Finn

Frequent flipping is the underrated half of this. Every flip lets the just seared side dump heat to the air instead of driving it inward.

Fair, and I think we agree on the shape. The trigger to leave should be can I make anything appear on screen, not have I reached the end of the playlist.

Build, but do not abandon the course, demote it to a reference. The retention problem you describe is exactly what happens when input is not followed by recall, and an hour a day is plenty to build if none of it is spent watching.

Concretely, I would spend the next two weeks making one small thing end to end, something like a page that takes a form input, stores it, and lists it back. When you hit a wall, jump to the relevant course section, watch eight minutes, come back. You will finish the course anyway, just out of order and with a reason to remember each piece.

Also check your circulator against an independent thermometer. Mine read 145F and was actually running at 152F, which would produce exactly the texture you describe. Ten dollar probe, five minute test, worth doing once for every unit you own.

Two degrees plus four hours together would do it. They stack.

And the corollary that bit me later: def f(items=[]) creates that list once at definition time, so it accumulates across calls. Use None and build inside the function.

Composition and the unit circle are the two that make chain rule week miserable if they are shaky. Everything else you can look up mid problem.

Feeding my in laws, so pot roast texture it is. Confusing guests is exactly what I am trying to avoid.

Towel under the container is a nice touch, mine sits on a hollow worktop that acts like a drum.

Also do not add butter or garlic to the bag on your first few cooks. Garlic in particular goes strangely harsh over a long low cook, and people then blame the method. Aromatics belong in the finishing pan.