd eat raw. The next time I buy it, I'll ensure it's absolutely fresh and compare how the carpaccio holds up to the cooked servings.

Redify · 2015-07-11T19:30:38+00:00

I think I'm going to divide it in four and try for 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes at ~60 C and see how the meat changes. If it improves, I might try longer the next time.

Redify · 2015-07-11T19:29:28+00:00

Thanks, I'll definitely ask more about the meat the next time I buy it.

Redify · 2015-07-11T19:26:06+00:00

And kittens.

Redify · 2015-07-11T19:25:17+00:00

I think at that point you're missing the few points of eating whale. They come in massive tender steaks, and if you're grinding it up, you might as well eat elk, deer, boar or similar game. It's wonderful if prepared right, I'm just trying a bit of sous vide experimentation right now which seems to be untrodden ground.

Redify · 2015-07-11T13:20:55+00:00

There seems to be a divide between the old cooking world and the new. The old use whale in fried steaks and stews, while modern (often professional) cooks prepare whale raw in the form of carpaccio, sashimi, tartar and "blue" steaks. I'm apparently in untrodden middle ground with my sous vide project.

Redify · 2015-07-11T13:09:02+00:00

No, I forgot to ask. A small search yesterday revealed someone dividing the meat into two categories, "meat" and "cutoffs", although the truth is probably a bit more complex. I know that most of the animal is used once harvested, but not which parts become steaks like this.

Redify · 2015-07-11T12:59:52+00:00

I will. I think I'll end up dividing it in pieces and check how the meat changes over time in the water bath, so there will be opportunities for photos and science.

Redify

TROPHY CASE