A map of

SOUS VIDE COOKING The wide world of predictable deliciousness

We often associate sous vide with low-and-slow cooking, but times and temperatures are all over the map: steak cooks very differently than potatoes or fish do. The good news
is that salmon won't cook terribly differently than halibut, and steaks and pork chops are about the same, too. Grouping foods by type allows us to visualize the Wide World
of Sous Vide, where time and temperature determine location. Fish cook in cooler waters down south, while succulent braises can be found in the northeast, where cook times
are longer. If it's vegetables you want, head up north, where temperatures are highest. Use this map when adapting traditional recipes for sous vide and when experimenting
with new ingredients.

TIME 10 MIN 20 MIN 30 MIN 45 MIN 1 HR 2 HR 3 HR 4 HR 6 HR 8 HR 12 HR 24 HR 48 HR 72 HR

point of boiling
212 °F 100 °C
TEMPERATURE (°F)

Time and temperature denature the collagen in meat to make tough cuts tender.
Cooking tough cuts sous vide at high temperatures will cause them to lose juices,
205 but they then cook in those juices and become wonderfully succulent. Meat 95
cooked at lower temperatures will be nice and juicy, more like steak.

V
Purées Navy Beans

195 Kale
Leeks
E Carrots Chickpeas
B E A N S
90
G Potatoes Pinto Beans
Lentils
E
T
La
T
mb
(F Sh
A O
an
k

185
B L
Onions
R
K
-T O 85
E
Parsnips
EN Beef Short Ribs
S
Rutabagas
D
U
E

Fresh Peas
Pumpkin E
R
Sweet Potatoes )

G
winter squash z OCTOPUS
Sous vide eggs can one 80
175
G

have runny or firm Pork Shoulder

yolks and soft or hard

whites. Find your
H
Just as denaturing collagen tenderizes meat, denaturing pectin
G

165
perfect egg with our softens vegetables. Cooking them in a bag means we can retain 75
Egg Calculator at Soft White, nutrients, flavors, and color that would normally leach out with
ChefSteps.com. Runny Yolk
traditional cooking methods.
S

BBQ Beef Short Ribs

Eggnog

C
155 Chicken Legs
Turkey Legs
co
nf
it
Chicken Roulade (S
B I R D
be g
ac b Le ram
i
65
Turkey Breast h Lam st
L E Pa

U
S H E

T
E
G

A
S
Pork Chop
145 T E Chicken Breast
ske
t

K
Pork Steak Bri

-L
N D
Burger s

T
eek
Duck Legs Ch

IK
k
Por
Oysters E R Pork Belly

E
C U
Me
New dium

)
L L

135
York
T S

S
Strip
Duck Breast Chuck

Lobster Claws 55
Tropic
F I

Rare Rib Roast of Lou

is Pa
steur
125
S H

120 Shrimp
Clam 50
Cod
E B E
115 Lobster Tail T H E R D R A
G O
F I S H Fish Roulade Fish are cold-blooded, so their ER
E
N
Tuna
proteins denature at lower H S 45
110
temperatures than warm-blooded Some food-borne pathogens can multiply to
105 We give most shellfish a quick animals. Thus, we cook them for dangerous levels if cooked below 126 °F / 52 °C for
dip to firm them. But some a shorter time at a lower enough time. So don't travel here, or risk
100 °F mollusks such as octopus, temperature. gastrointestinal attack from fearsome bacteria. 35 °C
snails, geoduck, and squid
need higher temperatures
and longer times to soften.
20

30

45

12

24

48

72
H

H
H
H

H
R

H
H
M

H
M

R
R
R

R
R

R
IN
IN

IN

ChefSteps This culinary cartography is part of our class, Cooking Sous Vide: Beyond the Basics.
Visit chefsteps.com for recipes, techniques, and more about sous vide cooking.