Two Brisket cooked very differently (Including Sous Vide)

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bmaddox

Master of the Pit
Original poster
Jan 5, 2015
1,705
144
Central FL
I carefully watch the brisket prices in my area as the are typically too high for me to justify buying one. This week the local butcher had Prime briskets for $3.99 a pound which is about the cheapest they get. I decided to pick up two and do some experimenting.

Brisket 1:

17LB prime brisket

I decided to keep it simple with this one.

Friday:

Trim brisket, slather with steak sauce, and rub with salt and pepper

Saturday:

4:00 AM - went on the smoker at 275 degrees

10:00 AM - IT is 165. Wrapped in butcher paper

3:30 PM - IT is 195 in the point and 200 in the flat. Removed from smoker

4:00 PM - Cut a portion of the point into chunks and returned to smoker for burnt ends

5:00 PM - Sauced the burnt ends and moved them into the oven at 275 (I had too much going on the watch the smoker anymore)

6:30 PM - Burnt ends or done

This brisket turned out great. A pretty traditional cook with moist slice and delicious burnt ends

I didn't take a lot of pictures of the first brisket as I was focused on the second.


Burnt ends in all their glory 


Brisket #2:

This is where things got a little off the rails. I decided I was going to separate the flat and the point first then Sous Vide the flat and smoke the point.

16LB Prime brisket

Friday:

Trim brisket then carefully separate the flat from the point (I did an adequate job of this but it was not very pretty)

Slather point with steak sauce then rub with salt and pepper

7:00 PM - Lightly season flat with salt and pepper, vacuum seal, then place into 160 degree water bath

Saturday:

4:00 AM - Point goes on the smoker at 275

9:00 AM - Point is at 170 degrees. Wrap in butcher paper then back on the smoker

11:00 AM - Point is at 195 degrees. Wrap in foil and place in cooler

3:00 PM - Remove flat from water bath, pat dry and season with more salt and pepper. Place on smoker

4:00 PM - Take point out of cooler, cut into chunks, season with rub and place on smoker

5:00 PM - Take burnt ends out of smoker, sauce them, and place in oven

5:00 PM - Flat is at 170 and has a good bark. Pull from smoker, wrap in foil and place in cooler

6:30 PM - Burnt ends done

7:00 PM - Serve everything up and enjoy

The point trimmed and seasoned


Flat trimmed and seasoned. I didn't leave much fat since it would be cooked Sous Vide. 



Vac sealed and ready to go. 


I had to improvise a lid using plastic wrap and a towel to keep the heat in. 


Smoker chugging along. I can't wait for my wireless thermo to arrive so I don't have to deal with all these wires. 


The point wrapped in paper


The flat after its long warm bath


Here is all the juice that was in the bag. Normally this would have all just disappeared during cooking. 


The point after resting in the cooler


Ready to go back on the smoker


Here is the flat sliced up. It was very different than a traditional smoked brisket.


All served up and ready to go. 


The sous vide was not as good as I had hoped. I think the 160 degrees overnight was too low of a temp for that short of a time. There was a lot of collagen that had not broken down yet. The texture was good but was more like a steak than a regular brisket. It took on a good smoke flavor during its short smoke (more than I thought it would). I am going to try this again but with a few changes.

Thanks for looking. 
 
Now that was an interesting experiment!

So, if you were to do a flat like this again, what temp would you set the sous vide bath at?  180° keeps running through my head, but what are your thoughts?

points.gif
 for the experimentation!
 
I did a Brisket Sous Vide style for this years UK get together. Sous Vide it, chilled the smoked on the day for 4 hours. Was not that impressed with the result.
 
 
Now that was an interesting experiment!

So, if you were to do a flat like this again, what temp would you set the sous vide bath at?  180° keeps running through my head, but what are your thoughts?

points.gif
 for the experimentation!
Yes 180 will be the target temp next time. There are plenty of conflicting recipes online for sous vide brisket, some cooking as low as 135 degrees. I am going to try 180 for 16-24 hours to really break down all the collagen and fat then smoke it for a few hours and see how that goes. 
 
I did a Brisket Sous Vide style for this years UK get together. Sous Vide it, chilled the smoked on the day for 4 hours. Was not that impressed with the result.
What temp did you cook it at and for how long?

I would say that mine was good but not great. It was a lot easier than smoking it for 12 plus hours but not nearly as tender. 
 
 
Yes 180 will be the target temp next time. There are plenty of conflicting recipes online for sous vide brisket, some cooking as low as 135 degrees. I am going to try 180 for 16-24 hours to really break down all the collagen and fat then smoke it for a few hours and see how that goes. 
Looking forward to the experiment!
 
Interesting and informative Thumbs Up However , I've found what I like in total "Smoki ng" in my Pit and don't intend to change things .:cool:

I know not open minded , but :dunno

Have fun anyway , and . . .
 
Interesting and informative
icon14.gif
However , I've found what I like in total "Smoki ng" in my Pit and don't intend to change things .
cool.gif


I know not open minded , but
th_dunno-1%5B1%5D.gif


Have fun anyway , and . . .
That's why I did one brisket the traditional way. My dad wanted some of the brisket and I knew he wouldn't like my experimental one (it's not for everyone). 
 
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