Brisket 101

[Wildcat]

I forgot to mention total smoke/cook time was 22 hours and then FTC for another 5.

The packers I buy here don't have a date stamped on the package, the store puts a sell by date on the price tag.  The 10.02 lb in the first pics sell by date is 9/4 and will rest in the fridge for another 3 weeks so it'll be the weekend of 9/13 before its ready, well past the sell by date but by no means getting close to spoiling.

C

Just curious here - If you prepare for smoking on the sell by date, then is it not already aged?

[westexasmoker]

Fresh beef is as tough as a boot, but if you let it sit around for a few days, it self-tenderizes.  The meats own enzymes do it by breaking down the fibrous connective tissue in the muscles.  90 percent of beef sold in this country is wet aged.  A beef carcass is cut into large pieces or individual steaks and vac sealed in heavy plastic (cry-o-vac).  The meat sits in its own juices (thus "wet") under refridgeration for at least a week, and then its ready to sell.  It can safely be kept for four weeks or even more!  So to answer your question, Yes it has already aged, so you would be good to go at the sell by date.  Its just something I've always done with large cuts of beef, and it may just be my imagination but it seems tenderize the cuts a bit more!  Hope this helps!

C

[westexasmoker]

I just remembered Olds has a great take on aging beef on the receipe site!

http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?t=118

C

[Wildcat]

Thanks - I already understood aging, just figured that it would already be aged if one waited until the sell by date.

[Carter]

This is a great post.  thanks WTS.  I'm really looking forward to trying it.

Carter

[bflosmoke]

Thanks for all the information on aging WTS. I was not questioning your expertise by any means, just curious and trying to learn. Thanks again

[westexasmoker]

No problem bflo, thats why we're all here to learn and share!  Thanks for the kind words, I'm gonna have to go grab the wife....See I'm good at something (expertise)!  ;D

C

[pullinpork]

The time has come, I have been flexing my 9lb packer for 2 weeks. She is going on the rack at 1:00 Saturday for a 6:00 dinner on Sunday. This was a very informative post. Thanks for the info, I will let you all know how it turned out  :P

[SmokeDogg]

I have only done my briskets with Hickory or Oak or a mix of the two.  I REALLY want to try one with Mesquite.  I did burgers and fajitas in the OBS with mesquite and loved the flavor.  What is the recommendation for the number of pucks of mesquite for a brisket cook?  I just don't want it to be overkill and ruin the brisket with too much smoke.  How many hours of Mesquite do you use???

SmokeDogg

[Ukumfe]

Fresh beef is as tough as a boot, but if you let it sit around for a few days, it self-tenderizes.  The meats own enzymes do it by breaking down the fibrous connective tissue in the muscles.  90 percent of beef sold in this country is wet aged. 

C

I am an Over the Road Trucker. I am an Independent Contractor with Americas Service Line. They are the in house carrier for American Foods Group. Meat packers. I have delivered plenty of meat loads to the warehouses where the cattle was slaughtered that morning or the evening before. Most grocery warehouses if not all run a 3 day supply of goods. I would imagine that is due to freshness issues and inventory tax regulations as well.

My question is this. Do the grocers(sp) and butchers consider the transit time and turnaround time in the warehouse to be the wet aging process or do they further age it once they get it in thier markets or stores?

I know on my end of things from the slughterhouse to transit to warehouse it is not aged any more than neccessary to meet FDA standards, so I really am interested in knowing what if anything do they do with the meat to further age it?

[westexasmoker]

My question is this. Do the grocers(sp) and butchers consider the transit time and turnaround time in the warehouse to be the wet aging process or do they further age it once they get it in thier markets or stores?

Thats a good question Uk, I don't have the definitive answer for that, but I would think as long as its already in its cry-o-vac it has begun the aging process!  I've got to go to market today so I'll throw that question at them!

C

[westexasmoker]

.  How many hours of Mesquite do you use???

SmokeDogg

I go with 4 hours of smoke and either pull the brisket for the oven, or leave it in the BS for a couple more hours with no smoke and then pull for the oven.

C

[Carter]

Hey WTS, you commented on using the juices in the foil pan as a base for sauce.  What do you add to your sauce to finish it up?

I've got a piece of brisket that I bought this weekend and I'm going to try it your way.  It's not a full packer.  I think it's a flat (without knowing what I'm talking about).  It's 3.5 pounds and has quite a bit of fat on top of it, and a nice ribbon running through the meat.  If I can find the time, I'll take a couple of snaps of it, and get public opinion on what it is exactly that I've bought.

Carter

[westexasmoker]

Carter,

I just add bbq sauce to juices and bring it to a simmer! Here is the bbq sauce.

2 cups vinegar
1 tbls worchestshire
1 tbls hot pepper sauce
1 tbls chili powder
2 tbls paprika
3 tbls black pepper
3 tbls salt
3/4 tsp dry mustard
1 bottle ketchup
1/2 cup water (optional)

Or mix in whatever sauce you prefer!  Most excellent slathered on a toasted bun and then some shredded brisket!

C

[Carter]

How can I not do this next weekend?

Now I live in the land of the Maple, but I think I may just have Texas this one up.

Thanks WTS