36 hour sound vide brisket


 
J

Joe Milczewski

TVWBB Fan
Edit: thread title should have been sous vide but auto correct nailed me

Had a nice brisket flat from the Mead Ranch in Wyoming. It's the governor's family ranch on the Snake River near the Tetons. I did a 36 hour cook in a sous vide bath at 155*, let it cool and then finished for 3 hours in my WSM running at 225 fired with KBB and pecan chunks.Loved the result, though sous vide leaves the brisket a bit dry to my taste. I think this is because the fat doesn't render as well at 155 as it does in a smoker for a long time at 225ish.

On to the pics!

This was the brisket flat after the sous vide bath and rubbed with some yellow mustard for stickum and the Black Ops brisket rub. I reserved the liquid the brisket expelled during the sous vide and injected it before smoking.

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Then it was on to the smoker. Spring storm today complicated matters. We're a foot of snow into it and still dumping, but the WSM powered right through.

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Here it was sliced...

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And finger test

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Like I said, it was a hair dry but flavor and texture were very good. Sous vide is an amazing tool to have. It definitely can change textures and temperatures in a way that's fun to explore.
 
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On my list to try! Looks good from here, sorry it was drier than you like. I want to try cutting some "steaks" from a flat, doing them for 24 hours @125/130, then searing them. Want to see if they'll come out tender like a steak, but with brisket flavor.

Rich
 
Did you apply any seasoning pre-bath? I haven't tried a brisket yet, but I've done a few steaks. I like the texture, but my wife isn't a fan. Sous Vide is great for quickly thawing meat at least :)
 
Rich G said:
On my list to try! Looks good from here, sorry it was drier than you like. I want to try cutting some "steaks" from a flat, doing them for 24 hours @125/130, then searing them. Want to see if they'll come out tender like a steak, but with brisket flavor.

Rich
Click to expand...

I've done a brisket flat before at 137. It definitely came out medium rare to medium. It almost didn't compute in my mind. My eyes saw brisket and expected one texture but the bite and chew was kind of like a tenderloin. Not better or worse. Just different.

It's hard to imagine ever cooking just a flat again any other way, and it makes it a little more cost effective to be able to buy grocery store flats when you get that brisket craving but don't want to spend the money or the time on a full packer.
 
I did. Rubbed it before the sous vide but as the meat cooks in the vacuum bag it expels so much water that it basically becomes a rub solution in the bag.
 
I smoked a small brisket one time, and although is was a bit tough and dry, the meat made some killer juice when warmed with some stock.

Good looking brisket!

Hate it is snowing in May. I assume that is normal in those parts? My in-law did some welding in Wyoming last summer, and he said it was cold out there.
 
Brisket looks good. Have no experience with sous vide.

I grew up in Casper & know Wyoming cold & snow. Had 3 morning paper routes at one time.
 
My first brisket turned out beautifully! Full packer, 14.5 pounds on the 18WSM about 14 hours. The smoking gods were with me on it! Even though I ate it for a week, I'm almost ready for another! It's a fun project and now I understand why people love it so much.
 
That is a fine looking brisket Joe. I just know it was delicious. I just can't warm up to the Sous Vide. Guess I'm just a charcoal guy, but you guys are putting up some great looking cooks using it. Liked your snow video. It's going to break the 100° mark here on Monday for the first time this year.
 
Snow in May is all too common around here. We typically get our last blizzard around Mother's Day. We're up to about 19" now at last count. It helps keep all the riff-raff out of here.

I definitely prefer a traditional low and slow cook over a sous vide with finish on the smoker. But like anything else it's a toy to play with.
 
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