It's an incredible dish, and one that'll make a believer out of anyone who's ever been afraid to try tongue. Not only does cooking a tongue sous-vide make for complete set-it-and-forget-it ease (as it does with any braised or confit dish), it also creates a more flavorful finished product as the tongue slowly stews in its own juices. More

Modern pork chops are not forgiving. Back in the day, pigs used to be tough and fatty. They walked five miles each way through sleet and snow in bare feet just to get to the slop pit. They were lucky to get a single patch of dry mud to roll in. You could cook the bejeezus out of their loins and they'd still be juicy (albeit tough) from all the melted fat and connective tissue. Today's pampered pigs, on the other hand, are lean, white, and delicate. Overcook them just a shade, and you're left masticating wet cardboard. Enter sous-vide. More

Glazed sous-vide carrots. [Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]... More

Note: The science behind sous-vide is fascinating. Check it out here. About the author: After graduating from MIT, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt spent many years as a chef, recipe developer, writer, and editor in Boston. He now lives in New York... More