What is brisket?
In the words of Wikipedia, brisket “is a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest of beef or veal. The beef brisket is one of the nine beef primal cuts, though the precise definition of the cut differs internationally”. OK, so that last bit is slightly unhelpful right. But we think you get the picture.
The great news is that brisket is one of the cheapest cuts of meat you can buy. So if you are feeding a crowd, sous vide brisket is not only a crowd pleaser but it is inexpensive to boot.
Why is sous vide brisket the way to go?
Tough, tasteless brisket is a thing of the past with sous vide cooking.
Brisket can be a tough meat to book, literally! When cooked right it is rich and tender and full of moist flavor. It is commonly cooked in a smoker but some home cooks also use indoor BBQs to finish it off after they have cooked it sous vide.
Most chefs have good days and bad days cooking brisket with traditional cooking methods. BUT when you sous vide brisket you create mouth watering, fall apart tender goodness….every time.
The Best Brisket Cooking Resources
Brisket is a very popular choice for sous viders to cook. And that means there are loads of resources around to help you master cooking brisket sous vide.
Serious Eats have a great guide called The Food Lab’s Complete Guide to Sous Vide Smoked Brisket. The guide is produced as part of the Serious Eats partnership with Anova. It is a really comprehensive companion for you if you are keen to follow step by step instructions.
The equipment you need to sous vide brisket
You just need the usual sous vide tools to cook brisket sous vide:
- A large pot or water container
- Immersion circulator or water oven
- Food grade bags
Added extras (but by no means essential):
- A clamp to hold the brisket under the water in your water bath
- Water balls which act as an insulator over the top of your water bath
Key Sous Vide Brisket Hints and Tips
Tip 1. As we mentioned at the start of this article, in traditional cooking methods you leave the fat on the brisket as it helps to add moisture as it cooks. But having a thick layer of fat is not vital to produce delicious, moist brisket with sous vide cooking. So paying for an excessive layer of fat is just a waste of money. Who doesn’t love saving money!
Tip 2. If you are looking to get a smokey flavor in your brisket, you can consider using a meat rub, cane syrup or liquid smoke.
Tip 3. If you are after a really nice crust on the outside of your brisket, you can finish it off in the oven.
Tip 4. You need to be prepared for a long cook. It is not uncommon for sous vide brisket recipes to call for a 24 hour to 48 hour cooking time. So if you plan to serve delicious, moist succulent sous vide brisket at your next dinner party, you definitely need to plan ahead.
Sous Vide Brisket on Socials
There are SO many sous vide brisket success stories showcased online. Here are some helpful hints to find the right social media channel for you to master your sous vide brisket cooking:
Sous Vide Brisket Hashtags on Instagram
Use #sousvidebrisket. You will find some great photos and tips to take on board
Reddit’s take on sous vide brisket
Check out this link for more inspo: Sous Vide Brisket 36 hours at 135 then smoked 1 hour
Recommended Facebook Group for Sous Vide Brisket
One of the better Sous Vide Groups to join on Facebook is Exploring Sous Vide Public Group. You will find a passionate sous vide cooking community helping one another to up their sous vide cooking game here.
YouTube clips showcasing sous vide brisket
There are a bucket load of sous vide brisket cooking Youtube clips online. So if you are a visual learner, then tune in to some of the following videos for some great hints and tips on cooking your brisket beautifully:
Check out this Sous Vide FLAMETHROWER BRISKET Perfection by Sous Vide Everything…
And this Indoor Smoked Brisket from the team at Chefsteps…
Need some recipes for Sous Vide Brisket?
Looking for some stellar sous vide brisket recipes? Check out a range of sous vide recipe websites for inspiration.
We’d love to hear your sous vide brisket cooking hints and tips so we can share them with the ever growing group of sous vide enthusiasts out there. Feel free to leave comments in the section below.
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