This is a guide to cooking times and temperatures for common foods. If your cuts are thicker, then you may need to increase the cooking time and it is strongly recommended you test the internal temperature with a kitchen thermometer or probe, especially if you are using larger cuts of meat & fish.
BEEF & LAMB
| Approx
Thickness |
Cooking
Temperature |
Cooking
Time (Min – Max) |
|
| Tender Cuts e.g. rib-eye steak, fillet, rump | 1-2cm | 55°C – Medium-Rare
60°C – Medium 65°C – Medium-Well Done |
1h – 4h |
| Tougher Cuts e.g. short ribs, brisket, flank / skirt steak | 2-4cm | 55°C – Medium-Rare
60°C – Medium 65°C – Medium-Well Done |
24h – 72h |
If you are cooking below 62°C then you will need to sear your meat in a hot pan afterwards to kill any bacteria on the outside of the meat, which won’t have been killed below 62°C. This can also be done in CleverChef Pro, simply empty out the water, dry the pot and use the Saute function.
Even if you like your steak very rare, we recommend that 55°C is the lowest temperature you cook your steak. This is because the whole steak will be this temperature and level of doneness not just the middle. A whole steak at 50°C, even when quickly seared on the outside, does not have a cooked texture and may be a little chewy. However, feel free to experiment at a range of temperatures to find your favourite way of cooking sous vide steak – everyone is different!
Juicy sous vide steak cooked medium rare
PORK
| Approx
Thickness |
Cooking
Temperature |
Cooking
Time (Min – Max) |
|
| Tender Cuts e.g. tenderloin or smaller chops | 1-2cm | 71°C (see below) | 1.5h – 4h |
| Thicker or Tougher Cuts e.g. baby back ribs, belly | 2-4cm | 71°C (see below) | 12h – 48h |
There is a vogue for cooking pork pink in the middle but the sous vide pork settings for the CleverChef Pro reflect current UKFSA guidelines that pork should reach an internal temperature of 71°C for 2 mins.
Sous vide pork chops
CHICKEN
| Approx
Thickness |
Cooking
Temperature |
Cooking
Time (Min – Max) |
|
| Breast (White Meat) | 2-3 cm | 62°C – Juicy & moist
69°C – Firm
|
1h 30 – 4h
1h – 4h |
| Dark Meat (Thighs, Legs, Drumstick) | 2-3cm | 71°C – Juicy & moist
71°C – Fall-of-the-bone |
1h 30 – 4h
4h – 8h |
Like pork, chicken needs to be cooked all the way through and cannot be served pink. If you are nervous about the cooking temperature of chicken then cook everything at 71°C minimum but for white breast meat only cooking for a minimum of 1 hour 30 (for max 3cm thick breast) at 62°C will kill the bacteria associated with chicken. In fact chicken is pasteurised when cooked to 60°C and held there for 30 mins.
FISH
| Approx
Thickness |
Cooking
Temperature |
Cooking
Time |
|
| Oily fish e.g. salmon, tuna, mackerel, trout | 2-3cm
|
43°C – Rare
50°C – Medium-Rare 60°C – Medium
|
20-30mins |
| Lean Fish e.g. cod, | 2-3cm | 47-50°C Medium rare
|
20-30mins |
| Shellfish e.g. prawns, lobster | 1-2cm | 52°C | 20-30mins |
There are fewer safety concerns with fish than with meat (think sushi / sashimi) so you can experiment more at lower temperatures. The guide aboves gives what we think are the best options. With oily fish this is great cooked at a range of temperatures, depending on taste, however, with lean fish it won’t be sufficiently cooked below 47°C but much higher than 50°C and it dries out quickly so the recommended range is smaller. Note that at these temperatures you will not pasteurise the food so if this is a requirement for any reason (e.g. pregnancy) then you will need to cook at 60°C for at least 90 mins.
VEGETABLES
| Approx
Thickness |
Cooking
Temperature |
Cooking
Time (Min – Max) |
|
| Green / Tender Vegetables e.g. peas, broccoli, asparagus | 1-2cm | 85°C | 30m – 2h |
| Root Vegetables e.g. carrot, beetroot, potato | 1-2cm | 85°C | 1h – 4h |
We recommend cutting bigger vegetables into bite sized pieces for quicker, even cooking. Note the above is a general guide. Individual vegetables may benefit from a 1-2°C tweak in temperature either way – CleverChef Pro has specific programs for certain vegetables.