retherm oven Archives

The Best Methods for Prepping Plant-based Meats

Ah, prepping plant-based meats. Despite murmurs to the contrary, plant-based meats are expected to continue gaining popularity. Experts say that by 2027 the plant-based meat market is expected to reach 15.7 billion USD globally.

With a growing number of operations adding plant-based dishes to their menus, we wanted to test the best way to cook these no carne creations.

We tested two product brands:

Beyond Meat – Italian sausages, brats, and meatballs
Impossible – Burger patties, Italian sausages

All product packaging included cooking directions, which were universally to cook in a skillet. We wanted to test and compare the recommended cooking method to cooking in a CVap® oven. Per the instructions, Beyond products were cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F. Impossible products were cooked to 160°F.

We used an induction burner and a preheated non-stick skillet for the traditional prep.

Our CVap oven was an RTV7-05UV, preheated to Vapor 200°F / Air 350°F. We used parchment-lined sheet pans.

Prepping Plant-based Meat:Products

Beyond Sausage – Hot Italian
Recommended Skillet Cook Time: 10 minutes, turning frequently
Actual Skillet Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
CVap Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
Beyond Sausage Brat Original
Recommended Skillet Cook Time: 6 minutes, turning halfway through
Actual Skillet Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
CVap Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
Beyond Meatballs Italian Style
Recommended Skillet Cook Time: 7-8 minutes, turning continuously
Actual Skillet Cook Time: 10-15 minutes
CVap Cook Time: 10-15 minutes

Impossible Sausages – Italian
Recommended Skillet Cook Time: 10-12 minutes, turning every two minutes
Actual Skillet Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
CVap Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
Impossible Burger Patties
Recommended Skillet Cook Time: cook two minutes per side until the level of doneness reached
Actual Skillet Cook Time: 10-15 minutes
CVap Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

The Cooking Results

SKILLET COOKING

Pros

Great seared aesthetic. The product appearance matched what consumers would expect from “real” meat.

Cons

Skillet cooking took much longer to reach the internal temperature than indicated on the label.
Searing created a bitter taste that was not expected.
Mouthfeel was much drier compared to CVap-cooked products.

CVAP COOKING

Pros

We were able to prepare everything in CVap within 30 minutes, from panning, to cooking, to holding.
Actual cook time was comparable to skillet cooking in most cases.
Product integrity held up through the cooking and holding processes.
Each product retained more moisture compared to skillet-cooked products.

Con

Lack of browning, compared to skillet-cooked products (but that may not be a “bad” thing).

Holding Plant-based Meats

All products maintained integrity, regardless of cooking method.
CVap-cooked products held their moisture much better than the skillet-cooked versions.
Skillet-cooked products got increasingly bitter over time.
It would be safe to assume that the CVap-cooked products could have held another hour without quality degradation.

If your operation offers plant-based products at any scale, the CVap-cooked method is the obvious way to go. Not only can you be prepping plant-based meats in much higher quantities, but it also brings out the product’s best qualities, juiciness, mouthfeel, and flavor. Most notably, CVap-cooked products didn’t develop the bitter taste that was so noticeable with the skillet-prepped products. Although CVap-cooked products didn’t brown like their skillet-prepped counterparts, this could be overcome with a quick finish on a grill (so long as it doesn’t linger long enough to turn bitter).

Regardless of the cooking method, product quality was solidly maintained in a CVap warming drawer. The same could be expected from a CVap holding cabinet.

Food Warmers Vs. Rethermalizers: Uses, Types, and Benefits

Having the right tools for the job makes all the difference. In a commercial kitchen, food rethermalizers and food warmers are two important tools. You might think these appliances do the same thing. However, their function is very different. Each has unique benefits.

What is a Rethermalizer?

In general, rethermalizers are appliances designed specifically to reheat prepared foods from a chilled or frozen state of less than 40°F to a temperature of more than 165°F safely and quickly. They don’t require food to be slacked or thawed before retherming. Rethermalizers must be capable of boosting food temperature through the “Danger Zone” (between 40°F and 140°F) in under two hours (not to be confused with Kenny Loggin’s classic Danger Zone). This is critical because bacteria reproduction goes into overdrive within that temperature range, doubling every 20 minutes. Once food passes 140°F those little bacterial bastards are killed off.

Most rethermalizers use water as a heat transfer medium.

Uses for a Rethermalizer

Just as the name implies, rethermalizers reheat food. They are especially useful in operations that prepare and freeze large batches of food ahead of time. Ideal menu items for retherming include soups, casseroles, sauces, pasta, vegetables, bread, desserts, and meats.

We all know that finding good help right now is a royal pain in the butt. With no end in sight to the tight labor market, it’s important to have tools that are easy to use and don’t need a lot of babysitting. Rethermalizers are a great option. They’re push-button simple, and most feature an automatic hold function. Many have programmed cooking functions, so staff can just load them up and push start.

Types of Rethermalizers

There are four basic types of rethermalizers: water bath, induction, combi oven, and CVap^® Retherm Ovens. The first two are typically countertop appliances (though some large floor models are found in QSR chains). The latter two are usually floor models.

Bain Marie or water-filled rethermalizers use a water well to reheat food quickly and gently. Although this type can be a more economic option, there are a couple of disadvantages. Water-filled rethermalizers need about 15 minutes to preheat before adding the product. And it’s necessary to check the water level about every two hours. Allowing the water level to drop too low can damage the unit and burn the food.

Some water bath rethermalizers are sous vide immersion circulators. Food is prepped and sealed in vacuum bags. It can be cooked right away, or chilled or frozen for later use. The bagged products are placed directly in the heated water bath. Once it reaches serving temp food can remain in the water bath until serving. The water bath prevents it from overcooking or cooling down.

Induction rethermalizers remain cool until an induction-ready inset is placed inside. They are very efficient since no energy is expended in preheating. Virtually all heat is inducted directly into the food, quickly retherming it. Because induction units don’t utilize water baths, they won’t develop the funky scaling that can develop in water bath appliances.

Combi ovens are popular for rethermalizing. Combis get their name from their combination of hot steam and hot convected air to quickly retherm food. They are hella fast, and hella powerful. But they’re also hella expensive and can be pretty damned complicated to use. Speaking of expensive, you’ll want to factor in the required chemicals and maintenance that combis must have.

Like CVap Retherm Ovens, combis don’t just thermalize. Most are capable of a wide range of other cooking processes.

CVap Retherm Ovens use heated water vapor as their primary heat source. This means you can retherm in a CVap oven with or without vacuum bags. It’s like sous vide, without the mess. CVap ovens can also roast, steam, bake, sous vide, low-temp steam, proof, and more. You can even use them as food warmers. They automatically shift from cooking to holding mode at the conclusion of their cooking cycle.

Rethermalizers vs. Food Warmers

Rethermalizers can be used as food warmers. But food warmers cannot be used as rethermalizers. They perform very different functions. Rethermalizers are designed to quickly heat food to safe temperatures. Although food warmer might sound like it does the same thing, that’s not the case. Food warmers are designed to keep hot cooked food at a safe temperature. They aren’t designed to heat up cold food. If anybody tells you different, they are either pulling your leg or are ignorant to the basic functions of kitchen equipment.

What is a Food Warmer?

Food warmers maintain food temperatures above the minimum safe temperature of 140°F. They are called several different things: warmers, holding cabinets, hot boxes, warming drawers, etc. Food warmers are great for operations that have predictable rush periods, like school cafeterias and fast-food restaurants. They allow cooking to be done ahead of the rush. Food is held hot until serving. This allows more efficient use of the staff on hand. Just like rethermalizers, many warmers rely on heated water in some form to provide continuous heat.

Uses of a Food Warmer

As the name implies, food warmers keep food warm. They are useful in rush traffic situations and in operations that need to serve throughout the day. Food warmers help provide quick service by minimizing prep time.

Types of Food Warmers

Food warmers come in all shapes and sizes. Some are simple, such as chafing dishes, heat lamps, warming shelves, and heated strips. The simpler warmers are only good for short-term holding, like on a serving line.

Countertop warmers are next up in the holding hierarchy. They include kettles, bins, and drawers. Kettles are great for soups and sauces. Bins usually hold full or fractional pans, so you can hold different products together (if they share similar settings). Warming drawers are great because they have a closed environment, enabling more precise control of food temperature. Drawers take up relatively little space, making them ideal for food trucks, concessions, and other operations where space is critical.

Finally, the largest food warmers are holding cabinets. These are available in under-counter, half, or full-sized configurations. They let you hold lots of food in a small footprint.

Just as there are different types of food warmers, there are also different technologies behind them.

Warmer Technologies

Dry warmers are just that. These drawers or cabinets, also known as “hot boxes,” use simple electrical heating elements to heat the unit interior. Because they don’t add moisture to the unit’s atmosphere, they can only hold for a short time before food quality starts to drop. Inevitably, food will start to lose its moisture. Not only does this dry the food out, but it also causes food temperature to drop (because evaporation is a cooling process).

Passive humidity warmers add a water bath to the unit’s interior. They are an improvement over dry warmers because the addition of a water bath means moisture isn’t being provided solely by the food itself. They are better than dry units but are less accurate than more sophisticated warmers.

Humidified warmers offer better temperature accuracy. Their internal water bath is temperature-controlled, which extends holding time.

The most accurate warmers are Winston’s CVap (controlled vapor) holding cabinets and warming drawers. CVap uses a dual-heat system of dry air heat and moist vapor heat. This means that CVap warmers precisely control food temperature and maintain the desired surface texture. CVap is equally effective at holding crisp or moist foods for extended times.

Rethermalizer vs. Warmer: Differences

As described previously, the biggest difference between rethermalizers and warmers is their function. Rethermalizers reheat or cook food. Food warmers do not. As mentioned before, you can hold food in a rethermalizer, but you cannot cook in a food warmer. Rethermalizers are designed for speed and require much more electrical power than warmers.

Rethermalizer vs Warmers: Similarities

Rethermalizers and warmers share some similarities. Many use some form of water or water vapor as the thermal medium to cook or hold food. Since water is efficient at heat transfer more energy is directed into the food than is wasted in the atmosphere.

Rethermalizer and warmers may have similar appearances. Although there may be some overlap in function, they serve different primary purposes.

Cooking CVap food warmer retherm retherm cabinet retherm oven retherming warmer

Chicken Stock – CVap Style

Here we are in the long, grey abyss that is winter in the Northern Hemisphere. When it’s frigid outside, it’s natural for us to crave comfort food. And what’s more comfortable than soup? The foundation of any great soup is stock. Accordingly, we set out to cook up some wonderful chicken stock in a CVap® oven. Of course, since it could be done overnight, it was a no muss, no fuss, no sweat process.

Most importantly, this recipe will produce quarts and quarts of stock!

The Settings

CVap Cook and Hold or Retherm Oven

Cook Time – 8 Hours
Vapor (Cook) – 180°F
Air (Cook) – 210°F
Hold Infinite
Vapor (Hold) – 135°F
Air (Hold) – 136°F

Ingredients

50lb – Chicken Leg Quarters
Mirepoix – onions, celery, & carrots
Cold Water

The Chicken Stock – The Process

Preheat the oven to the program above.
Evenly distribute ingredients through three 6” full hotel pans (or any kind of deep pan or assortment of pans that will fit into the oven).
Once everything is situated, hit the ENTER button to start the program.
Go home!
Come back the next morning to a beautifully simmered and clear chicken stock.
Carefully remove pans from the ovens. Using tongs, remove chicken from the stock liquid. This chicken can be shredded for soup, or frozen for future use.
Strain the stock through cheesecloth, to remove larger pieces of chicken, bone, and vegetable.

To be sure, the resulting stock is outstanding. It’s nearly clear, savory, and perfect for soups. Of course, go ahead and freeze any chicken stock that you don’t use right away. It will bring you comfort long after the winter snows have melted.

Chicken chicken stock retherm oven stock

Cooking in the Kitchen with a CVap® RTV Retherm Oven

Chef Sam shows what RTV Retherm Ovens can do.

School Menu Items in a Retherm Oven

Watch as Chef Sam cook a variety of menu items in a retherm oven. CVap RTV Retherm Ovens are versatile. This video features some of the more popular school menu items, such as pizza, breakfast corndogs, and tater gems. Chef Sam also offers tips to get the best results.

You’ll also see how CVap ovens can utilize a probe for highly accurate cooking. Both thin and thick-cut pork chops and other proteins can be prepared in the same oven, with consistent results throughout.

baking Oven retherm retherm oven retherming rtv Staging

The Ultimate Comfort Food is Easy as Shepherd’s Pie!

Ah, shepherd’s pie…the ultimate comfort food. Mashed potatoes, ground (or diced) meat, veggies…it’s all there. Naturally, our CVap® ovens are great for preparing even the most complicated dishes. However, we wanted to demonstrate how CVaps are just as adept at cooking simple comfort food.

Naturally, this dish is a simple way to utilize leftover meats. Although often considered synonymous with cottage pie, the two dishes are differentiated by the type of meat. Primarily, shepherd’s pie is typically made with lamb. In contrast, cottage pie is typically made with beef.

Origins

Shepherd’s pie’s origins are unclear. Though considered by many to be Irish cuisine, it’s more likely to have come from northern England or Scotland (with that region’s abundance of sheep) – hence the name).

Although recipes similar to shepherd’s pie have existed for centuries, it wasn’t until potatoes became a common staple in the 1700s that the dish took on its current form. Earlier, most recipes utilized a pastry crust, rather than potatoes.

Of course, this recipe is a basic dish to prepare. However, having CVap ovens at our disposal made it so much easier. Undoubtedly, the results were delicious!

Shepherd’s Pie

Mashed Potatoes

6 Large Potatoes
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Tbs Salt
1 Tbs Black Pepper
½ Cup Parmesan Cheese
1 Egg Yolk

Filling

3 Tbs Butter
1 Medium Onion (diced small)
1 Cup Diced Carrots
3/4 Cup Green Peas
3/4 Cup Corn
2 Garlic Cloves
2 Tbs Tomato Paste
2 Tbs Flour
8 Oz Beef Stock
1 Tbs Salt
1 Tbs Pepper
1.5 Lbs Ground Lamb

Process
Bake potatoes in a CVap RTV Retherm Oven At 200°F Vapor / 250°F Air (legacy setting 200 +50) for 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare cream and butter mixture for mashed potatoes.
Next sauté onions until translucent, then add garlic and carrots. Simmer until carrots begin to soften, then add ground lamb. Stir occasionally, until lamb is completely browned. After that, add peas and corn. Season with salt and pepper.

Mashed potatoes – add cream butter mixture to cooked potatoes and mash. After that add salt and pepper. Keep mashing. Once completely mashed, stir in egg yolk. After that, move cooked veggie-lamb mixture to dish, and dollop mashed potatoes throughout. Spread potatoes over the top of lamb and vegetables. Bake for 30-35 min in CVap Retherm Oven at 180°F Vapor, 330°F Air (189 + 150 for legacy CVap Ovens).

In conclusion, the results were satisfying and delicious. Naturally, simple, savory flavors were just the thing to warm a chilly afternoon.

Of course, there are countless variations of this basic recipe. Shepherdess pie is vegetarian (or {blech} vegan). On the other hand, Cumberland pie adds a breadcrumb or pastry crust. Yet some recipes call for turkey or ham as the protein. Of course, the possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

What Wine Pairs Well?

Make this dish even more delicious by pairing it with a Bordeaux, a complex wine that goes great with a dish like a shepherd’s pie. Naturally, its earthy, savory flavors match well. Likewise, pinot noir is another great pairing. It’s bright and easy to drink and will match up well with the sweet vegetables in this dish.

If you are more of a beer person, a nice dry Irish stout should pair well!

mashed potatoes retherm retherm oven shepherds pie st patrick's day