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Today was brisket day. Unfortunately, I have no pictures, as I've already sliced the brisket before thinking to post pictures for you guys.

Went to the Meat House in Covington, GA and picked up an 11 lb. brisket yesterday. Had Daniel, the butcher, trim it "Franklin style." Took it home and this morning I rubbed it with Kosher Salt and black pepper. Got the smoker fired up with Traeger "Texas" pellets, a mix of oak, mesquite and pecan.

Had problems with temperature control all day. Couldn't get it consistently at 250F. Ended up taking less time than expected and got too much bark. Had to trim some of the bark in order to serve. Sliced it up. Taste is good, if a bit charred. Good smoke flavor and the richness of the brisket comes through. I'm going to have to practice on something less expensive, like a Boston butt or some St. Louis style ribs, before I put a brisket in the smoker again. Got to get the temp control down to a science.
 
John Kemker said:
Today was brisket day. Unfortunately, I have no pictures, as I've already sliced the brisket before thinking to post pictures for you guys.

Went to the Meat House in Covington, GA and picked up an 11 lb. brisket yesterday. Had Daniel, the butcher, trim it "Franklin style." Took it home and this morning I rubbed it with Kosher Salt and black pepper. Got the smoker fired up with Traeger "Texas" pellets, a mix of oak, mesquite and pecan.

Had problems with temperature control all day. Couldn't get it consistently at 250F. Ended up taking less time than expected and got too much bark. Had to trim some of the bark in order to serve. Sliced it up. Taste is good, if a bit charred. Good smoke flavor and the richness of the brisket comes through. I'm going to have to practice on something less expensive, like a Boston butt or some St. Louis style ribs, before I put a brisket in the smoker again. Got to get the temp control down to a science.
Click to expand...

How long was the brisket in the smoker ??
Did you wrap it ?? Texas crutch ??
What final internal temp did you leave it in until ??
How was the tenderness ??? Was it in the heat for long enough to get tender ??

It's still wonderful anyway..
I've had my share of brisket whoopsies..

Teddy
 
Sous vide steak, for those who like medium or more done

Yes, I am a disgusting Philistine when it comes to beef. I like mine a bit past medium, not quite medium-well. It's not the flavor, it's the texture. Low-cooked beef feels rubbery and not entirely pleasant to me. I prefer a better-done steak/beef.

In sous vide the food is cooked at a lower temperature**, in hot water, until it reaches the desired doneness. Then it's seared to get that lovely crust.

Use your largest pot, larger is better. A stockpot is great; mine holds 30 quarts. (A larger pot has more thermal mass and will keep temperature more constant.) Fill it nearly to the top with water, put it on the stove, heat at high first, then reduce the flame/burner until you've gotten to the desired temperature. For medium-well steak it's about 150F or so. (If you don't have a probe thermometer, GET ONE! They're cheap and invaluable for all sorts of stuff.) Add a bit of boiling water or ice cubes as needed to speed bringing the temp to the desired level. Adjust the burner to keep it at that temperature for 5-10 minutes.

Once you have the temperature steady, wipe the steak dry and seal it in a zipper-bag. Force out as much air as possible. Use a binder clip or other means to hold it to the edge of the pot, completely immersed. Keep an eye on the temperature so that it stays at the set temp. Leave the steak in there for 40 minutes. Keep an eye on the temperature. Don't worry, it will not overcook.

Turn on the stove vent and heat your cast-iron skillet rocket-hot. Remove the steak from the bag and wipe it dry. Add a teaspoon or so of butter to the skillet, and toss the steak in there to get a nice crust; should take about a minute. Flip it and give it another minute. Remove the steak to a plate and cover with foil to let it rest for a bit. Turn the burner off and add the liquid that came off of the steak in the zip bag to the skillet. Stir and scrape the bottom and sides to get all that wonderful flavor from the fond. Reduce as needed to thicken.

Get a bottle of A1 steak sauce. Throw it in the trash. :)

Remove foil from steak, pour the sauce you just made over it. Salt and pepper. Enjoy!

PS: I did this with a couple of $20 tenderloin steaks. They came out well-done and beautifully tender. Even SWMBO thought they were great, and she's rarely impressed with my steak-cooking.

**French scientists did a study and found that an egg cooked at 65C was virtually the same texture and done-ness whether cooked for 10 minutes or for an hour at that temperature. It's temperature, not time. You like soft-boiled eggs? Find the perfect temperature for a soft-boiled egg and cook it sous vide style. Whether for five minutes or fifteen won't matter.

Best -- Terry
 
Onebadhawk said:
How long was the brisket in the smoker ??
Did you wrap it ?? Texas crutch ??
What final internal temp did you leave it in until ??
How was the tenderness ??? Was it in the heat for long enough to get tender ??

It's still wonderful anyway..
I've had my share of brisket whoopsies..

Teddy
Click to expand...
Six to seven hours for an 11 lb. brisket. Temp kept swinging between 180F to 400F.

No Texas crutch. I bought the butcher paper from the butcher for that, just didn't use it. It hit temp too fast and never stalled.

Stayed in until it hit 195F. Meat is tender, but the bark was rough.
 
John Kemker said:
Six to seven hours for an 11 lb. brisket. Temp kept swinging between 180F to 400F.
Click to expand...

That's a little fast for a brisket, but if the temperature was swinging as high as 400, that explains the short time and hard bark.

What kind of smoker do you use and what method are you using for a heat source and temperature control? I assume you aren't using a Traeger since you had temperature swings. Have you smoked meat before and had trouble maintaining the desired temperature?
 
It's a Masterbuilt propane smoker. Manual adjustment of the propane and air flow. I'm used to using a New Braunfels offset smoker, charcoal and wood fired. No problems maintaining temps with one of those. First time using the Masterbuilt. I should have smoked something less expensive to get used to working with the smoker before jumping into a brisket.

Will probably use charcoal in the pan and small amounts of the pellets rather than depending on the propane or pellets alone for heat. Less likely to rage out of control and easier to keep at desired temps. Pellets alone tend to get too hot too quickly. I'll use the propane to start the charcoal and leave it at that.
 
Onebadhawk said:
Are you kiddin,
Come over with the Mrs anyday..
I'm not sure who this is though so it may be a ,ong drive, lol..

There a few important points when cooking ground meat..

1-- anything you make with ground meat,
the moister the meat mix is,
the moister and juicier the finished product will be..
When you put all of the wet ingredients into a bowl including the panade, add water to it..
You know how much onions reduce when cooking,
A lot of finely chopped onions in the meat mix will leave voids ( increasing tenderness ) of moisture and flavor..

2-- Bacon wrapped is a big trick to protect the meatloaf from the heat of the oven ( or smoker )..
Near the end of the cook ( I cook this to 155 or 158 internal ) at 150ish crank the oven to crisp the bacon..
At this 150 point load the roasting pan with the tomato wedges..

This is where I got my start with meatloaf..

View attachment 427779

Wow, It didn't want to upload..

Hope this all helps..

Teddy
Click to expand...
Thanks for the great information Teddy. I may just take you up on your invitation one day...I'm Jim Smith, a Canadian from Toronto, Ontario, who moved to Plymouth, IN two years ago to marry my American bride. I love living in rural Indiana and I love living in the USA. I'm one of your customers, having ordered from you once before. Additional orders will come. Thank you again.
 
ZEDL1 said:
Thanks for the great information Teddy. I may just take you up on your invitation one day...I'm Jim Smith, a Canadian from Toronto, Ontario, who moved to Plymouth, IN two years ago to marry my American bride. I love living in rural Indiana and I love living in the USA. I'm one of your customers, having ordered from you once before. Additional orders will come. Thank you again.
Click to expand...

If you're in Indiana now I'd make you a bet we'll meet at Mid West Power one day..
I can't say I blame you in the least,,
there sure is a lot to say about the rural midwestern life..

Tech 68 said:
My wife saved me on the first one I didn't get done enough and was delicious "shoe leather"...
She cut it up and froze the chunks and turns them into killer "smoked brisket stew" in the crock pot.
Click to expand...

Ha,
That's too funny..
I've done that on more then one occasion for more then one reason..
That the rule,
Anything that comes out of the smoker that hasn't quite reached tenderness get braised..

Teddy
 
I’ve found a great use of overdone smoked meats is to make steak sandwiches. Sometimes I get an extra tritip to do this intentionally. just slice very thin across the grain, put on buns, layer with provolone, and put under broiler. Smear on some peppercorn cream sauce or horseradish mayo, and boom, best steakum in history.
 
Cl(VII) said:
I’ve found a great use of overdone smoked meats is to make steak sandwiches. Sometimes I get an extra tritip to do this intentionally. just slice very thin across the grain, put on buns, layer with provolone, and put under broiler. Smear on some peppercorn cream sauce or horseradish mayo, and boom, best steakum in history.
Click to expand...

Wow,
Has to be cut really thin,
then if it hasn't reached tenderness yet it doesn't matter..
Great idea..
Ima take you up on that one..

Teddy
 
Onebadhawk said:
Wow,
Has to be cut really thin,
then if it hasn't reached tenderness yet it doesn't matter..
Great idea..
Ima take you up on that one..

Teddy
Click to expand...

If you really want to cheat. You slice it thin, and store it with a little beef broth in the fridge. Then nuke it quickly with the broth to kinda steam it before you make the sandwiches.
 
So you guys have got me thinking about buying a used smoker. I checked my local area Craig's List & see that there are electric, propane, & charcoal smokers. What are you using? What brand would you recommend? A good deal will come around or is maybe there right now if I know what to look for.
 
I normally use a Weber Kettle grill with a stainless steel baffle across the coal grate what allows me to stack the coals and wood on one side of the baffle and meat stacked on both grates away from the heat source.

To help control the temperature, I drilled a hole for air intake to accept a BBQ Guru Party Q. This is a small battery powered stoker that helps keep the coals burning at the low temperatures needed for smoking. It can easily maintain 225-275 range until the outdoor temperature gets around 35 degrees. It struggles to keep an even temp when it is cold.

For fuel, I use Kingsford briquettes and baseball size chunks of a Cherry tree which was struck by lightning at my dad's house.
 
I use my gas grill (Weber E-410) that can hold a very consistent low temp. I can do a steady 225 on the indirect side grates for up to 12 hours...good enough for almost anything except brisket and HUGE chunks of pork. For smoke I have a cast iron box that I set directly over the direct flame. I fill that with apple, hickory or mesquite depending on what I am smoking. Setup like this I can do 3 full racks of ribs on the indirect side.

NateB said:
I normally use a Weber Kettle grill with a stainless steel baffle across the coal grate what allows me to stack the coals and wood on one side of the baffle and meat stacked on both grates away from the heat source.

To help control the temperature, I drilled a hole for air intake to accept a BBQ Guru Party Q. This is a small battery powered stoker that helps keep the coals burning at the low temperatures needed for smoking. It can easily maintain 225-275 range until the outdoor temperature gets around 35 degrees. It struggles to keep an even temp when it is cold.

For fuel, I use Kingsford briquettes and baseball size chunks of a Cherry tree which was struck by lightning at my dad's house.
Click to expand...

I would love to see enough pics of this to steal, I mean, create an homage to it.
 
I'm a traditionalist. I like offset smokers, a la New Braunfels Smokers. Only thing I like better than those is a dedicated smokehouse, which I'll have to wait until I have the yard to build one. Charcoal for heat, wood chunks or pellets for smoke.
 
I make a hearty soup each weekend to be my lunch through the week...this one got me four ~1.5 cup portions in addition to lunch today for the wife and I.

Cream of mushroom soup - Not the canned stuff. Tip: Mushrooms other than white and crimini are generally expensive at most grocery stores, but not Asian grocery stores. Example, fresh Shitaki are $13/lb at Whole Foods (the only store I found them at), but $6/lb at the Cali-Saigon market. Same with Oyster: $12 at Sprouts versus $5/lb at CS.

Modified recipe
BAE2F5F5-6184-4F21-8F24-D55A9B7D8FD6.jpeg

Start:
8E964608-0BD9-4F90-BD1D-3CB8F34A959F.jpeg

All done:
703EB89E-A4BF-48BD-93F3-E74D580729A7.jpeg

Came out amazing. This is going into my lunch rotation permanently. Next time I will add some Sherry toward the end.
 
Last edited:
Creamy, no-crack cheesecake (yes, this is one I made over the weekend. Purdy!)

cheesecake.jpg
Finally, after years of baking cracked cheesecakes with dried-out edges, I found a recipe that gave a perfect cheesecake, creamy and uniform from center to edge, and no cracks. I'm a purist; I don't dislike chocolate/pumpkin spice/coffee/banana or other flavored cheesecakes, but my strong preference is for a plain cheesecake, with or without a topping.

Important: all ingredients MUST be at room temperature or slightly warmer, about 80F. Eggs can be placed in a bowl of warm (90F) water for a few minutes if needed. Cream cheese can be microwaved for a couple of minutes at the lowest power setting. You need a 9" or 10" springform pan, and a roasting pan large enough to hold the springform pan and at least 3" deep.

Preheat oven to 325F at least 20-30 minutes before baking.
  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (or vanilla wafers, butter cookie crumbs, Biscoff crumbs)
  • ½ cup butter, melted
  • 4 pkg cream cheese, 8 oz each
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 can of cherry or blueberry pie filling, or other topping (optional)
Crust: pulse-process crackers to fine crumbs (or place in a heavy plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin). Add melted butter and pulse (or mix with a fork) until evenly moistened. Line the bottom of a 9" springform pan with parchment paper, and press the mixture onto the bottom, using fingers or a flat-bottomed cup. Refrigerate the crust while preparing the filling.

Filling: It is key to mix as little as possible, and on LOW (#1 or #2) speed, to avoid air bubbles that may collapse and cause a crack.

Beat the cream cheese just until smooth and free of any lumps, about 1 minute. Scrape beater and bowl 2-3 times. Add the sugar and beat just until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down 2-3 times.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, and the vanilla and lemon zest, beating just until combined. Scrape down 2-3 times Add the sour cream and mix just until well-combined, about 1 minute. The batter should be well mixed, but not overbeaten. Pour filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Set the pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil and fold up the sides. This will prevent water from seeping into the seams of the springform pan. Bring several quarts of water to a boil in a separate pan.

Place the springform pan in the roasting pan, slide the middle oven rack out and place the roasting pan on it. Carefully add boiling water to the roasting pan until it is about halfway up (or a bit farther) the sides of the cheesecake pan. Carefully slide the rack back into the oven.

Decrease oven to 300F, and bake for 1½ hours. The cheesecake should still jiggle; it will firm up after chilling. Do NOT do a toothpick test in the cake's center, this may make a crack.

Turn off the oven and prop it slightly open for about 10 minutes. Carefully remove the roasting pan, and remove the springform pan from the roasting pan. Run a thin paring knife around the inside edge. Let the cheesecake cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours to set up.

Top with a can of cherry or blueberry pie filling if desired (recipes for pineapple, strawberry, and other toppings can be found on the web). Slice the cheesecake with a thin knife that has been rinsed off in hot water and wiped dry after each cut.
 
prfesser said:
Creamy, no-crack cheesecake (yes, this is one I made over the weekend. Purdy!)

View attachment 429593
Finally, after years of baking cracked cheesecakes with dried-out edges, I found a recipe that gave a perfect cheesecake, creamy and uniform from center to edge, and no cracks. I'm a purist; I don't dislike chocolate/pumpkin spice/coffee/banana or other flavored cheesecakes, but my strong preference is for a plain cheesecake, with or without a topping.

Important: all ingredients MUST be at room temperature or slightly warmer, about 80F. Eggs can be placed in a bowl of warm (90F) water for a few minutes if needed. Cream cheese can be microwaved for a couple of minutes at the lowest power setting. You need a 9" or 10" springform pan, and a roasting pan large enough to hold the springform pan and at least 3" deep.

Preheat oven to 325F at least 20-30 minutes before baking.
  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (or vanilla wafers, butter cookie crumbs, Biscoff crumbs)
  • ½ cup butter, melted
  • 4 pkg cream cheese, 8 oz each
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 can of cherry or blueberry pie filling, or other topping (optional)
Crust: pulse-process crackers to fine crumbs (or place in a heavy plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin). Add melted butter and pulse (or mix with a fork) until evenly moistened. Line the bottom of a 9" springform pan with parchment paper, and press the mixture onto the bottom, using fingers or a flat-bottomed cup. Refrigerate the crust while preparing the filling.

Filling: It is key to mix as little as possible, and on LOW (#1 or #2) speed, to avoid air bubbles that may collapse and cause a crack.

Beat the cream cheese just until smooth and free of any lumps, about 1 minute. Scrape beater and bowl 2-3 times. Add the sugar and beat just until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down 2-3 times.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, and the vanilla and lemon zest, beating just until combined. Scrape down 2-3 times Add the sour cream and mix just until well-combined, about 1 minute. The batter should be well mixed, but not overbeaten. Pour filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Set the pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil and fold up the sides. This will prevent water from seeping into the seams of the springform pan. Bring several quarts of water to a boil in a separate pan.

Place the springform pan in the roasting pan, slide the middle oven rack out and place the roasting pan on it. Carefully add boiling water to the roasting pan until it is about halfway up (or a bit farther) the sides of the cheesecake pan. Carefully slide the rack back into the oven.

Decrease oven to 300F, and bake for 1½ hours. The cheesecake should still jiggle; it will firm up after chilling. Do NOT do a toothpick test in the cake's center, this may make a crack.

Turn off the oven and prop it slightly open for about 10 minutes. Carefully remove the roasting pan, and remove the springform pan from the roasting pan. Run a thin paring knife around the inside edge. Let the cheesecake cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours to set up.

Top with a can of cherry or blueberry pie filling if desired (recipes for pineapple, strawberry, and other toppings can be found on the web). Slice the cheesecake with a thin knife that has been rinsed off in hot water and wiped dry after each cut.
Click to expand...
Figgers the P'rfesser would post something like this. After all, Baking == Chemistry. [grin]:ghosty:
 
John Kemker said:
Figgers the P'rfesser would post something like this. After all, Baking == Chemistry. [grin]:ghosty:
Click to expand...
Burning dinner is also chemistry, albeit of a different sort. 😉 My elder daughter has been quite skilled at that kind of chemistry.:D

Actually, John, you're far more correct than you might know. Believe it or not, *every* chemist/prof (but one) that I've known over the years has enjoyed cooking and/or baking of some sort, and most had what they'd call a specialty or two. In 1973 I started college chemistry, and in the 47 years since, I've known exactly one purported chemist/prof who could not cook or bake worth a rat's gluteus. Turned out to be a most untrustworthy individual who (A) was the subject of numerous complaints from colleagues and underlings; (B) generated inappropriately simple projects for his underlings, in order to appear productive; (C) ended up being demoted when he refused to follow an order from his immediate superior.:angiefavorite:

Best -- Terry
 
prfesser said:
Burning dinner is also chemistry, albeit of a different sort. 😉 My elder daughter has been quite skilled at that kind of chemistry.:D

Actually, John, you're far more correct than you might know. Believe it or not, *every* chemist/prof (but one) that I've known over the years has enjoyed cooking and/or baking of some sort, and most had what they'd call a specialty or two. In 1973 I started college chemistry, and in the 47 years since, I've known exactly one purported chemist/prof who could not cook or bake worth a rat's gluteus. Turned out to be a most untrustworthy individual who (A) was the subject of numerous complaints from colleagues and underlings; (B) generated inappropriately simple projects for his underlings, in order to appear productive; (C) ended up being demoted when he refused to follow an order from his immediate superior.:angiefavorite:

Best -- Terry
Click to expand...

Absolutely this. Never trust an (organic) chemist who can't cook. I too have known one chemist who just couldn't cook, mercifully he changed to theoretical chemistry after 2 years. Unfortunately, not before his terribly messy technique left everyone in that lab with a serious and lifelong DCC allergy (rash does not begin to describe it, scales is probably more accurate)...thank the maker for EDCI, or I'd never make amides the easy way.
 

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