hot tub brisket

[bkleinsmid]

Fender60 asked about a med to med rare brisket.......

http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40484

I was talking with a buddy of mine this morning and he asked the same thing......and I gave the same answer as the rest of them. Low and slow and about 195* when tender.

So now my question to all you wise owls.........can one sous vide a brisket?
I'm thinking 145* for about 2 days. Has anyone tried it......is there any info on it?
Please give me your ideas and I will sacrifice a small flat I have in the freezer.

Thanks,
Brad

[HawgHeaven]

I have never tried it. I am old school with brisket... need that smoke ring, smokey flavor, and tenderness on that tough bovine. No reason why you couldn't SV it I guess, but be careful. If I were going to SV it, I'd smoke it first, until the bark is real nice, bag and bath it until done. But, IMHO, brisket is supposed to be BBQ. And NOT medium rare. Just sayin'...

[bkleinsmid]

I agree with you.......low and slow is the only way I have ever fixed them.

Here is my plan.........I think.......

Season with my brisket rub.......smoke for 2 to 3 hours.......then bag it with some broth. Hot tub it for 36 to 48 hours (until tender......if that ever happens..) Then a quick sear to reset the bark. If it is still tuff then back to square one and finish it in the oven until it is tender.
It will be a learning experience......

[Abelman]

My best guess at that internal temp..........

[Fishawn]

You found my Keen's Pete

I think Big Mikey has done something similar to what you have planned

[bkleinsmid]

With BBQ sauce??

[HawgHeaven]

My best guess at that internal temp..........

Yup!

[Bearcarver]

I don't have one yet, but I'd think if you can SV a Bottom Round to a nice Pink 140°, you could do the same with a Brisket. And then sear it after.


Bear

[barkonbutts]

Will be interesting, if it comes to it, you can always cub up and turn into chili..... will get tender cooking in the chili after a few hours... my guess is it will still be tough....

[bkleinsmid]

Thanks all for the input.
I think I will try it like Bear said and if it is still a bit ruff on the ivories, a good pot of chili like Barkonbutts suggested will be in the making. With 3 hours of smoke time, that chili would killer.

[Bearcarver]

Thanks all for the input.
I think I will try it like Bear said and if it is still a bit ruff on the ivories, a good pot of chili like Barkonbutts suggested will be in the making. With 3 hours of smoke time, that chili would killer.

Don't forget to take notes & pics for your curious Buddies & Bears!!


Bear

[bigmikey]

Here's a few i did, had no problem getting tender at low temps. If you want the true medium rare color, I'd suggest going 129 for 72 hours, shock in ice water, fridge overnight, season and smoke the next day at 200 until reaching an it of 115, then sear it off to finish. If your not worried about being solid pink across id finish it to 140°. I've also had great success with smoking at 225 until it reaches 160, then bagging up and placing in the sv at 134 for 24 hours.


http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39506

*http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37839

*http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40151

[zombini]

My best guess at that internal temp..........

That's the way my cheap steaks were even after about 8 hours in the bath

[DDave]

If you want the true medium rare color, I'd suggest going 129 for 72 hours

Curious why you suggest 129°?

From what I have read in the Stickys in the SV forum, the PDF on the SV Supreme site does not recommend any cooking temperature lower than 134°. In fact they also cite the US Food code recommendation that food not be kept between 41° F and 130° F for more than four hours.

On the page that Hawgheaven referenced it says this

While there are many ways to kill food pathogens, cooking is the easiest. Every food pathogen has a temperature that it can’t grow above and a temperature it can’t grow below. They start to die above the temperature that they stop growing at and the higher above this temperature you go, the faster they die. Most food pathogens grow fastest a few degrees below the temperature that they start to die. Most food pathogens stop growing by 122°F (50°C), but the common food pathogen Clostridium perfringens can grow at up to 126.1°F (52.3°C). So in sous vide cooking, you usually cook at 130°F (54.4°C) or higher. (You could cook your food at slightly lower temperatures, but it would take you a lot longer to kill the food pathogens.)

The Pasteurization Time for Meat (Beef, Pork, and Lamb) chart on that page do not list any temperatures lower than 131°.

Plus if tenderness is the goal . . .

For tough but flavorful cuts of beef–such as top blade, chuck, and top round–season the meat and cook in a 131°F (55°C) water bath for 24–48 hours. This is the lowest temperature at which (insoluble) collagen denatures (dissolves) into gelatin, at higher temperatures the denaturing occurs more quickly (Powell et al., 2000; This, 2006).

Unless I am missing something (and I very well could be), it seems like 131° would be the lower limit in terms of desired tenderness and safety.

Dave

[bigmikey]

Most food pathogens stop growing by 122°F (50°C), but the common food pathogen Clostridium perfringens can grow at up to 126.1°F (52.3°C). So in sous vide cooking, you usually cook at 130°F (54.4°C) or higher. (You could cook your food at slightly lower temperatures, but it would take you a lot longer to kill the food pathogens.)

you can cook at lower temps just may take longer. That brisket could take 72 even 96 hours. 129 is the lowest id suggest but a lot of french pros use 125 and think us Americans are paranoid. I've got some burgers I'm doing this weekend, 129x6, shock, fridge, then retherm on yoder at 600