Conservation of meat or fish cooked using sous-vide, and subsequent regeneration

We have received the following question:
“If I cook meat or fish with the sous-vide to the desired point, what temperature should I keep it at? How many days can I keep it for? And how should I reheat it when it is ordered?”

Answer from our chef:

The conservation temperature for the products we make must be 5ºC or below at the core of the product. Its shelf life will depend on the cooking time and temperature applied to the product.

For a shelf life longer than 3 months, for example, the product will have to have been cooked at a core temperatures of 65ºC for at least 1 hour. Then this temperature must be reduced as quickly as possible to 5ºC. This process should not take more than 15 minutes. With this method, the product is pasteurised. This will give it a longer life and guarantee correct food safety.

To regenerate the product, it is sufficient to know the cooking parameters of the ingredient in question, so as not to exceed that core temperature.

As a general rule, a SmartVide at 65ºC would be at the correct temperature to regenerate the food. The time will depend on the portion, the initial temperature and the temperature needed for service.

Remember that the service temperature does not have to be the same as the cooking temperature and that, depending on the ingredient, regeneration is possible not only with the SmartVide but also a combination of diverse techniques such as griddle, grill or salamander stove, among others.