Should I Not Jaccard my Brisket?

OK, so lazy and didn't do the searches just yet but frankly don't recall the subject over the last 3-5 years of just watching and reading.

I am going to do some moderatley high temp (275-325 degree) brisket cooking in the next couple of days. About 40 lb cook.

I have them in a drink that I like to use. Wine, woosty, red onion, Stubbs beef marinade for 24 hours.

I am going to use Kevins original coffee based rub since folks keep asking me to do that again after the last couple cooks. Instead of the newer more "fruity" one if you will that he just posted a week or so ago (I WANT to try that, but deferring to popular demand for this cook).

So to the subject. I have this cool jaccard that I haven't really used that much except for a couple of duck cooks. Wondering if it would hurt to jaccard the two briskies or if folks think I would just be wasting my time.

Can' see how it would hurt though.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by r benash:

Can' see how it would hurt though. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Me neither. I do remember a post from a few yrs ago on the same subject. Never heard if it helped or not but do keep us posted on you're results!

Tim

Yeah, will give it a try and let folks not. Expectations are low that it will make any real difference, but we'll see!

If you do it, do you have a way to put the briskets in a vacuum? I would guess that would help to pull the marinade into the brisket.

So it was an after thought and as such the two 18lb briskies went in the drink before I used it. They are in a bucket now for another 12 hours yet. Lots of Stubs beef marinade, red onion, garlic, wine. This elixir has served well in the past several brisket cooks and is in general excellent for beef.

Might still do it but it would be before I apply the rub.

I usually don't but will probably apply the rub and let it set in the fridge for about 12 hours. For the last several years I've moved outside the somewhat standard method. I typically salt, rub right before the meat goes on the smoker. Haven't seen any advantage. Thanks Kevin Kruger for that tip oh so long ago.

Good point though to help pull in marinade the jaccard along with vac sealer (I have one that can handle a full packer) marinade should be a good method exactly to the purpose you mention Jim. Next time Jaccard/Marinade/Vac Seal/Rub/Vac Seal/Cook.

Might be a good "control" to see if jaccard plus rub has any noticeable affect in terms of rub flavors migrating to the interior. I kind of doubt that it will. Marinade scenario with vac seal would definitely pull in though IMHO based on other folks experience with vac seal/marinade.

Anyway for this trip the jaccard treatment would just perhaps help with overall texture, maybe cook time, not sure and with rub flavor getting in a little deeper. Maybe I will jaccard, rub, vac seal, set for 12 to 18 hours to see what happens.

Going to start them early Saturday so that I just need to reheat to 140 in vac bags/water bath to 140 degrees on Sunday. This reheat method has worked excellent for PP, Brisket, Ribs so that process I'm very confident with in terms of actual value/quality.

On another note. If you have a Restaruant Depot/Jetro near you. Join KCBS. They have major accounts with RD and other restaurant supplies. You simply walk in, go to customer service and show your KCBS card to get a temp "pass" for the day. At mine in Philly they don't put a date on the temp pass, very convenient. The price on the brisket was about $2 pound and was not on sale. Of course if you have a business and Tax ID not an issue.

I did make a minor error in that the one brisket states full brisket (has the point) and the other cryo said RD brisket flats. Funny though they both weigh the same and they both seem to have the point/deckle on them. We'll see. I'm pretty confident they will be just fine though. I was hoping to save the point from the two though to make some point chilly later. We'll see if I end up with one or two points to work with. I plan to seperate the point/s when I pull the briskets to cool/tent.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">On another note. If you have a Restaruant Depot/Jetro near you. Join KCBS. They have major accounts with RD and other restaurant supplies. You simply walk in, go to customer service and show your KCBS card to get a temp "pass" for the day. At mine in Philly they don't put a date on the temp pass, very convenient. The price on the brisket was about $2 pound and was not on sale. Of course if you have a business and Tax ID not an issue. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

you might want to see if they will issue you a card. They did for me, with KCBS listed as the cardholder. I ended up letting my KCBS membership elapse because I never read the Bullsheet, and couldn't figure out any benefit other than the RD card which I've been using since without the KCBS membership.

Regarding the Jaccard: I'm not sure it makes sense. The blades tenderize by cutting the grain, which you will end up slicing into pencil thin lengths when you slice for service. The Jaccard will make lots of little holes for you to lose moisture from as your brisket shrinks during cooking. If marinade penetration is desired, I'd recommend injecting rather than the Jaccard/vac sealer approach. Just my 2 cents.

Ahh, that's the detail I was looking for. Thanks Jay. On both accounts.

RD membership - I'll just need to do a run down and get a permanent card on KCBS account, I just didn't have the patience or time to wait and work through that process. The customer service person is often over worked and needs to disappear from the counter for good lengths of time. She has been otherwise very helpful.

On the jaccard - I feel the same way at this stage may just skip it. And I have a great injector that I use for hams. So I might just go with injection next time around.

My current method is good. I have had great overall success. So may just stick with that and not experiment this round.

When I first got my jaccard (I use it to break the skin on chicken) I thought about doing a pork butt, but never had. I have always wondered if there was any benefit to typicaly Q cuts. I do like Js point. Maybe 1 day I will to some test on this.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">RD membership - I'll just need to do a run down and get a permanent card on KCBS account, I just didn't have the patience or time to wait and work through that process. The customer service person is often over worked and needs to disappear from the counter for good lengths of time. She has been otherwise very helpful. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I leave my RD card at home about 50% of the time, and waited for 10 minutes for them to reappear at times. As you said, they are over worked doing a lot, and well... if I brought my card like I should it wouldn't be a problem.

Yeah Josh, each time I ended up with an undated temp card. So whats not to like. Just that I should probably go through the process and get the permanent card so I don't have to visit customer service each time/I lost the undated temp card.

Both 18 lb briskets have been pulled from the marinade bucket, trimmed a little, salted then dusted and wrapped. Waiting to go on the cooker tomorrow morning.

Wondering/curious about the one though. Both are labeled as Angus Beef. One was 18.5lb the other 18lb. The 18.5 said Restaurant Depot Brisket. The other 18 lb said Restaurant Depot Brisket Flats. The first one looks just as I would expect, its typical whole brisket with the point attached. Fat in the typical places, etc.

The second labeled Restaurant Depot Brisket Flats, but just one piece in the cryo. The odd thickness didn't throw me off in the stor as I figured there may be two flats in the package based on the labeling. It is one 18lb hunk really thick. It doesn't have the look of a brisket flat with the point removed. Is there such a thing as a second cut brisket flat? It does have a good grain to it. Just looks different, thicker and had less fat on it than what I associate with a brisket flat. In terms of length it's just as long, about the same size as the other whole brisket. Anyone out there that shops RD regular for briskets know/seen what I'm talking about?

I'll take some pics tomorrow when I pull to toss on the smoker. I plan to cook them exactly the same, I.E. until 165 or so, foil, then watch for probe tender then out to restore bark a little, tent, cool section out, vac seal, reheat and slice on Sunday. They sure look nice coming out of the marinade and with Kevin's rub on them. Smell great. Toasted and ground all the peppers and spices to make it.

That second hunk though, really tempted to take a horizontal cut through it to give it the same overall average thickness of a typical flat.

Going to use the extender and cook a slap of ribs too.