Sous Vide + Smoked Brisket: A Journey

As they say, don't bury the lede. Well here it is!

I wanted to document a fun experience I had this weekend to cook a beef brisket point via a new method I read about on Serious Eats. Many thanks to Kenji Lopez-Alt for the procedures and inspiration!

First I acquired a meduim-sized point-cut of beef brisket. Well actually I acquired an entire brisket and separated the point muscle, but that's another story for another day. I failed to weigh it after the butchery, but I suspect after trimming off the hard fat I had about 4-5 pounds of point. I made a rub of salt, pepper, and a little bit of pink curing salt and applied it in copious amounts to all surfaces of the meat.

Then it went into a vacuum bag:

and into a hot water bath at 155 degrees.

After covering the top of the pot with plastic wrap to prevent evaporation, I let it sit for 30 hours. For good measure, I flipped it once, halfway through cooking.

The next step was to place put it in an ice water bath for 30 minutes to chill the internal temperature back down to 40 degrees. The meat is cooked at this point, but I want it to spend enough time in the smoker to get some nice flavor, and if I smoked it still hot from the water bath it would dry out long before the smoke had time to penetrate. (Sorry, no pic of the ice water bath, I was distracted...)

While the brisket in the bag was chilling, I set up my smoker and got it to 220 degrees. This is a little lower than I would normally smoke a brisket, but I didn't want it to heat up too quickly (as the meat is already cooked). Once the meat was thoroughly chilled, I stuck a probe thermometer in the thickest part and put it in the smoker:

Here it is after smoking for about 30 minutes!

Once the brisket reached an internal temperature of 150 degrees, I pulled it out of the smoker and let it rest on the cutting board for a few minutes before slicing pencil-thin.

I served it with a side of pasta salad to a happy family:

In all, it was an amazing experience. I can't wait to try combine smoking and sous vide for other barbecued applications!

Jalapeño BBQ Sauce

Another BBQ sauce recipe? Yes, I've posted sauce recipes before, but I'm always trying new variations. Adding jalapeños changes it enough for the better that I had to share! -Jake

Ingredients
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 tomato sauce can cider vinegar (yes, measure the vinegar in the tomato sauce can)
1 small can diced jalapeños
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
Put tomatoes, sauce, vinegar, jalapeños, and garlic in a blender and purée together*. Place in a large saucepan on medium-high heat. Whisk in remaining ingredients. Once it starts bubbling, reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring frequently for 10-15 minutes, until the sauce is thickened.

* You can use an immersion blender and purée the ingredients directly in the saucepan if you would like.

BBQ Brisket

So my boss sends me an email the other day and asks me, "Where is your recipe for brisket? I want to barbecue one this weekend," and I realized I have never posted it! This forced me to collect my notes and document this delicious recipe for all of my Texas-loving barbecue friends!
Note: fans of this blog may notice that the rub and sauce recipes are recycled from other posts!

Ingredients

• One beef brisket, fat cap trimmed to 1/4 inch thick.

Rub:

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin (freshly toasted and ground from whole seeds would be best)
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (regular paprika would also be OK)
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne or chipotle chile powder (1/2 tsp if you don't like heat - wimp!)
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Sauce:

• one 8 ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup molasses (or brown sugar, but I like the molasses better)
• 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
• ½ tablespoon onion powder
• ½ tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

Directions

Thoroughly mix all rub ingredients (I like to pulse them together in a food processor). Work the rub into all surfaces of the brisket. Tightly wrap with plastic wrap, put on a tray or sheet pan, and marinate in the refrigerator for 4-8 hours, flipping 2-3 times during the marinade (if you can).

Mix all sauce ingredients together in a saucepan. Head over medium heat until bubbles start to form, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Adjust sweetness with 2-4 tablespoons of molasses/sugar if you like it less tangy. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Heat the smoker to 225 degrees. Place the marinaded brisket in smoker, fat side up, and apply smoke for 2-3 hours. Baste with sauce and let smoke for another hour. Flip the brisket over, baste with sauce again, and smoke for another 3-4 hours. At this point, it generally has enough smoke flavor for me, so I remove from the smoker, baste with more sauce, and cook in a low oven or crock pot for another 4-6 hours to tenderize it. If you like your brisket super smokey, or have a very thick brisket, you may want to smoke it longer instead of bringing it indoors. Once the brisket is fork tender, let cool for 10-20 minutes and slice across the grain. 

Pork Spareribs with BBQ Rub #2

So I know I've posted ribs before, but these are different. The last time, they were baby back ribs, which are smaller, more tender, and a little less juicy than spareribs. Additionally, spareribs have a much higher meat/bone ratio and a bit more fat, making them more succulent and chewy as you eat them. Besides the difference in meat, this rub is sweet/savory - no heat; I think this lets the flavor of the pork shine though more. One word of warning about this recipe: the sauce is tangy! If you like a sweeter sauce, add ¼ cup brown sugar, but I don't recommend it ;)

Rub Ingredients
This makes more than enough rub for one large rack of ribs, but not enough for two, so double it if you're serving more than 4 people.

• 6 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1½ tablespoons kosher salt
• 1½ tablespoons Old Bay seasoning (a seafood seasoning, but you could use creole seasoning or chili powder instead)
• ½ tablespoon garlic powder
• ½ tablespoon onion powder
• ½ tablespoon cumin
• ½ tablespoon black pepper

Sauce Ingredients
This definitely makes enough for two racks of ribs

• one 8 ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• ¾ cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
• 2 tablespoons ketchup 
• ½ tablespoon onion powder
• ½ tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

Directions

Rinse and pat dry one or two racks of pork spareribs. Lay the ribs on a large piece of aluminum foil (one piece per slab). Liberally apply rub to both sides of the ribs and pat on to adhere. Lay the ribs meaty side down on the foil and wrap tightly. Place the rib packets on a sheet pan and refrigerate at least 2 hours, but 8-16 would be best. Discard the foil and smoke the ribs low and slow for 2-4 hours (6 if you really like 'em smoky), meat side down for the first hour, then meat side up for the rest.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Meanwhile mix all sauce ingredients together and heat in the microwave for 1 minute. Get new sheets of aluminum foil. Put the smoked ribs on the foil and start to fold up the sides so the sauce can be poured on. Pour on enough sauce to thoroughly cover the ribs, but not to submerge them. Seal the rib packet and cook in the oven for another 1½ - 2 hours on a sheet pan.

Combine any leftover sauce and all the liquid from the packets in a medium saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until thickened. Keep the ribs wrapped in foil while the sauce simmers. Rest the ribs for a total of 15-20 minutes before cutting into individual pieces and serving with sauce on the side.

All-Purpose Tangy and Sweet BBQ Sauce

This makes a great dipping sauce, marinade, or basting sauce for ribs, chicken, brisket, or anything else you may want to grill, smoke, or roast. See, I wasn't kidding when I called it "all-purpose!"

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 cloves garlic
  
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard

Directions

Melt butter in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions with a pinch of salt until they have softened and browned slightly. Add garlic and saute for another 30 seconds, until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add remaining ingredients and simmer, stirring constantly, until sauce boils with large bubbles and has started to thicken. If using as a dipping sauce, let cool slightly and serve warm. For marinades or basting, cool to room temperature before using.

Ribs and Greens

Here's all the fixings for a mighty weekend feast!

BBQ Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients

• 2 full racks of baby back pork ribs, weighing between 3 and 4 lbs
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt

Dry Rub

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin (freshly toasted and ground from whole seeds would be best)
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (regular paprika would also be OK)
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne or chipotle chile powder (1/2 tsp if you don't like heat - wimp!)
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Sauce

• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes (optional - leave it out for mild sauce)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation - 4 to 24 Hours Before Cooking

Combine all rub ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well. Rinse the ribs under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place each rack on a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Sprinkle ribs with salt, putting about twice as much on the meat side as you do the bony side. Liberally apply the spice rub to the ribs (you won't use it all this time - store leftovers in an airtight container in a cool, dark place), focusing on the meaty side of the rack and patting it on to ensure good adhesion. Wrap the foil up around the ribs, meat side down, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours on a sheet pan (to catch drips).

Cooking - 3 to 6 Hours
Whisk together all sauce ingredients in a medium bowl until integrated together. At this point you have a few choices:

Water Smoker Method
If you have a water smoker, you are in good shape as this is the best way to cook ribs. Get the smoker going with your desired wood, between 200-250 degrees. Mix the sauce with 1/2 gallon of boiling water and put it in the smoker's water pan. Smoke the ribs for 3 hours, meat side up, adding hot coals and/or wood as needed. After 1 hour, check the water pan every 1/2 hour, adding hot water as needed to keep the sauce liquid and prevent burning/scorching.

Hot Smoker Method
If you have a regular hot smoker you can remove the ribs from their foil pouches and smoke for 1-2 hours (depending on how smokey you like the ribs). However, you will need to braise the ribs in the oven for a couple of hours afterwards. If you totally cook the ribs in a hot smoker, they will be tough and leathery - dry heat just cannot duplicate the process that breaks down collagen into gelatin and creates the lip-smacking goodness that makes ribs so tasty. So after smoking the ribs, proceed to the oven braise method.

Oven Braise Method
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Unwrap one end of the aluminum foil packets (or re-wrap the ribs if joining us from hot smoking) and pour half the sauce into each. Tilt the open end up to allow the sauce to percolate through the ribs. Re-seal the foil and put in the oven (still on the sheet pan) for 2 1/2 hours. Remove ribs from oven and drain the sauce out of the packets (this is most easily accomplished by suspending the packets over a large mixing bowl and cutting holes in the middle where the ribs hang lowest). Transfer the sauce to a medium saucepan and boil for 5-10 minutes, until thickened. Activate the broiler. Leaving the ribs on the pan, unwrap the pouches and brush on the sauce. Broil the ribs until the sauce slightly caramelizes, adding a second coat of sauce (if desired). Serve with remaining sauce.

Hearty Green Saute

Ingredients

• 1 lb hearty greens (such as kale, collard greens, or swiss chard), washed, trimmed of thick stems/ribs, and chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed/minced fine
• 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• fresh ground pepper

Melt butter (or heat oil) in a large skillet over medium heat. Add carrots, onions, and salt. Saute until the carrots start to soften and the onions start to brown. Add the greens and saute until they start to wilt. Add garlic and continue to saute for another 90 seconds. Add the chicken broth. Simmer for about 3-5 minutes, or until the broth is slightly thickened and the greens are as tender as you like them (be careful - overcooking will make the greens discolored, mushy, and generally unappealing). Stir in the lemon zest and season with salt and pepper to taste.