Sous-Vide, Deep-Fried Turkey Porchetta (Turchetta)

Special equipment: Sous-vide water bath, vacuum sealer, wok or dutch oven for deep frying

Ingredients

serves Serves 5 to 6, active time 1 1/2 hours, total time up to 2 days

• 1 recipe turkey porchetta, prepared through the end of step 7, skipping wrapping and refrigerating step at end of step 5
• 1 1/2 quarts peanut or canola oil

Procedures

1. After forming and tying turkey porchetta (step 5 or turkey porchetta recipe), transfer to a sous-vide-style vacuum seal bag. Seal tightly and let rest for at least 6 hours and up to 2 days.
   
2. Preheat sous-vide water bath to 140°F. Add turkey and cook for 4 to 5 hours. Remove and run under cool running water or transfer to an ice bath to chill for five minutes. Remove from bag and add any congealed juices to gravy. Rinse thoroughly and carefully pat dry with paper towels. Trim ends for a more cylindrical shape if desired.
   
3. Heat oil to 400°F in a large wok or Dutch oven, Do not fill more than 1/3 of the way full in order to allow for bubbling and displacement when you add the turkey. Carefully slide turkey into oil using spatulas and tongs. (It will not be fully submerged). Immediately cover and cook, shaking the pan occasionally until sputtering dies a bit, about 2 minutes. Adjust flame to maintain consistent 350°F temperature. Using a large metal ladle, spoon hot oil over the exposed portions of the roast continuously until the bottom half is cooked and crisp, about 5 minutes. Carefully flip and cook on second side, basting the whole time.
   
4. Remove turchetta to a large paper towel-lined plate and blot all over. Season with salt. Let rest 5 minutes. Carve and serve with gravy on the side.

Sous-Vide Pork Belly Buns With Pork Braise Mayonnaise and Quick-Pickled Cucumbers

Special equipment: sous-vide cooker, vacuum sealer, food processor

Ingredients

serves Makes about 2 dozen pork buns, serving 8 to 12, active time 30 minutes, total time 1 day

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup mirin
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 whole scallions, roughly chopped
• 3 medium cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 (2-inch) chunk ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 1/2 pounds pork belly, in as large pieces as possible (preferably 1 or 2 whole slabs)
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise, preferably homemade
• 24 fresh or frozen Chinese-style steamed buns
• 1 head bibb lettuce, washed, dried, and torn into medium-sized pieces
• 1 recipe Quick-Pickled Cucumbers with Rice Vinegar

Procedures

1. Preheat a sous-vide style water bath to 170°F (77°C). Combine soy sauce, mirin, sugar, fish sauce, scallions, garlic, and ginger in the bowl of a food processor. Process until vegetables are roughly pureed. Transfer pork belly and marinade to a food-saver style vacuum bag and seal. Alternatively, transfer to a heavy duty gallon-sized freezer bag and seal by slowly submerging into a pot full of water, sealing the top just before it goes underwater to remove all air. Transfer to sous vide cooker and cook until completely tender, about 10 hours. Remove bag from cooker and chill thoroughly. Pork belly can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks after cooking if the bag remains sealed.
   
2. When ready to serve, open sous vide bag and remove pork belly. Discard solid chunks of fat. Warm congealed liquids in a small saucepan, then strain through a fine mesh strainer. Return to saucepan and simmer until reduced to 2 tablespoons, making sure that the syrup doesn't reduce too far and burn, about 15 minutes.
   
3. Transfer reduced cooking liquid to a medium bowl. Add mayonnaise and whisk to combine.
   
4. Preheat broiler to high. Cut pork belly into 1 1/2-inch wide strips, then slice into 1/2- to 1/3-inch slices. Transfer to a foil lined broiler pan. Broil pork belly until crisp and charred on one side, about 3 minutes.
   
5. To Serve: Steam buns in a bamboo steamer or in the microwave on a large plate under a damp towel. Spread mayonnaise onto each bun, then stuff with lettuce leaf, slices of pork belly, and pickles. Serve immediately.

Sous-Vide Soft Boiled Eggs

Ingredients

serves Makes 1 to 12 eggs, active time 5 minutes, total time 45 minutes

• 1 to 12 large eggs

Procedures

1. Adjust sous-vide cooker to 143°F. Alternatively, fill a large beer cooler with hot water and use a kettle of boiling water to adjust heat to 146°F. Prepare an ice bath. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Gently lower eggs into water using a metal spider or fine mesh strainer. Cook for exactly 3 minutes then immediately transfer eggs to ice bath and let chill for 1 minute. Transfer to sous-vide cooker and cook for 45 minutes. Serve immediately or cool and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in sous-vide cooker at 135°F for 30 minutes to serve.

Sous-Vide Double Cut Pork Chops

Special equipment

Sous-vide circulator

Ingredients

serves Serves 2, active time 10 minutes, total time 1 hour

• 1 double-cut bone-in pork rib chop, about 1 1/4 pounds total
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Procedures

1. Adjust sous-vide cooker to 135°F for medium-rare or 140°F for medium. Alternatively, fill a large beer cooler with hot water and use a kettle of boiling water to adjust heat to 3°F above suggested target temperatures (138°F for medium-rare and 143°F for medium). Season pork chop generously with salt and pepper. Seal in FoodSaver-style vacuum packer. Alternatively, place in a heavy-duty zipper lock bag and seal, leaving a 1-inch section unsealed. Slowly lower into sous-vide cooker, pressing out air as you go. Seal bag completely just before the seal goes under water to completely remove air from bag.
   
2. Cook pork chop in sous-vide cooker for at least 45 minutes and up to 4 hours. Alternatively, place in cooler and seal for 45 minutes. Remove from cooker or cooler and carefully pat dry on paper towels.
   
3. Heat oil and butter in a small skillet over high heat until foaming has subsided and butter begins to brown and smoke slightly. Add pork and cook, turning occasionally, until well-browned on both sides, about 4 minutes total, lowering heat if butter turns black or smokes excessively. Using tongs, lift chop and hold sideways against skillet, pressing firmly until all the edges are browned and fat is crisped, about 2 minutes longer.
   
4. Transfer pork to cutting board and let rest for 2 minutes. Serve as-is, or carve before serving.