Cooking a brisket Saturday to serve Sunday.

[ClintHTX]

Cooking 2 briskets Saturday throughout the day. Going to pull let rest and then what I don't know. Would flash freezing be necessary for the next day. I was considering splitting the flat and point and vacuum seal both and then re heating the next day. Is flash freezing necessary if it will be in the fridge for the next day or should I just let it rest vacuum seal and stick it in fridge?

[daninnewjersey]

Keep them whole. No need to flash freeze for next day eating. If you're gonna rest them, make sure you capture the juices that will drip out.

[ClintHTX]

So would you rest then vacuum seal and stick it directly in fridge? Even though it'll still be hot/warm? At what point do you seal it and stick in fridge? And I guess to heat up stick it in a pan of warm water?

[Springram]

I would seal it fairly soon after it has rested to about 150 to 160* Then separate the point from the flat and then seal each individually. Much easier to work with than trying to seal a whole brisket. Put into boiling water for 20 minutes or so and it will taste as like you just cooked it the same day. Of course, you already knew this.

[NickTheGreat]

I was thinking I'd cook and slice as normal, then vac pack. And do the whole boiling water thing.

I'd be afraid it'd take too long to reheat a whole chunk of brisket. But I have never tried it.

[WareZdaBeef]

Dont slice before sealing. It keeps the juices in the meat instead of in the bag. Wait till your ready to serve and then slice

[Dr. Trout Bum]

Do a long hold in a cooler...you would be surprised how long it will hold above 140. I'm doing the same tonight for brisket to serve tomorrow afternoon.

[ClintHTX]

Would you do the same for a pork shoulder?

[Dr. Trout Bum]

Originally Posted by ClintHTX

Would you do the same for a pork shoulder?

If you are asking about the cooler hold, my answer would be yes though I have never done it. I would take a shoulder and let it rest for about 20 minutes or so after pulling it, then wrap, put in a cooler with all the deadspace filled with towels, etc...make sure it's sealed really well. It should hold for many hours without dipping too low in temperature.

[ClintHTX]

I would love to hold in a cooler without sealing but I'm hoping it'll be don't sometime late tomorrow evening. Plan on serving lunch time Sunday. That will bbe a really long hold in a cooler. 10+ hours.

[Dr. Trout Bum]

I have done 18 hours with a brisket before and it was great. Will be holding one brisket about 15 hours tonight/ tomorrow and the other about 12-13.

Of course, having two briskets huddled together sharing body warmth should help my cause a bit (less dead space to worry about).

[ClintHTX]

Say the brisket is left whole in the vacuum packs and heated up in water. What and how do you guys boil water and in what?

[Jason TQ]

The last few full briskets I've done for others I've cooked just shy of normal "doneness", then rested to let the heat die down to 170'ish, vacuum sealed and dunk in an ice bath. If you sealed and tossed in the fridge it most likely won't get down in temp in a "sanitary time".

But they reheat great in an oven. You can either take them out of the sealed bag and wrap in foil or in a pan foiled. Though something I've messed around with is a full pan with hot water and into a 350-400 oven and takes about 2-3hrs to get to food safe 165.

Tastes pretty much just like fresh

[mchar69]

TQ, me likee.

[m-fine]

Keep in mind that when you hold it in a cooler, the connective tissue of both beef and pork will continue to break down. The meat won't stop "cooking" until you get below 130 which is where the bacteria danger begins, so that is a no go.

If you are going to hold for 12+ hours, I would take it off a little early. How much early is the hard part.