Beef Me Up !

[jaye944]

I'll probably ask more questions, but for the moment

Going to delve me-self into cooking some beef.

My steaks either go ok or bad, nothing in between,
I've been looking at doing a Brisket so want to ask some of you seasoned animal lovers some questions

1> I've found a real butchers shop as opposed to a counter in a Walmart

2> Not sure of getting a whole brisket but thinking something like 12lbs - 5 kg's , how big is something like that, is that small ? If cut up in strips how many people would it serve

3> Will the butcher cut a whole brisket up into a smaller piece or only sell my a full 20lb piece

4> What questions can I ask him about the quality of the beef (this is Canada)

5> Do I want it supplied fully trimmed or some fat left on, I know FAT is FLAVOR, can't afford Wagyu, I'd imagine.

6> Does it also come de-boned?

Thanks in advance

[a4nut]

Briskets don't have bones. And frankly if you get a prime brisket your hood to go. I usually get mine at Costco an me they're awesome! And you want the whole thing, not just the flat.

[GoHokiesGo]

Honestly, if you found a good butcher - ask them about where the beef came from, if its grass-fed, grain fed, grain finished, etc. They should be able to tell you all about where it was sourced, and which of their meats are the best flavor for what you like. I always ask my butcher for their preference, and many times they've steered me towards more flavorful cuts than the norm.

[dreamingat30fps]

I love smoking brisket. 12-15lbs is about the average whole brisket I can find around here. Walmart actually has whole briskets here although I usually get them at a different local store that has more meat selection.

Brisket has no bones. Keep the fat on it. A whole brisket should feed a few people if that's all you're eating. Since we usually make other stuff with it I'm eating brisket for lunch all week.

A whole brisket is made up of 2 muscles the flat and the point. The flat is what you usually see in pictures of strips of brisket its my favorite. Dunno how you plan to cook it but my smoker is too small for a whole brisket so i separate the point and the flat and put them on separate racks. I also find it easier to cook each one to the right temp that way. It will have a big cap of fat on it, trim it a little but unless you have fat phobia leave a good amount on there it will melt and make it delicious. I hate dry lean brisket.

[jgoens]

I would have to ask, since you are talking steaks and beef....why not go with Ribeye? Easier than brisket and will yield more flavor and you don't really have to get sauces going for that. Bone-in rib eyes are are even better, basically cream of the crop. Any more advice needed you can PM me as I know about this pretty well.

[NemesisX]

Originally Posted by jgoens

I would have to ask, since you are talking steaks and beef....why not go with Ribeye? Easier than brisket and will yield more flavor and you don't really have to get sauces going for that. Bone-in rib eyes are are even better, basically cream of the crop. Any more advice needed you can PM me as I know about this pretty well.

Bone-in ribeyes and brisket have completely different flavor profiles and textures. And I don't know what you mean by bone-in ribeye being "cream of the crop." Are you talking about most expensive cut per ounce of meat? Kobe filets get that distinction, then, not bone-in ribeyes (kobe or otherwise).

And I'd be hard pressed to find something easier than slow cooking brisket in the oven over several hours.

[jaye944]

Hi guy's,

Thanks for the advice, so let me expand a little and reply to some of the points.

1> I think a whole brisket is probably too big for us, I'm probably looking at the flat

2> Planning on smoking it for a couple hours (I don't really have the "proper" smoking kit) , a charcoal kettle, planning on using hicory wood chips for the smoke.
just a plain salt and pepper rub (as I want to beef to speak for itself)
finishing it off inside in the oven. wrapped in foil or in a deep pan with some beef broth to stop it from drying out, thinking slow and long @ 230degrees

further thoughts ?

[jgoens]

Originally Posted by NemesisX

Bone-in ribeyes and brisket have completely different flavor profiles and textures. And I don't know what you mean by bone-in ribeye being "cream of the crop." Are you talking about most expensive cut per ounce of meat? Kobe filets get that distinction, then, not bone-in ribeyes (kobe or otherwise).

And I'd be hard pressed to find something easier than slow cooking brisket in the oven over several hours.

Not really comparing a ribeye to a brisket and referring to pure flavor and not price level. He had mentioned steaks, so I only brought up ribeye as an idea that would be quick, affordable and tasty as I have no idea of his cooking level.

While throwing a brisket in the oven for a few hours is easy, I'll agree, in the cooking world time translates to work.

For example, I cook short ribs every week for six hours. Who cooks that at home when you can throw a prime N.Y. strip steak on the grill and be eating great beef in 10 minutes.

[dreamingat30fps]

It's hard to find a flat with the fat cap still on it here which is why I always end up getting the whole brisket. I do it all in the smoker I don't cook it in the oven at all. I try to keep it around 250F until the internal temp at the thickest part reaches like 200F. Then I take it out and let it sit for a couple hours. Takes about 10+ hours for a 12-15lbs brisket. If you only do the flat it would take less.

As for steak... apart from both being meat, brisket and steak are totally different IMO.

[jaye944]

Yes ideally I'd like to use a smoker,
(on my wishlist) so I only have a charcoal kettle, which I don't think stays too hot for longer than a couple of hours which is not enough time. I'm hoping a couple of hours of smoke will impart that flavor.

ok txs for the brisket v steak note

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

It's hard to find a flat with the fat cap still on it here which is why I always end up getting the whole brisket. I do it all in the smoker I don't cook it in the oven at all. I try to keep it around 250F until the internal temp at the thickest part reaches like 200F. Then I take it out and let it sit for a couple hours. Takes about 10+ hours for a 12-15lbs brisket. If you only do the flat it would take less.

As for steak... apart from both being meat, brisket and steak are totally different IMO.

[jaye944]

txs and appreciate the response

I "can cook" I put myself in a "constantly learning" level.

If I had the space, time and no "wife" I'd get along a lot better LOLOL

I love learning, watching and getting new techniques to try.
Making a decent steak for me is sometimes pretty hit or miss.

When I can get to making something perfect everytime, I'll consider myself a cook.

Mind you I make killer scrambled eggs.

LOLZ
txs

Originally Posted by jgoens

Not really comparing a ribeye to a brisket and referring to pure flavor and not price level. He had mentioned steaks, so I only brought up ribeye as an idea that would be quick, affordable and tasty as I have no idea of his cooking level.

While throwing a brisket in the oven for a few hours is easy, I'll agree, in the cooking world time translates to work.

For example, I cook short ribs every week for six hours. Who cooks that at home when you can throw a prime N.Y. strip steak on the grill and be eating great beef in 10 minutes.

[jgoens]

Originally Posted by jaye944

txs and appreciate the response

I "can cook" I put myself in a "constantly learning" level.

If I had the space, time and no "wife" I'd get along a lot better LOLOL

I love learning, watching and getting new techniques to try.
Making a decent steak for me is sometimes pretty hit or miss.

When I can get to making something perfect everytime, I'll consider myself a cook.

Mind you I make killer scrambled eggs.

LOLZ
txs

While there are many techniques/marinades to make a great steak the two most important factors when you have a quality piece of meat is seasoning and temperature. Season it well and cook under good heat (too much and burn and too little and lack of caramelization and flavor) to temp you like it and let it rest for a few minutes. Oftentimes (especially in pan cooking with cuts such as filet mignon) the temperature should be adjusted to sear the outside first and then turn the heat down or put in the oven to finish.

The most difficult thing for people is cooking a steak the way they like it but this takes practice. Learning to poke a steak and recognizing the softness and if it is MR, M or W is the best way.

[jaye944]

I also need to get a digital meat thermometer.

I once tried with an analogue one, only had 3 choices,
medium, well done and rare, and a whole lot of lee way in between LOL

Originally Posted by jgoens

While there are many techniques/marinades to make a great steak the two most important factors when you have a quality piece of meat is seasoning and temperature. Season it well and cook under good heat (too much and burn and too little and lack of caramelization and flavor) to temp you like it and let it rest for a few minutes. Oftentimes (especially in pan cooking with cuts such as filet mignon) the temperature should be adjusted to sear the outside first and then turn the heat down or put in the oven to finish.

The most difficult thing for people is cooking a steak the way they like it but this takes practice. Learning to poke a steak and recognizing the softness and if it is MR, M or W is the best way.

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by jaye944

Making a decent steak for me is sometimes pretty hit or miss.

I was in the same boat you you. Hit and miss on the steaks. Ive recently fine-tuned a super simple and repeatable process. I know you are asking about brisket and the folks here are giving you some great advice, but I figured I'd chime in and maybe help you on the next steak you do:

Choose your cut: I'm only buying boneless rib-eye or NY these days. I tend to like the NY a bit more because it's just a little less fatty but still has great flavor.

Season: OK this is important. Salt both sides of the steak and let it sit for an hour in the fridge. This is critical. No less than 60 minutes. Going beyond 60 wont gain you anything. You'll notice the salt pulling juice to the surface, then it will all get sucked back into the meat.

Cook: Medium high heat, on a cast iron skillet on the stovetop. Add a little crushed garlic and chopped up shallots to the top of the steak as you drop it on the pan. It'll soak into the steak as it cooks, then get a nice sear when you flip it over.

Temp: It's all person taste here. Remember the steak keeps cooking after you pull it off. I like medium so I cook to 140 then yank it off and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Good luck!

[jgoens]

Originally Posted by DETRoadster

Season: OK this is important. Salt both sides of the steak and let it sit for an hour in the fridge. This is critical. No less than 60 minutes. Going beyond 60 wont gain you anything. You'll notice the salt pulling juice to the surface, then it will all get sucked back into the meat.



Good luck!

This is a good method as well that I use for nearly everything. Adding salt to almost any product has a tenderizing effect. Sort of like the concept of brining which is a salt solution which leads to tender products.

I would go a step further on your method in which the meat does not have to sit in the fridge for so long. Letting meat come up to room temperature for a half hour expedites this process as well as the caramelization.

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by jgoens

This is a good method as well that I use for nearly everything. Adding salt to almost any product has a tenderizing effect. Sort of like the concept of brining which is a salt solution which leads to tender products.

I would go a step further on your method in which the meat does not have to sit in the fridge for so long. Letting meat come up to room temperature for a half hour expedites this process as well as the caramelization.

Nice. I'll give that a try this week.