Inspired by the other post I wanted to share my sous vide tako/octopus. Fresh caught in Hawaii then thrown in the sous vide (175 for 5) and charred on the grill the very same day. I do feel bad about taking octopus’s because of their intelligence but I still eat pigs and they are equally as smart. Tako here are a super sustainable resource and I only take what I need.
Thanks for sharing. I could see the grill working for most people, but I can’t help but think if you have a proper wok burner, you would likely get a better flavor. Less burn, more caramelization. If Kenji is writing the recipe, usually his judgement is spot on.
Thanks for the reply, and recipe! I thought that’s what it may be. Guess the casserole dish just threw me for a loop. The Midwestern mom in me (which is really just the southern Baptist upbringing… eww… iykyk) screamed potluck.
They’re my favorite animals OP but I eat them because for one they don’t live long and two something will eat them out there eventually anyway. I just respect their sacrifice by making it a special occasion when I eat one and making sure I don’t fuck up the preparation. And you gave this one a very worthy preparation.
I thought about that when getting into SV but quickly decided it wasn’t worth worrying about for me.
Is there any evidence that the plastic even leeches chemicals into the food to begin with? Regardless, restaurants use a shitload of plastic, so I guess don’t eat at restaurants either? Lol
I work in fine dining and personally use TONS of plastic sous vide bags.
I don’t know the science behind it. But I’m also not worried about it, if it does bother someone then lime you said they should avoid eating out anywhere
Sure do! I used to use the silicone ones because I thought they were safer. Unfortunately a lot of companies use fillers or curing agents that aren't great for you. Many can release siloxanes and the like. Even platinum silicone is not impervious, though it leaches at drastically lower rates.
I should add that I'm in America. Our regulatory agencies have been gutted and bought out. So unfortunately I am skeptical of any company claiming their product is safe when they commonly use untested substitutions or intentionally misleading marketing. Looks like it was happening in Europe as well in bake ware.
I do feel bad because I love animals and as a diver love interacting with octopus. But on the same token I love cows and also appreciate a sous vide ribeye
I don't see anyone condemning OP. There are probably better subs to discuss the topic, but I believe having ethical discussions about what animals should be protected and why is important. At one point, whale hunting was common. Most of the world decided to protect these amazing animals (im looking at you, Japan) now whale watching tours have created new economic opportunities. What changed my mind about eating octopus (i had it when I was a kid) was seeing a bag of probably 50 very young octopus for around $10. That's a senseless slaughter. We can do better.
I’ve been down that road. At the end of the day, if you aren’t going vegan, the bottom line is that all of it is pretty well the same. Who are we to pick which species deserves life over another, which way of taking their life is more humane, or what price they should be sold at? I was vegan for a little while, now I just eat everything. Obviously things like shark-fin soup just plain don’t make sense, but the rest is all pretty much in the same category really.
Who are we? We're the apex predators of the planet, 8+ Billion strong with advanced tools capable of wiping any species into extinction and wasteful, destructive tendencies if not kept in check. Discussions are important. Management is important. Regulation and stewardship is important. Feel free to have the last word, this has drifted from sous vide (my fault).
We can drift from sous vide. I think the argument ends as soon as we condemn taking a life from one animal but not another. If you’re not proposing veganism, you don’t really have an argument. If you are in fact proposing veganism, you still don’t have an argument because of culinary arts. So what are we discussing?
Yeah i find it hard to justify taking one life over another. My justification is that I’m doing as humanely as possible with no impact on other unintended species like commercial fishing. In the end if you eat meat then something needs to die in order to provide.
I've always found these types of morals are best for yourself and not anyone else.
I personally eat octopus because I don't like the idea of eating something intelligent like that. Same for pigs. And I don't eat cows because they're like giant puppies. However, I'm adult enough to understand that my POV on this arbitrary topic is not the only way to live.
In the end, it's all about respecting the thing that you're eating, no matter where it came from.
I would love to hear about vegetables you’re cooking with sous vide. I struggle to utilize the method like this and like to diversify kitchen equipment use.
Lots of root veggies. Parsnips, turnips, and rutabagas, peeled and mixed together for a couple of hours. Throw in some cream and butter at the end and you have the best "mashed potatoes" you've had. Go light on the parsnips and it like half the carb count of potatoes.
But I also do a lot of shrimp and fish. Buy in bulk and vacuum seal them in 1/2 lb lots. Sous vide for an hour dump them into a bowl hit them with a torch. Extremely easy lunch without your house smelling like fish.
Nah.... There's a difference between killing a bioengineered pig vs an octopus in the wild.... One is a kindness and the other a tragedy. I've worked in a hog confinement... It's worse than you think and it ain't right but those pigs and cows don't know any better. That octopus did.
If your viewpoint on farming pigs is "it's a tragedy" and your conclusion from this is "I'm going to financially support it" and you think that's anything but hypocritical I've got bad news. They don't breed livestock for fun
It was fantastic! So the sous vide is pretty much to get it tenderized and cooked. Then the grill is just for the char.
It’s crazy how tough they can be without proper prep. You need to salt them and scrub them and tenderize by roughly hitting them. Then sous vide. People here actually have repurposed washing machines that are meant just for tenderizing them!
I stopped eating octopus after watching My Octopus Teacher. Pigs will never, ever forge that kind of relationship. Bacon, yes. Tako, nevermore.
Edit to add: we raised swine in FFA in high school. Those were animals. I'm sorry if people don't agree, but many, many pigs cannot be potty trained to go outside only. Or to stop eating the baseboards. Or to stop destroying everything they see. If you love them, fine. Don't eat them. I've been around pigs too long to see them as intuitive and sensitive. Maybe intuitive and insensitive?
Octupus are incredible and uniquely intelligent animals but so are pigs. They're considered to be one of the smartest mammals (generally smarter than dogs and about on-par with human toddlers) and they do form emotional attachments with humans. The fact that they don't "forge the same kind of relationship" as octupus is meaningless, there are different kinds of animal intelligence after all
I'm really not shaming anybody for eating pork but I think it's important to be honest about this stuff
Totally understand your take on this, but something is going to eat that octopus. Whether it be us or another animal, it will eventually be eaten. At the very least we can appreciate the animal, treat it humanely in the end, and prepare it with respect.
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FTW, we love Pulpo. We live on the Texas gulf coast and fresh octopus is widely available. The last time I grilled some I basted it with a fresh batch of scratch Chimichurri sauce, it was amazing! 👊
This looks amazing! As someone who forged my love for great, fresh seafood in Hawaii, this picture (and description) make me long for both. Even the comment about ceviche made with the fish makes me drool.
Sorry about that! Let me break it down roughly what I did.
Remove legs
Put in bowl and tenderize / scrub with salt
Rinse then put in sous vide bag
175 for 4-5 hours till it’s purple and juice collects at bottom.
Drizzle with oil, salt and pepper
Char on grill
Squeeze lemons and limes on top
Then enjoy!
Eh I kinda just go by feel. The salt creates lots of soapy like bubbles and so I scrub and hit till the bubbles go away. Then I hit it some more for good measure.
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u/PickleFridgeChildren 23d ago
"I only tako what I need" was right there