Smoking a Brisket FULLY, vacuum sealing until the weekend

[MattH]

Hopefully this isn't already posted, but it's been a long day and sometimes I have trouble finding my way around this site! We're having a party in a couple of weeks and I am smoking a whole brisket , a whole homemade pastrami, ribs and chicken. I was thinking that I could fully smoke brisket and the pastrami during the week while I'm at work, let them rest, then vacuum seal them whole for several days. Then refrigerate them and reheat in a sous vide bath on the day of the party. Any thoughts or help? I'm not going to have a lot of time on the day of the get together as we have guests staying with us and I will be smoking the ribs and chicken on that day.

Last time I made the whole pastrami I think I didn't bring it to full temperature when smoking and then finished it in steam on my grill the next day so I could smoke ribs and chicken. That turned out fantastic. (Katz's copy cat recipe by the way - it's GREAT!) This time I was hoping I could fully smoke the pastrami and brisket and then just re-heat a few days later in the water bath.

Thanks everyone!

[RonB]

I've never done that, but I do think the bark on both will take a hit.

[MattH]

Yeah, I figured the bark would take a hit, but I have a bunch of people that will love it anyway, as long as it's tender and juicy! lol

[SmokeyGator]

Personally I would reheat uncovered in my electric oven. But really what I would do is overnight it. I have a primo XL with the extended cooking grates and a Fireboard controller. I could put the brisket and corned beef on at 5 or 6 PM, set the controller to 225, and then go to sleep. The Fireboard would do the rest.

The next morning when the probes say done, wrap it in foil or paper than cambro it. And the smoker is ready for the ribs early enough for a 6 hour cook. Cambro that and then go for the chicken, which will be at a higher temperature.

So it all depends on what equipment you have. For me, overnight long cooks are painless. I trust my technology. I have an rtic 65 quart and yeti 45 quart cooler. Both make EXCELLENT cambros. Holds food safely for hours, if it goes in hot enough. Which a brisket or pastrami would. I like my ribs "competition overdone", meaning the bones pull out clean. They also hold well in a cambro for hours. And chicken? Crank the Fireboard to 350 and its just like my oven, only better because smoke and my AC does not have to fight the hot kitchen.

[MattH]

Thanks, I would do that, but in the past I have had a brisket that ended up taking 15 plus hours and my guests had to eat it leftover anyway since all that was done was chicken!

[SmokeyGator]

MattH, Me too. But you can always set an early alarm to check temps then either go back to sleep or wrap and/or bump the temperature then go back to sleep. But if you are aiming for a 5 PM ish dinner, just put the brisket on at 6 PM the day before. Even if it takes 20 hours, that is still 2 PM when its off the heat.

Last time I used the Primo was for a smaller pulled pork. Had the temp at 250, it was taking longer than expected, so I wrapped in butcher paper and bumped it to 300.