A mean old Flat that didn’t want to play - tough and moist?

[pknj]

My wife got a flat so she could make pho last weekend. There was about 3.5 pounds left over, so I threw it in the SV at 130 for 72 hours. It seemed ok when I took it out for the ice bath, but I didn’t give it too much thought (or fully test, but I thought I remember it being pretty jelly-like...). After a few days in the fridge, I smoked it for about 3 hours at 250 to give it some flavor and color.

End result? TONS of flavor, some of the best I have ever made, moist too. But...sucker was tough! Chewy and really...off putting? I have done over-cooked brisket more than a few times, but never when SV’ing, and this was not dry. I can’t really put my finger on it. I think I am not even going to keep the leftovers - and there are a lot of leftovers for a little hunk of meat.

Not sure what I did wrong, maybe just a mean old cow?

[Redwng]

My wife has taken those tougher than normal flats and makes a stew in the pressure cooker that is fantastic. She has this pressure cooker cooking down pat!

[Jerod Broussard]

Tough flats were not cooked long enough to achieve tenderness.

Moist flats most times were not cooked long enough to achieve tenderness.

[pknj]

Maybe my "bone dry but falling apart" approach is actually spot on after all...!

[rickgregory]

" I think I am not even going to keep the leftovers"

Make chili.

[pknj]

now we are talking!

[fzxdoc]

What Rick said. Brisket in chili is the bomb. The toughness will go away.

Kathryn