Sous vide vs. cast iron for pork belly, a 3 hour fight in my kitchen

I tried a 12 hour sous vide at 155F then a hard sear for crispy skin and got the best texture I've had in my 8 years cooking, but a buddy at my spot in Portland swears a straight 3 hour braise in cast iron beats it every time. I tested both side by side last week and the sous vide won on juiciness but the cast iron got a deeper crust that the servers actually noticed. Am I crazy for thinking the extra equipment is worth it, or does the old school cast iron method just win on flavor every time?

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wendy_sanchez24d ago

So you're telling me you spent 15 hours on pork belly and still had to put up a fight? I'd say keep the sous vide since you clearly have the free time.

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