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Comment by mixologic | Hacker News Reader

130 degrees is hot enough to leave a steak outside and let it sous vide in the air.

In Death Valley it's hot enough to make jerky, but not sous-vide steak. Dry air does not have enough thermal transfer to cook a steak before sucking all of the moisture out of it...

Isn't that why you're supposed to seal it?

actually depending on the steak it might not be. I just did a nice roast today for 11 hours at 180f... it was a nice solid 131 in the middle at the end. Now I can't be sure the inside of the smoker was actually 180 but it takes 11 hours at "180" to get to 131 temp, doing 11 hours at 130 isn't really going to get you there. Also thats in a humidified smoker. That steak gonna get realllly dry just being out in 130 degrees in death valley at 5% humidity.

Remember water conducts way more heat than air.

Also egg whites don't set up until 150 or so, and yolks start firming at 158, so at 130 that's going to be a real runny egg unless you put it on say a black sheet of metal.

> Also egg whites don't set up until 150 or so, and yolks start firming at 158

Eggs (especially the yolks) actually have an odd trait of setting at lower temps if held long enough. Try sous-vide eggs at 145 for 2-3 hours and compare to 45 minutes - completely different yolk.

what would you recommend then as the best way to sous-vide eggs? I can't find a good answer online. well I can find lots of answers but a lot of them are wrong

Set up a couple of cardboard sheets covered in alfoil to modestly concentrate the sun's rays and it would be plenty. Some simple solar cookers are nothing more than an open box covered in something shiny with the food inside it.

(Yes I know it's cheating a bit but it'd work. :)

Note: The GP said "Air Sousvide" not "build a solar oven". And note I did mention using a surface that would raise the temp.

Your solar oven would not work in the shade, which is where this 130 temp was taken.

Solar ovens are fun tho, the mcguyver of "well it's effing hot and sunny out I might as well make some good steak".

It probably would if you leave it in direct sunlight though.

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