Brisket Flat: Sous Vide 24 Hrs then PBC for 3hrs

[KuKuPuffs]

My Brisket Flats always tend to come out dry, so I figured I try something different. So I tried giving the Serious Eats article about sous vide a brisket a try.


1) Started with a 5 pound quality piece of dry aged flat from Porter Road



2) I checked with PorterRoad and they say their vacuum sealed bags is all sous vide ready. So I just dropped the brisket directly into the Sous Vide without any seasoning inside.

I let it go for 24 hours @ 155F based on Serious Eats recommendation. Afterwards I dunked it directly into an Ice Bath and refrigerated it overnight.

3. Next morning, opened up the vacuum sealed back, took it out, slathered some yellow muster and then seasoned it a John Lewis Style rub (lawry's seasoned salt, kosher salt, coarse black pepper, garlic) and hung it on the rebar, PBC style




4) Smoked it in the PBC @ 250F for 3 hours using Kingsford Original

Internal Temp started at 48 F and reached 170F when I pulled it.
It rested for about 2 hours in a cooler until internal temp was at 150 before slicing.

5) Thin side of the meat was still very dry, the thicker side has a bit more moisture due to that fat cap, but honestly not sure if the sous vide did anything special vs just smoking it straight in the PBC

https://imgur.com/a/asNI1Yt

Not sure if I left it in the PBC for too long and thus drying it out again. I think my next experiment is to reverse the process. Smoke it for a few hours, then into a sous vide bath it goes, then there's no chance I can possibly over cook it.

[Jerod Broussard]

As you tendererize tough cuts they squeeze out the water, period. I've sous vide cured flats at a super low temp of 131.5-F and STILL had a bag full of water and a typical dry-ish flat.

[bbqLuv]

Very interesting, good to know.

[Potkettleblack]

One suggestion might be to hang from the skinny end, so it's further from the fire.

[bbq_esq]

This worked for me on my first brisket cook on PBC

[KuKuPuffs]

One suggestion might be to hang from the skinny end, so it's further from the fire.

not a bad idea, i am double hooking so it should be safe. I always like the thick fat end up top since I theorize the fat will then drip down to the skinny end basting it.

[Jerod Broussard]

It doesn't make a difference in the PBC on something that short. I've done whole packers that were touching the coals and they were fine.

[Troutman]

All fat will do is roll off the meat as it renders, does very little to the inside of the meat. Try injecting with some phosphate laced injection liquid.

[Murdy]

The recipe on the free side says sous vide at 145 for 24-30 hours, and reheat at 225 to internal temp of 130. As I understand it, PBC's run a bit hotter than 225 as a rule.

https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/beef-and-bison-recipes/smoked-sous-vide-que-bbq-brisket-recipe/

[MsTwiggy]

This is bringing back memories. . . My first brisket I did the same way, I cooked it in cooler using a sous vide set to 150 and finished on my PBC. I recall it was dry and it put me off trying to do a brisket again. My second brisket cook was start to finish in the PBC and it was better. I wonder if more moisture is lost in the bag than when you get the smoke on it at start?

[Jerod Broussard]

Not really, it just evaporates during the cook, just an "air bag" to collect.

[GolfGeezer]

I do the serious Eats SV as well, but I think the timing and temp you used is different. I do mine at 155 for 30 hours, then after chilling, smoke for 3 hours at 275*. IT usually gets closer to 190*. Very tender and moist throughout using a Costco prime flat. Almost pull-apart tender. Maybe the extra SV time and higher smoke temp got it to what I think was pretty good.

just checked Kenji’s recipe. 155* for 24-36 hours. I use 30. He smokes at 300*. Of course, every brisket is its own "beast".

[KuKuPuffs]

I do the serious Eats SV as well, but I think the timing and temp you used is different. I do mine at 155 for 30 hours, then after chilling, smoke for 3 hours at 275*. IT usually gets closer to 190*. Very tender and moist throughout using a Costco prime flat. Almost pull-apart tender. Maybe the extra SV time and higher smoke temp got it to what I think was pretty good.

I'll have to keep your numbers in mind if I do decide to try this again. I was going by what Serious Eats recommended:

At 155°F (68°C), we get much better results than at 145°F. Yes, the brisket will expel a lot of moisture as it cooks, but what it loses in water it gains in tenderness and moisture, in the form of more connective tissue breaking down and fat rendering. For me, 155°F for between 24 and 36 hours is ideal.

Maybe i will try it to 30+ hours next time when I do things in reverse. For me I pulled it at 170 since I didn't think i needed to cook it to 190 in the PBC since it's already cooked due to the Sous Vide, and i'm just giving it smoke flavor. It's also what Serious Eats recommended if you used an oven instead.

[Oak Smoke]

I’ve not tried SV yet, but here is somethings I have learned. I buy select grade briskets occasionally then wet age them for 60-70 days. It’s a through back thing to a time when BBQ was the way to make cheap tough cuts very good. Any way I’ve found that the leaner the brisket, especially the flat, the hotter and faster it needs to be cooked. I cook my cheap briskets at 300 F and they turn out very good. Another benefit is that they are done much sooner, some times in as little as 6 hours.

[sdom1]

Maybe you should go with the grate rather than hanging it. Your thin end is right over the fire when hanging, and PBCs tend to be a hot and fast cook from what I remember. Also, dry aging is great but you do lose water content and that changes the way the meat cooks. In my experience dry aged meat cooks faster and you have less of a margin of error.

[fzxdoc]

I've had some delicious SVQ and QVQ briskets using the PBC or the WSCGC following Polarbear777 's method, using the essentials from his post for QVQ pastrami here:

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/the-pit-mastery-program/sous-vide/470975-"two-week-qvq-pastrami"#post470975

He puts his QVQ brisket cook in a nutshell here:

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/the-pit-mastery-program/beef-steak-brisket-roasts-prime-rib-etc/909553-sous-vide-brisket-i-am-going-to-try-it-comments-on-my-plan?p=909614#post909614

He's never steered me wrong in these cooks.

Sometimes I skip the first smoke and do an SVQ instead, but it still turns out great.

FWIW, here's my first post using Polarbear's method on a grass-fed brisket: https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...885#post781885

Kathryn

[jpsep]

Try dry brining a couple days before and then check out Mad Scientist BBQ on YouTube. He thinks Aaron Franklin’s secret is butcher paper wrap with Wagyu tallow. I’ve since bought the Chicago packing brand of tallow and lard. Made for some very tasty bbq.

[BFlynn]

Interesting cook. I'd be keen to see how it comes out if you reverse it!


My go to, for flats, is pastrami.

[DogFaced PonySoldier]

So you did a sous vide in the factory cryo with no salt? Salt helps retain moisture... I'd think the sous vide would draw out a bunch of fluid and you've got nothing trying to keep it IN.

I don't think I'd do anything SV without dry brining or at least salting prior to sealing.

[KuKuPuffs]

So you did a sous vide in the factory cryo with no salt? Salt helps retain moisture... I'd think the sous vide would draw out a bunch of fluid and you've got nothing trying to keep it IN.

I don't think I'd do anything SV without dry brining or at least salting prior to sealing.

Ah....you definitely have a point here. Yes I did it factory cryo with no salt.