Sous Vide Brisket 2013 and ACF Rub

May 20, 2013 by Valerie Lugonja 30 Comments

Seriously, consider the SousVide Supreme for Father’s Day…

There has not been a man who has eaten my ribs or my brisket that I can keep out of my kitchen. Seriously. My rubs are deadly, but it is the water oven that works its magic with my meat! The ribs I have made get better the more I learn. Cooking the brisket at 130°C for 48 hours was the key to this triumph: and the beef. Grass fed Nouveau Beef from Nature’s Green Acres: slaughtered before 7 months old. Prime Alberta Beef, baby!

Sadly, the photos don’t even come close to telling this taste and texture story. However, few share a frame of reference for Sous Vide cooking. There is no common vocabulary that will enlighten you to the difference in the food cooked in a Sous Vide. It must be experienced to be understood. That said, if you have had fish or meat in a restaurant that you could not possibly reproduce in your home, it is probably cooked in a water oven. There is an ethereal quality to the meat: past sublime, borderlining on surreal.

I bought a side of beef and asked for the brisket to remain in one piece… so, this must be half a brisket!

I don’t eat meat; I love it, but can no longer digest it, however, still get excited at this kind of quality. I enjoyed rubbing it all over and had no problem with the rub adhering.

I cut it into four even pieces to portion the servings and to enable the meat fitting into my bags; added a little duck fat. Could not resist.

I believe we had snow as well, this round, but it is so important to cool the meat as rapidly as possible: and ice bath must be prepared.

At this point, I label and date the bags, and freeze them. What wonder awaits when unexpected company arrives. The jelly is clinging to the brisket after unpackaging and thawing it. I grill it only for flavour, colour and heat. The meat is already completely cooked and I am so careful to not over due it. Thus, the grill is preheated to its hottest temperature, the meat seared for 2 timed minutes on each side, lid closed between. I find the meat is well heated through, seared perfectly and charred beautifully.

Eating fat used to make me sick. Literally. I have changed. The gelatinous fat in the brisket is transformed into an ooey gooey meat-syrup-candy. It is divinely delicious.

Using my Japanese knife, I learned to shave the brisket. Either way, everyone eats so much more meat than they normally would. That is the only unfortunate outcome. It is so good, it is hard to not over indulge. All I can say, is Father would never be so happy!

Cedarlane Culinary has offered a 20 dollar voucher if you buy the machine from my site. You can get 20 dollars off of their best offer. Now, that is a deal. No one else anywhere is offering this “deal”. You can only find it here. I am getting nothing in return for this promotion, yet. Eventually, I hope to sell the machines and get a commission. I am just testing the waters for now. (Pun intended!)