Finally solved my brisket issues with a sous vide

NPHuskerFL

Pink unicorn has met its match. Whatever works for you is what counts in the end. 

blind99

this was your own cow?  what cut of brisket would this be like - a small packer, or just a flat?  very cool cook! i'm looking forward to doing a sous vide brisket. kind of thinking of just throwing the whole cryovaced thing in the bath and letting it go... i wonder if the cryovac would hold...

@jeffwit collagenases are active between 130-140, so if you hold a "tough cut" in that range long enough it will get really tender

ShesGotEggs

blind99 said:

this was your own cow?  what cut of brisket would this be like - a small packer, or just a flat? 

I think small packer or point. Fatty on both top and bottom.

ShesGotEggs

Stormbringer said:

@ShesGotEggs thanks, veggies are great in the SV imho.

And rain never stops an Egghead ... and we have a lot of rain in England (the original one, not the New one).

Legume said:

I thought rain only bothered people outside of the PNW?

Rain doesn't bother me when I am outside moving...but it makes me feel like staying inside when it comes to cooking!

Judy Mayberry

@ShesGotEggs: With a 4-lb. brisket I'm thinking you had a brisket flat? Not the honkin' big whole thing with a point? That sounds really user-friendly to me!

BUFFALOMOOSE

@ShesGotEggs would you mind sharing either/both of those awesome sounding recipes? 

ShesGotEggs

BUFFALOMOOSE said:

@ShesGotEggs would you mind sharing either/both of those awesome sounding recipes? 

Here is the recipe for the Carne Adovada: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/rancho-de-chimayo-carne-adovada but instead of dutch oven I am doing sous vide.

And her eis the Bo Kha: http://www.theravenouscouple.com/2010/03/bo-kho-vietnamese-beef-stew-recipe.html I started it in sous vide for 8 hours and then into dutch oven for another 3 hours. I also added some cans of diced tomatoes and used the immersion blender to thicken it and make it more like a stew than a soup.

Good luck!

ShesGotEggs

Judy Mayberry said:

@ShesGotEggs: With a 4-lb. brisket I'm thinking you had a brisket flat? Not the honkin' big whole thing with a point? That sounds really user-friendly to me!

Judy I am thinking you are right! But it wasn't flat. It had two big pieces of fat on both sides. I don't know but it was good!

FATC1TY

ShesGotEggs said:

Judy Mayberry said:

@ShesGotEggs: With a 4-lb. brisket I'm thinking you had a brisket flat? Not the honkin' big whole thing with a point? That sounds really user-friendly to me!

Judy I am thinking you are right! But it wasn't flat. It had two big pieces of fat on both sides. I don't know but it was good!

That would still be a flat, fat doesn't make it a certain part of the brisket. 

You shiuld find find out what you had to replicate it. I'd suspect based on the tiny size, it was a flat. Most people confuse the point and flat when split, as the flat actually comes to a "point". Very similar to when people say they cooked "a brisket", they actually just cooked the common flat. 

ShesGotEggs

FATC1TY said:

You should find find out what you had to replicate it. I'd suspect based on the tiny size, it was a flat. Most people confuse the point and flat when split, as the flat actually comes to a "point". Very similar to when people say they cooked "a brisket", they actually just cooked the common flat. 

I will have to track down the butcher and see if he remembers! Thanks for the info.

YukonRon

I am going to try this for the dinner party I have coming up for My Beautiful Wife's co-workers.
Expandable bags, will be ordered for this, and we will see how it works out.

Sea2Ski

This post gets put in the "Pro" column for getting a sous vide.  I really might need to get one of glorified these water heaters.....

HelenGrace203

@ShesGotEggs -- this idea is in my must-try-soon bucket!

SGH

JohnInCarolina said:

Yeah I've seen people say this is cheating or not real Q.  Who cares?  This is designed for consumption, not the BBQ circuit.

This is one time that I whole heartedly agree with you. Good grub is good grub no matter how it's prepared. I don't care if it's baked, boiled, broiled, grilled, fried, smoked, etc, etc. Good is good. As great as Q is, there are other methods that produce as good or better results with somethings.  

Ladeback69

I have been wanting to try sous vide, but my wife wouldn't understand spending a lot of money to do a water bath on meat.  We kind of put a hold on toys for the grill for awhile.  Looking back at your other brisket post it looks like you have doing small flats and I would think they would be a little bit harder to get just right on the egg without doing some braising of some kind.  I have only done packers and points and the extra fat I feel helps it out in the cook.  Next time you get one from your butcher ask them for the point and see how that turns out.  

I guess by getting to 140 after 36 hours you were well past the stall.  Did you get much smoke flavor with the two hours on the egg?

GlennM

I'm doing this tomorrow  did you put it on the egg in a pan or just raised indirectly?  Was there a lot of liquid in the bag and did you sauce it? 

TheToast

@Stormbringer Thanks for thinking of me. Not sure I can spare more space for another cooking gadget just now though! And I've still not tried my first brisket cook. Maybe this summer 

Stormbringer

TheToast said:

@Stormbringer Thanks for thinking of me. Not sure I can spare more space for another cooking gadget just now though! And I've still not tried my first brisket cook. Maybe this summer 

No problem, bud.

You don't have a garage? My garage has several tall Ikea bookshelfs full of kitchen gadgets. The one I use is a box-shaped unit, but you can get sous vide that just sit inside a large pan.

jeroldharter

Reviving this thread because I am doing my first sous vide brisket soon. Trying to figure out my plan of attack.

Sounds like SV 140 F for 36 hours with a rub, no brining, then dry the meat, re-rub, put on the BGE with smoke at 240 for ~2 hours for the bark, tent for 15 minutes, then slice.

Any advice to the contrary? Sauce? Binder for the rub? Any feedback from others who posted they were doing one?

ShesGotEggs

How'd it go @jeroldharter

toddfb

jeffwit said:

Does the extended time in the SV make it tender so it doesn't need to get to around 200*? Or does it get to 200 in the couple of hours on the egg?

It never reaches 200.  Temp over time is what makes Sous Vide work and safe when done properly. 

slovelad

I would think you could even turn the egg up to like 300 to get the bark set in, but that could be devastating as well.

warwoman

ShesGotEggs said:

I have posted here before about my brisket issues - it has been my ongoing challenge on the BGE. Long stall times, anxiety over "Is it done?," guests arriving and wondering if I'd be able to feed them or not, etc. Got a sous vide last weekend, salt and peppered my brisket, put it in sous vide for 36 hours at 140 degrees, finished it off with 2 hours on the BGE at 250 degrees. YOU GUYS!!! It was the most amazing thing ever. Moist, juicy, didn't need to get a knife anywhere near it.

Of course I forgot to take photos as we sliced and attacked. You'll have to trust me on this one.

Was that finished off on the BGE direct or indirect? Was it the flat or the point, or how heavy was it? I'm sure thinking about giving this a shot!

Skiddymarker

The ChefSteps method is excellent, easy and you get smoke ring for presentation as well. MyMBGE is happy at 275F for the finish. Bark is acceptable, used Meatchurch Holy Cow.

Brine step and use of liquid smoke for injection is must, IMO. 

Pretty much foolproof. Used Cash & Carry two gallon zip locks for a flat. 

NPHuskerFL

@JohnInCarolina You got a decent amount of bark. But, did ya get the Wubba Wubba

Stormbringer

lousubcap said:

I would say cheating but it's your cook so however you get to the promised land works for me.  Congrats on the result and banquet.  

I'm doing this tonight with a Wagyu brisket ... you still think it's cheating, @lousubcap?

lousubcap

Stormbringer said:

lousubcap said:

I would say cheating but it's your cook so however you get to the promised land works for me.  Congrats on the result and banquet.  

I'm doing this tonight with a Wagyu brisket ... you still think it's cheating, @lousubcap?

Here are the comments addressing your questions of four years ago:

"OK brisket weight was 4 -5 pounds if I recall on that one. No resting, pulled from sous vide, rubbed the salt/pepper on it, threw it on the egg. Rested for 20 minutes when it came off egg, sitting on cutting board, tented with foil. No wrap. I should also add this was our first brisket from our grass-fed cow!"
@Stormbringer - As I said before, in the end game "it's your cook so however you get tot he promised land works for me."
To answer your question I still think it's cheating but who am I to judge?  I mean I can be an anti-vaxer as well and what value does that add?