# Sous vide hamburger **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 17, 2018, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sous-vide-hamburger/810729 "2018-03-17T14:02:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2018, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sous-vide-hamburger/810729/1 "2018-03-17T14:02:21Z")
I’ve got a 1 lb tube of frozen hamburger, 15% fat. What would be the result were I to sous vide as is? I know, I could just try it and find out. I not sure what the resultant cooked hamburger would be good for. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2018, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sous-vide-hamburger/810729/2 "2018-03-17T14:18:56Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > I’ve got a 1 lb tube of frozen hamburger, 15% fat. What would be the result were I to sous vide as is? I know, I could just try it and find out. I not sure what the resultant cooked hamburger would be good for. I don’t know how it would hold together, but if you’re in a “what the hell” mood you could s.v. it, slice it, then sear the slices for patties? ---
**Author:** ![PlumBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@PlumBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlumBob)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2018, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sous-vide-hamburger/810729/3 "2018-03-17T14:25:26Z")
Are you going to repackage it or cook it in the tube? I’m pretty sure the store packaging is not designed for immersion or high temperature. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2018, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sous-vide-hamburger/810729/4 "2018-03-17T14:33:32Z")
[quote=“PlumBob, post:3, topic:810729”] Are you going to repackage it or cook it in the tube? I’ll take it out of the store wrapper and bag it as is. it will remain a frozen log. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2018, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sous-vide-hamburger/810729/5 "2018-03-17T18:29:14Z")
In Myhrvold’s “Modernist Cuisine” the recipe for the perfect hamburger begins with a sous vide process. That gets you tender juicy meat, perfectly cooked,but without the crispy browned bits that bring out the beefy flavor we crave. For that he transfers the patties to a deep fryer. So, if you stopped there you’d have a greyish, juicy, tender, less flavorful version of the hamburger we are all accustomed to. With one more step you’d have hamburger heaven.\* \*One caveat to this is if you live in the deep South. In pig country “hamburger” contains a higher percentage of pig meats and scraps, and will have a definite barnyard flavor/scent if not well fried. The above may only apply to low pig/cow ratios, or to 100% ground beef. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2018, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sous-vide-hamburger/810729/6 "2018-03-17T19:23:36Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > \*One caveat to this is if you live in the deep South. In pig country “hamburger” contains a higher percentage of pig meats and scraps, and will have a definite barnyard flavor/scent if not well fried. The above may only apply to low pig/cow ratios, or to 100% ground beef. “Hamburger” (as in the raw, ground meat) should have any ground pork in it. If it’s sold as “hamburger” and following FDA rules, it’s all beef. (I know you say “deep South,” so I don’t really have a clear idea of what they do there, but your post about “higher percentage of pig meats” implies that elsewhere the inclusion of pork in raw “hamburger” is not unusual. It is, and it’s against federal labeling guidelines.) > [@FDA 9 CFR 319.15](#): > > (b)Hamburger. “Hamburger” shall consist of chopped fresh and/or frozen beef with or without the addition of beef fat as such and/or seasoning, shall not contain more than 30 percent fat, and shall not contain added water, phosphates, binders, or extenders. Beef cheek meat (trimmed beef cheeks) may be used in the preparation of hamburger only in accordance with the conditions prescribed in paragraph (a) of this section. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2018, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sous-vide-hamburger/810729/7 "2018-03-17T20:33:56Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > In Myhrvold’s “Modernist Cuisine” the recipe for the perfect hamburger begins with a sous vide process. That gets you tender juicy meat, perfectly cooked,but without the crispy browned bits that bring out the beefy flavor we crave. For that he transfers the patties to a deep fryer. > > So, if you stopped there you’d have a greyish, juicy, tender, less flavorful version of the hamburger we are all accustomed to. With one more step you’d have hamburger heaven.\* A fair number of places do something sort of similar to this, usually fairs or street markets. They have the cooked burgers sitting in a warm water bath. Then when someone wants a burger they take it out and sear it on a hot griddle or grill. That way you can serve a bugger more quickly than if it had to be cooked from the raw state. I have done this when having a back yard barbecue party. I will have one pot with burgers another with sausages so people can get served quickly and I am sure that the meat is cooked through. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2018, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sous-vide-hamburger/810729/8 "2018-03-17T20:47:44Z")
Burgers in a water bath? That may well be a hanging offense around here. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2018, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sous-vide-hamburger/810729/9 "2018-03-17T22:01:18Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Burgers in a water bath? That may well be a hanging offense around here. You should try it it works really well. You can use beer or beef stock to give it a little more flavor. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2018, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sous-vide-hamburger/810729/10 "2018-03-17T23:19:38Z")
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