47-Day Dry Aged Japanese A5 Wagyu

smokingal

Back in July, I started dry aging a Japanese A5 Wagyu brisket I purchased.  Japanese butchering
practices follow seam cutting, resulting in their briskets being larger than what Americans are
used to purchasing.  Their full briskets include the entirety of the point and a chunk of the neck. I cut off this section and dry aged it separately and after 47 days, I decided to cook it.  What started as a 5 lb. 13.9 oz hunk of meat had shrunk to 4 lb. 15.6 oz.

 

 

 

The majority of this cut consisted of fat, so after trimming, I was left with 1lb. 10oz.  The meat
was smeared with a bit of black garlic paste and sprinkled with SPOG before being placed on
the Egg with oak and cherry at 235F.

 

 

 

Smoker shot after 3 hours.  The smaller piece was probing like melted butter at this point
and was pulled.

 

 

The larger piece didn't see much of a plateau but I wrapped it around 165F.  A slight stall was
noted around 190F, where it dipped for a short while down to 185F.  It took about 6 hours total. Both pieces were FTC'd when done and due to the late hour, tossed in the fridge until I had time to make burnt ends.

 

In the interim, the aged brisket extension trimmings were slow simmered into broth and tallow
over a period of 2 days.  

 

 

The remaining fat was rendered into cracklings.

 

 

The brisket extension was cubed and warmed up on the Egg with some gelatinized aged beef
broth.

 

 

 

Once the meat was warmed through, the cubes were covered with Stubbs Original and cooked
until most of the sauce had evaporated.  Baby portobellos stuffed with spinach and artichoke
dip and topped with dry aged wagyu cracklings were also added.

 

 

Time to eat.

 

 

I've tried A5 Wagyu before, so I'm familiar with it's eccentricities.  Throwing dry age into the
mix takes it to a new place.  The aged flavor is really pronounced as it has been immersed
in all that abundant intramuscular fat, which coats your tongue.  The aging definitely gave it
some firmness, but was so soft, supple and rich, like eating smoky, aged beef butter.   Despite
all this, it is not overwhelming.  In fact I wanted more aged flavor.  My plan is to continue to
age the full brisket until I'm able to weigh it on my scale that tops out at 17 lbs (started at 20 lbs).

The cracklings gave the stuffed mushrooms that same flavor as they rendered during the cook.
They were, hands down, some of the best vegetables to come off the Egg in recent memory.

StillH2OEgger

My goodness! Another wonderful cook(s) and great photos to boot. Wow. Thanks for sharing.

FanOfFanboys

how much do I need to pay you to be invited to the next meal like that? damn

Biggreenpharmacist

Damn!  Just wow!

johnmitchell

Fantastic !!!

YukonRon

I have to say this is extremely impressive, and the food looks superb. The presentation and story line is exceptional.

Your enthusiasm is contagious and provides insight to a world of cooking that remains foreign to me.

Thank you for sharing. Your posts are very much like my fit bit. Just as I think I have put in a full days work, I gaze at my fitbit, and it reveals what a loser I am.

Comparing any of my cooks to yours, provides the exact outcome. 

There are some talented chefs on here, of which you certainly are one, then there are cooks, which provide some amazing meals.

Then at the bottom, is me. A guy with a bge and a thermopen, who is lucky to turn anything out worthy of measure.

Keep posting. Really enjoy the reads.

RRog17

Amazing!

johnnyp

excellent cook

Photo Egg

Amazing post. Thanks for taking the time to detail your cook.

saluki2007

Amazing as always.  Do you have plans for a book?  If not you should definitely consider it.  Your story telling/documentation is second to none.

buzd504

This is insanity.  Please adopt me.

smokingal

@YukonRon Please don't feel like I'm doing anything exceptional.  I'm just single and child-free and have extra time on my hands.  Cooking is a beloved hobby and my stress relief valve.

lousubcap

Cooking at a level I have difficulty in comprehending much less would attempt.  Great total package once again.   Thanks for sharing.  

billt01

To put this into a perspective some may be able to quantify:

The pictures of your food taste better than my food.

lkapigian

I give up 

smokingal

lkapigian said:

I give up 

@lkapigian Awe dude, c'mon.  You have mad skills across the board.  I tell ya what.  I'm planning a cook this weekend that will most likely have me requiring two fire extinguishers on board.  I promise to post some "out takes" for ya.  

lkapigian

smokingal said:

lkapigian said:

I give up 

@lkapigian Awe dude, c'mon.  You have mad skills across the board.  I tell ya what.  I'm planning a cook this weekend that will most likely have me requiring two fire extinguishers on board.  I promise to post some "out takes" for ya.  

marysvilleksegghead

"I promise to post some "out takes" for ya.  "  I bet even those would taste great!

Sea2Ski

Still looking for the beginners section on here....  Anyone? 

lkapigian

Sea2Ski said:

Still looking for the beginners section on here....  Anyone? 

Ha ha !

gonepostal

Have been looking forward to seeing what you would come up with that incredible brisket. Amazing as always. And the mushrooms! Insane...

Can't wait to see the results when the remaining brisket makes weight...

cheeaa

smokingal said:

@YukonRon Please don't feel like I'm doing anything exceptional.  I'm just single and child-free and have extra time on my hands.  Cooking is a beloved hobby and my stress relief valve.

Lmao... and apparently incredibly smart... well, no doubt you're gonna make someone super fat and happy some day. Sweet jesus these cooks are next level. Like bbq iron chef or something. 

thetrim

That’s redick 

johnmitchell

smokingal said:

@YukonRon Please don't feel like I'm doing anything exceptional.  I'm just single and child-free and have extra time on my hands.  Cooking is a beloved hobby and my stress relief valve.

Single....Hmmmmm