Welcome!


This is a membership forum. Guests can view 5 pages for free. To participate, please join.

[ Pitmaster Club Information | Join Now | Login | Contact Us ]

Only 4 free page views remaining.

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

ChefSteps Brisket questions and modifications...

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    #16
    To add to the conversation, I made a brisket flat sous viding at two different temperatures and then a quick hot smoke. It came out great! No pictures since my friends brought their 1 1/2 year twin boys to destroy my house

    I followed the advice of a ChefSteps forum poster - Diablote. Diastole goes into a long and very interesting explanation of collagen contraction and temperature control and the post is worth finding (it is toward the bottom of the first forum page - https://www.chefsteps.com/activities...smoked-brisket. The summary is: "A recommendation, then, if you're cheap like me but want to get off-the-chain results on a poorly-marbled Select brisket, would be to sous vide for 36 hours at 130˚ to dissolve all the collagen (into very moist gelatin) before it can contract, and then another 4 hours at 151˚ to get the color and texture of smoked brisket. Just my 2¢."

    I did this almost exactly - 48 hours at 131 and 4 hours at 151. I then chilled it overnight (always chill) and then 1.5 hours in the smoker at 325. The results were fantastic! The meat was moist for a flat and fairly tender. While the crust had mild smoke flavor, it was probably the best I ever made.

    In the future I might go up to 155 as the texture wasn't quite as traditional as I might have liked. I will definitely never do a straight 155 sous vide again.

    Comment


    • Dr ROK
      Dr ROK commented
      Editing a comment
      smiliepolarbear, is there a reason you chose the 325º quick hot smoke over a lower temp 225º smoke?

    #17
    I just this weekend did my first Sous Vide Brisket, I have done 20 or so smoked briskets in the RecTec, ruined a couple experimenting but now can get good results always, great results sometimes. I read a lot online and decided to use Kenji’s method for my first try. I got a prime packer from Costco, had it in the fridge for a couple days, decided on 155 and 24 hours. I cut in in half cross ways about where the flat joins the point, both sections were roughly 5lbs. each after trimming. The flat end I used his salt & pepper rub including Prague salt and added some garlic powder & onion powder for my tastes. The point end I used Black Ops with nothing added. I did not dry brine or inject. Sat refrigerated excactly 3 hours after rub, exactly 24 hours @ 155 in the bath, shocked and then refrigerated for a few hours. I pulled the meat out of the fridge for 30 min. Or so during cooker warm up. Smoked exactly 3 hours on the RecTec setting at 270 for 2 1/2 hours, up to 280 for the last 1/2 hour, the RecTec is well seasoned, and I know my grate temp. and setting temp. Are near the same. The flat piece had a deep great smoke ring, the point ends to my surprise also had a decent smoke ring, lacking in some spots but good. It by a good measure was the best brisket I have ever cooked and got raves from all that tasted some. The bark for me was perfect, near fall apart tender but no problem cutting thin. Great mouth feel. The left overs stored sliced when warmed up were still moist and tender. Will have to try this method on less than prime and also on a frozen brisket and compare results but I do think I will use this exact method from now on.
    Last edited by SMOG MAN; November 15, 2017, 09:29 PM. Reason: Spelling

    Comment


    • EdF
      EdF commented
      Editing a comment
      Sounds great! What was behind using the Prague powder, though?

    • SMOG MAN
      SMOG MAN commented
      Editing a comment
      I followed Kenjis advise about using the Prague #1 curing salt for getting/getting more smoke ring to see the results,

    #18
    I did the chef steps version this past weekend. I tweaked the recipe by using kosher salt instead of smoked salt, separating the point from the flat (they cut there's in half anyway, so I figured why not), and I reheated in my rec tec instead of the oven. Bark was great, point was pretty good, but flat was a bit on the dry side. Like smiliepolarbear mentioned, I also noted Diabolte's comments and considered following that advice, but wanted to try the original recipe as written. Good to hear it has been tried in the pit. That's my next brisket experiment.

    Comment


    • Potkettleblack
      Potkettleblack commented
      Editing a comment
      ChefSteps has optional Prague powder in the wet brine step.

    • Dr ROK
      Dr ROK commented
      Editing a comment
      Potkettleblack, yes, I used it and ended up with about 3/8" smoke ring. Worked very well. I let it soak for three hours with the pink salt added.

    • Potkettleblack
      Potkettleblack commented
      Editing a comment
      Yeah... it produces an almost comical smoke ring... I've stopped doing it, because I've gotten to where I don't need a smoke ring to tell me I did it right...

    #19
    I've done a few packer briskets since I wrote this some time ago and...

    1. As Potkettleblack pointed out and we all know, the smoke ring is useless. In the last year I've gotten over my irrational infatuation with it. I think as a relative n00b it was just cool.

    2. Medium-rare brisket might be the finest meat on the planet. 72 hours at around 132ºF, chill, smoke back up to a comfortable temperature + bark (I've been doing my quick smokes at higher temps, usually in the 300º zone, to get a better crust on the outside and faster results) and it's awesome.

    While I go for "traditional" now and then, I'm really loving lower internal temperatures and going with chopped alternatives to pulled. It's really the best of both worlds.

    Comment


    • jecucolo
      jecucolo commented
      Editing a comment
      I’m doing my first QVQ this weekend. The 9 pound packer was dry brined for 3 days, BBBR applied, smoked until it hit 125 and Sous vide for 54 hours. I’m going to heat it up in the kettle with misquite until 130. YE-ha!

    • Potkettleblack
      Potkettleblack commented
      Editing a comment
      As others have found, 275-350 tends to produce better bark on the second Q. Hot and fast for that.

    • binarypaladin
      binarypaladin commented
      Editing a comment
      275-350°F has definitely worked for me. And, well, it’s faster.

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.
Working...
X
false
0
Guest
Guest
500
["pitmaster-my-membership","login","join-pitmaster","lostpw","reset-password","special-offers","help","nojs","meat-ups","gifts","authaau-alpha","ebooklogin-start","alpha","start"]
false
false
{"count":0,"link":"/forum/announcements/","debug":""}
Yes
["\/forum\/free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-downloads","\/forum\/free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-downloads\/1157845-paid-members-download-your-6-deep-dive-guide-ebooks-for-free-here","\/forum\/the-pitcast","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/bbq-news-magazine-2019-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/bbq-news-magazine-2020-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/bbq-news-magazine-2021-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/bbq-news-magazine-2022-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/current-2023-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/current-2024-issues","\/forum\/free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-downloads\/1165909-trial-members-download-your-free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-here"]
/forum/free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-downloads/1165909-trial-members-download-your-free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-here