First attempt at Sous Vide brisket: Tried 135°F for 36h, then 155°F for 8h, with 3h smoke planned but had to stop at 1.5h due to rising meat temp. Great smoke flavor, but the lean part was drier than expected. Might skip the 155°F stage next time. The bag juice makes the lean parts amazing!
by badassmexican
4 Comments
I’ve only tried this once with a brisket and I was horrified at how dry it was at first. I ended up shredding the flat and was amazed at how it soaked the juices back up after tossing them together. Still, I’m going to stick to smoking my brisket.
I’v done it 3 times at 155 for 24 hours and 3 hour smoke. I’m surprised at the crust I get from just three hours of smoke. Smoke ring great every time as well. I think it helps to ice down then to leave it wet out of the bag. Also I find if you dry brine it up two or three days the pepper on the outside surprisingly stays intact even after a 24 hour bath. and finally all three times the point Meat has been pretty outstanding.
The cons are the fat rendering on the deckle has been satisfactory all three times but slightly hit or miss but I think it’s like that just smoking a brisket. The flat has been dry for me all three times. But to be honest, the flat is always dry with every brisket I’ve ever made so that probably has more to do with me or me not getting a good brisket. and I’ve gotten the good stuff from Creekstone Prime from Sam’s Club you name it can’t seem to get the flat right. I think I’m trimming aggressively. I pretty much follow Chud‘s steps to a T to make sure the flat is nice and thick and it’s uniform all around. So mystery there.
for me, the conclusion is the best three briskets I’ve made were from sous vide but I think my next one I’m gonna keep on smoker and a higher heat 275 … most of those pros down in Texas do 275 so I think I’ve been doing too low and slow…causing the flat to dry out.
This is my recipe for brisket. The flat is juicy and incredibly tender, perfect for slicing and sandwiches. The point falls apart and is fantastic:
Smoke for 4-6 hours
Sous vide 151 for 48hrs
Chill
Finish on grill to reheat.
Yum.
I’ve done many full packers at 155 for 36. Refrigerate overnight then smoke at 225 to 140. Fantastic every time.