Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

75 hour slow & low Beef Short Rib

allsid
allsid Posts: 492
edited August 2013 in EggHead Forum
Could not have been easier-  
image
But I guess the water bath did most of the heavy lifting.  I did not even season the meat.  It came direct from my butcher sealed and went into the water bath at 132F.  I set the timer for 72 hours (yep 3 days) and walked away.  
image
When I cut the bag open, I would say close to a cup of liquids had cooked out of the ribs.  It was some of the darkest mahogony colored liquid I have ever seen.  I wish I could describe the intensity of the smell of this liquid.  Pure Beef that made you want to just inhale over and over.  I have not read anything positive about using this liquid but also did not really have time to try to use it in a sauce or gravy.  If I get ambitious, I may save some next time and use it in beef soup or PHO.
image
image
I did both Flanken Cut Beef Ribs and a more typically cut Beef Short Rib.  As you can see, they came out of the long cook looking quite anemic and visually not very appetizing.  This is where the Egg steps in and does its magic-
image
On the short rib, I read somewhere about removing the bone from the hunky meat.  I decided to cut the bone away and it revealed some pinkness which was exciting to me.  75 hours of cooking and it still retained a medium colored doneness.
image
Since the beef had no seasoning, I liberally applied Dizzy Pig Red Eye Express to the short ribs.  For the Flanken Cut, I grilled them naked.  After they took on some color, they got multiple coatings of Soy Vay Asian Teriyaki in between flips on the grill.
image
image
imageimage
Turned out quite good!  One of my goals was achieved which was that the collagen was all broken down on the meat making it tender, very tender.  The flavor was of a hearty ribeye, but the texture was much more like a filet.  It was not mushy, and you can see from the final photo it retained a pink interior color.  The flanken cut ribs worked well with the Asian Soy Vay sauce and was served over rice.  This may sound crazy, but I really think that the egg took the flavors up many levels for the finishing of this dish.  Much of the beef fat which I do not care for got rendered off and the char added an additional luxurious dimension of flavor.

I posted many more photos and some additional words on my blog here if you care to peek at it:

Thanks for looking!  P-
Proud resident of Missoula, MT
https://www.facebook.com/GrillingMontana
http://grillingmontana.com
https://instagram.com/grillingmontana

Check out my book on Kamado cooking called Exclusively Kamado:
http://bit.ly/kamadobook

Comments

  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    As @SmokeyPitt would say... Dayum.
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • Raymont
    Raymont Posts: 710
    Looks fantastic. I am looking forward to trying myself very soon.

    Small & Large BGE

    Nashville, TN

  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
    edited August 2013
    Dayum!  Oh hayel yes! 

    :)


    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669
    I would like to be invited to that party.
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

  • andiih
    andiih Posts: 5
    Interesting... I've been cooking SV for a couple of years (in fact I started with a SV rig in a plastic box with a hole in the lid just like that - graduated to a huge metal pan with a hole in cut in the lid after the plastic started getting soft!

    My usual technique for say a brisket was 5 minute BBQ (or blowtorch for smaller joints) then Bag and 24hrs at 58C then either cool in the bag, or throw straight on the BBQ to finish. 

    Just got my 1st Egg on Friday - did a whole chicken and a 9hr lamb shoulder. Fantastic both, but I'm interested in how people combine SV and the Egg - do you combine low and slow with SV at all, or is it either or, and a hot finish?

  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Congrats. Yummy lookin'. You can look forward to many fine meals.

    First SV I did was 72 hr. short ribs. A revelation. All the toughness gone, but a curious mouth feel. The feel was like the meat was popping, or gushing, kind of like a cooked fruit.
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    andiih said:
    ...

    Just got my 1st Egg on Friday - did a whole chicken and a 9hr lamb shoulder. Fantastic both, but I'm interested in how people combine SV and the Egg - do you combine low and slow with SV at all, or is it either or, and a hot finish?

    Use the Egg for a searing finish when doing a long SV. The sear doubles or trebles the flavor.

    I've tried ribs in several different ways. mixing Egg and SV.  IMO, none were better than a straight lo-slo. But SV followed by about 45 min of smoke worked quite well. A little more fat in the tissue than I like, but a good flavor and texture. Smoke first, then SV, seems to concentrate the smoke flavor too much.
  • allsid
    allsid Posts: 492
    andiih said:

    My usual technique for say a brisket was 5 minute BBQ (or blowtorch for smaller joints) then Bag and 24hrs at 58C then either cool in the bag, or throw straight on the BBQ to finish. 

    Just got my 1st Egg on Friday - did a whole chicken and a 9hr lamb shoulder. Fantastic both, but I'm interested in how people combine SV and the Egg - do you combine low and slow with SV at all, or is it either or, and a hot finish?

    For this cook, I used the egg for a hot finish and an additional level of flavor.  
    Proud resident of Missoula, MT
    https://www.facebook.com/GrillingMontana
    http://grillingmontana.com
    https://instagram.com/grillingmontana

    Check out my book on Kamado cooking called Exclusively Kamado:
    http://bit.ly/kamadobook

  • I need a sous vide!  Great looking cook

  • andiih
    andiih Posts: 5
    Thanks - sounds like a SV start and an Egg finish is the way to go!
  • Looks Good! 72 hours, I've had vacations that weren't that long.
    Hendersonville, TN.
  • allsid
    allsid Posts: 492
    I need a sous vide!  Great looking cook

    Was a hefty pill to $wallow at first.  I tried the water bath method, crock pot method, a much more affordable immersion model, and a warranty replacement for the cheaper model before I pulled the trigger on this model.  Now-  I have no regrets! 
    Proud resident of Missoula, MT
    https://www.facebook.com/GrillingMontana
    http://grillingmontana.com
    https://instagram.com/grillingmontana

    Check out my book on Kamado cooking called Exclusively Kamado:
    http://bit.ly/kamadobook

  • Raymont
    Raymont Posts: 710
    I was lucky enough to get a used water immersion circulator on ebay for $200.00 after getting hooked from doing the crock pot DIY method for a while and before that the cooler method. - I recommend to all to try a couple vacuum sealed filet's in a beer cooler filled with 130 degree water for 1.5 hrs. The cooler will hold the temp within a degree or so. Can always add some hot water.  

    Small & Large BGE

    Nashville, TN

  • Theophan
    Theophan Posts: 2,654
    I don't come here often, and I apologize if this has been discussed to death, but I thought bacteria can multiply below 140.  I'm sure there aren't many bacteria in whole cuts of meat straight from the butcher, but unless it's been irradiated or something, it isn't sterile.  75 hours is a really, really long opportunity for even just a few bacteria to become zillions.  I just googled this, and found on an SV forum, this claim:

    "Captain Buzzkill here,
    this technology is great when used correctly. Done correctly it is safe, done incorrectly you are dealing with environments that can produce all sorts of problems. When used incorrectly, say cooking something below 140 degrees for 3 days is a potential food safety nightmare. Sous Vide (without air) means you can grow botulism if the finished item is temperature abused, or even during the cooking cycle. Not hitting kill temperatures for salmonella and staph are possible as well. This is where cooking and science can collide, possibly with disastrous consequences, so learn the food safety before you jump into this."

    What's safe, and what isn't?

    Thanks!

    Theo
  • allsid
    allsid Posts: 492
    Theophan said:
    I don't come here often, and I apologize if this has been discussed to death, but I thought bacteria can multiply below 140.  I'm sure there aren't many bacteria in whole cuts of meat straight from the butcher, but unless it's been irradiated or something, it isn't sterile.  75 hours is a really, really long opportunity for even just a few bacteria to become zillions.  I just googled this, and found on an SV forum, this claim:

    "Captain Buzzkill here,
    this technology is great when used correctly. Done correctly it is safe, done incorrectly you are dealing with environments that can produce all sorts of problems. When used incorrectly, say cooking something below 140 degrees for 3 days is a potential food safety nightmare. Sous Vide (without air) means you can grow botulism if the finished item is temperature abused, or even during the cooking cycle. Not hitting kill temperatures for salmonella and staph are possible as well. This is where cooking and science can collide, possibly with disastrous consequences, so learn the food safety before you jump into this."

    What's safe, and what isn't?

    Thanks!

    Theo
    Theo-  you bring up a valid point on the botulism.  Do you have a link to that forum?  Thanks for the safety reminder!

    Proud resident of Missoula, MT
    https://www.facebook.com/GrillingMontana
    http://grillingmontana.com
    https://instagram.com/grillingmontana

    Check out my book on Kamado cooking called Exclusively Kamado:
    http://bit.ly/kamadobook

  • Botulism needs an anaerobic environment to grow. There are atmospheric levels of oxygen in food saver type bags. Commercial cryovac bags are generally anaerobic (that is their purpose) so that is where your concerns would be.

    140 is the temp where things are killed instantly but you can safely pasteurize anything at lower temps over time. 132 is perfectly safe for beef over 3 days. It take longer to kill the bad guys but they cannot live or proliferate at that temp after an hour or so (I don't have the chart in front of me but there are charts that show what the safety ranges are) Safety is following the guidelines on those charts. 

    It's totally safe when used properly and there is ZERO risk of botulism from home grade equipment
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • BTW- it's very smart to question any cooking method you don't fully understand. SV is a great way to cook and is as safe as any other method if you follow the known safe procedures
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Theophan
    Theophan Posts: 2,654
    @allsid: that quote was from a comment on this page: http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/10/understanding-sous-vide-cooking-heston-blumenthal.html

    @Cen-Tex Smoker: Regarding, "... ZERO risk of botulism from home grade equipment," do you remember Jurassic Park, and "nature will find a way"?  And the engineers who "proved" that bumblebees can't fly?  ;)  I don't think any of this stuff is black-or-white, and that people doing things "wrong" will get away with it most of the time, and that people doing everything "right" are never at truly zero risk.  But after doing some reading this afternoon, it does look like this is much less scary than I had thought.  Thanks for your helpful reply!

    Theo
  • Theophan said:
    @allsid: that quote was from a comment on this page: http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/10/understanding-sous-vide-cooking-heston-blumenthal.html

    @Cen-Tex Smoker: Regarding, "... ZERO risk of botulism from home grade equipment," do you remember Jurassic Park, and "nature will find a way"?  And the engineers who "proved" that bumblebees can't fly?  ;)  I don't think any of this stuff is black-or-white, and that people doing things "wrong" will get away with it most of the time, and that people doing everything "right" are never at truly zero risk.  But after doing some reading this afternoon, it does look like this is much less scary than I had thought.  Thanks for your helpful reply!

    Theo

    OK- I'll put it this way: there are no known cases nor has it ever been proven possible that food saver machines can produce the anaerobic environment needed to foster botulism growth. That's pretty much good enough for me.

    And you can totally cook sous vide in a regular zip lock back with the air pushed out......and there is ZERO danger of botulism in either case :))




    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Clostridium botulinum bacteria can grow in food in the absence of oxygen and produce the deadly botulinum toxin, so sous-vide cooking must be performed under carefully controlled conditions to avoid botulism poisoning.[12] Generally speaking, food that is heated and served within four hours is considered safe, but meat that is cooked for longer to tenderize must reach a temperature of at least 55 °C (131 °F) within four hours and then be kept there for sufficient time, in order to pasteurize the meat.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • westernbbq
    westernbbq Posts: 2,490
    Thanks mucho for posting...very helpful!
  • @allsid I have been in the SV game for several years. Every time someone eats something I prepare in the SV they leave with the intention of buying one and getting in the game.  First, I always warn them about the risks and immediately recommend they read Douglas Baldwin’s book on SV cooking safety. Just google it and you can read online for free.  As @nolaegghead points out there are several basic rules.   The most important one is keeping the temps over 131 degrees on cooks over 4 hours.  There are a couple of tips I learned from a chef of avoiding butter and fresh garlic. Both can create off tastes or become rancid.  SV is a wonderful tool but please don’t enter into it without doing your homework.
    Southeast Louisiana
    3 Larges, Rockin W Smokers Gravity Fed Unit, KBQ, Shirley Fabrication 24 x 36, Teppanyaki Stainless Griddle 
  • RyanStl
    RyanStl Posts: 1,050
    That just looks awesome. I need to get on the SV train for sure.
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    What I suspect turns many off from first-time SV is that all the bagged food looks absolutely disgusting when you pull it out of the bag.  It's just an intermediate/transient phase as you generally don't eat it like then.  Exception to this are vegetables.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • RyanStl
    RyanStl Posts: 1,050
    What I suspect turns many off from first-time SV is that all the bagged food looks absolutely disgusting when you pull it out of the bag.  It's just an intermediate/transient phase as you generally don't eat it like then.  Exception to this are vegetables.
    For me it was we just don't eat much steak, but if it can be used for a variety of meats. I'm also a large quantity cooker of a large family.
  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
    @Money_Hillbilly Thanks for the information about Douglas Baldwin's book. It's got a ton of good information.
    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon