Sous Vide Cooking is a method of cooking in which food is vacuum-sealed in a pouch and cooked slowly in a water bath held at a precise, constant low temperature.
According to N.C. Cooperative Extension, sous vide is a French term meaning "under vacuum," pronounced "sue veed." Cambridge Dictionary defines it as a cooking method in which food is put in a container that no air can enter and cooked very slowly at a constant temperature in water.
The extension describes a sous vide cooker as using a metal coil to heat continuously circulating water, so there are no hot or cool spots. It names meats, eggs, poultry and vegetables as best suited to the method because they can withstand a long cook time and says most items, meats especially, are better when seared afterward on a grill or in a hot skillet for crispness and color.
On food safety, N.C. Cooperative Extension states that sous vide cooking may result in raw or undercooked foods with a higher risk of foodborne illness from bacteria, viruses or parasites, and that proper time and temperature combinations are essential. It cautions never to cook below 131 degrees Fahrenheit, which it says is not hot enough to kill pathogens that may be in the meat, and recommends instructions tested with research-based methods. In most states, it reports, restaurants and food manufacturers must apply for a variance and submit a safety plan to regulators before serving food cooked this way.