My replacement Chefman came today, 15 business days later!  Chili Colorado con chuck roast ala sous vide come May 5!

My replacement Chefman came today, 15 business days later!  Chili Colorado con chuck roast ala sous vide come May 5!

Hopefully this one works out better for you. Sounds like the service is at least dependable.

I found this email amusing.  I got it at 11am this morning, now the unit was delivered yesterday!


Hi Bentley Meredith!

We have great news for you! Your replacement unit shipping label has been created. The status will be updated when shipment begins to travel, by FEDEX.  The tracking number for your brand new Chefman product is 436255984788. You can track the package by going to FEDEX.com and inputting your tracking number on the home page.  If there is anything else we can assist you with please contact us, we’re here to help!

Thank you for choosing Chefman!

Yours,

The Chefman Customer Service Team

Unorthodox, and if I ruin the device, I will have to accept that.  This is a Smithfield Country ham.  The preferred method to cook a Smithfield Ham is to cook in water at 190° for appx 20 minutes a pound till IT is 163°. 

Well, I cant even run my oven at 190° and rely on it to stay there, although I just thought of this and I should have done it that way, but screw it the damage is already done.

So we will see what the IT is when I go to bed tonight, add more water, hope the devices does not jam up with fat, grease and meat particals and see where it is in the morning!  Ohh baby, true Country Ham Biscuits for Dinner tomorrow night (I hope)!  Depending on IT when I go to bed, may have to turn water temp up!

I am thinking if you weren't able to bag it, I would have wrapped the xxxx out of it with a good plastic wrap. A few layers maybe.

curious to see how this turns out

A good part of the Sous Vide flavor advantage is that when vacuum packed, the food cooks in its own juices. Unless you are not using a bag just to dilute the salt, bag should not make a difference in cooking time.  I can get a 14 lb. packer into my 11 1/2" bags so I think that that ham might fit.

I could have bagged it, that was not an issue.  I have 15 inch bags. 

It is supposed to be in the water.  I have no real concerns other then the particles screwing up the device.  Nice thing is, not worried about it being tender, that actually would be a bad thing as one of the things I like about Country Ham is that hard, course texture, just want it cooked so I can slice some off and have with eggs and potato's, or on a biscuit.  So I am hoping it might hit 163° before I go to bed tonight.  It was 93° after 2 hours in the bath.  Normally I would only soak it and scrub, don't want to take that salty goodness away.  But I cut two pieces off the night I bought it and it was to much even for me...that will give you an idea of how salty!

But I do appreciate the input!

It only took about 6 1/2 hours to hit 160°.  May have mellowed the salt out a little more then I wanted.  A night in the fridge, then to the slicer and onto some Formula L Biscuits and we will see!

did you have any ham for breakfast?

I very rarely eat breakfast and I did not!  I have no Buttermilk, so instead of Country Ham Biscuits and bean with homemade bacon soup...it is Hatch Green Pepper Rice, Home made Manteca Frijoles and my wrong chili...Chili Colorado!  With flour tortillas!

I'm multi-confused.  Subsequent posts may provide clarification.

What are you confused about?

What are you confused about?

• The advisability of risking ruining a precision sous-vide device
• The ham in water recipe
• Chili Colorado

It seems that there was more but that's all I recall.

Not sure if these were answered by further reading.  I think in #1 you are saying it is probably not a good idea to have Country Ham visceral going through your Sous Vide unit, and I would have to concur on that!

Smithfield's and Country Hams in general, as I am pretty sure you are aware are salt cured.  Back in the day, I even believe that the pigs were fed a straight peanut diet, but I believe that has changed. On the bag, the suggested method of cooking was to cook in water.  Now, I remember my Mom soaking, but never cooking in hot water, after soaking and scrubbing mold off, she would just slice off a steak and fry for my Dad in skillet cuz he was even more a salt fiend then me.  So I figured the Chefman was a great choice to keep the water at the right temp!  And this was one seriously salty Country Ham.  My Dad use to always get Calhoun's Hams where we were back here in Culpeper Visiting...I do not think I have ever had a Smithfield and they do not skimp on the salt!

I had no Buttermilk, so Country Ham biscuits were out for Sunday night dinner.  So I had to pull out the Chili Colorado I made last Sunday with the wrong chili for dinner!

• The advisability of risking ruining a precision sous-vide device
• The ham in water recipe
• Chili Colorado

It seems that there was more but that's all I recall.