Brisket practice on steaks?

[Brauma]

My local Beer Lion (that's Food Lion for all you outside the Old Dominion) had Sirloin Tip Steaks on sale this week. I picked up a pack and thought, Hmmm, these look like mini briskets.

I'm wondering if any of you have ever tested your flavor profiles for your comp briskets on a lean steak. This would be a very cost-effective way to try several flavor profiles side-by-side on the same cook and have a taste test.

[Podge]

If you plan on cooking that steat at the same temp as you would a brisket, you might have fairly good results. But I kind of doubt it. Just the muscle type differences in briskets to other lean meats alone is quite different. Fat content, and type of fats, fast twitch/slow twitch fibers, blood flow, etc. all effect the taste of the meat.

As far as getting some sort of a good feeling on a flavor profile of a particular rub or marinade, but a chuck roast and use that. It will at least give you a good idea if it'd might work for a brisket. I wouldn't use a steak personally.

[Flavor Gangster]

We are talking to different things here.
Flavor and Texture(Mouthfeel).
If you test you marinades, seasonings for flavor then yes, you will get a general idea. Will it taste the same. No way.
-Think about-
-Your seasoning on a brisket goes to say 250 F for 12 hours or more. Or higher and faster depending on how you cook.
-Most of the volitile oils in your seasoning flash off and your left with maybe 50% of your flavor impact. Along with Caramelization and Enzyme Reactions.

I test all the time before I spend money on a large piece of meat and throw the unknown onto it.

All seasonings are generally good to go that you purchase. I don't think anyone in their right mine would pay to have their seaosnig bottled if it sucked that bad.
Taste is personal!
If you build your own then I sggest the following.
-Cut and Season a shoulder or chuck pc of Beef. Even as small as 4 OZ.
-Coat it with seasoning and place on to foil lined tray. Pre heat oven to 400F.
-Place seasoned meat into oven and cook for 30-45 minutes.
Remove and rest for 5 minutes.

This will give a general idea of your spices, salt, sweetness, herb notes and other savory notes.
-You have to image the layer of smoke and texture of brisket and determine yourself wether or not you like and will move forward with a $40 Brisket.

[boogiesnap]

somewhere, recently, i read a suggestion cutting a brisket into small 2# or so peices to test flavor profiles.

sounded good to me.

[Flavor Gangster]

Now that I think about more. Half way Dried Jerky would be your closest test. 3-4 hours in Dehydrator. Eat fresh don't save. Too Dangerous.

[Brauma]

Thanks. I was thinking along the lines of testing beef rubs and techniques on beef in a quick test. But I hadn't thought that the flavors may change or taste differently between low & slow temps and a relatively fast reverse seer method for the steak.

That's why you gotta love this place. Thanks again

[bigabyte]

I cooked a Sirloin Tip Roast like a Brisket just the other day. It smelled like brisket, but didn't taste like one. It as good, but not brisket. As far as bark goes though, they were pretty similar.

[Big Ace]

Originally Posted by boogiesnap

somewhere, recently, i read a suggestion cutting a brisket into small 2# or so peices to test flavor profiles.

sounded good to me.

Yep that's how I would do it.

[huminie]

Best way to test flavor profiles with brisket is to take a brisket and cut it in half lengthwise. No two briskets will taste the same, so this way you can see how it tastes in all the different parts. If you cooked two you could test 4 different flavor combinations.

[Divemaster]

I often try new flavor profiles for my brisket on beef ribs or beef short ribs. I cook them low and slow for 6 to 8 hours so I avoid the sear.

The ribs are close to the fat content of a point and I can try 5 or 6 different mixes at the same time.

It's what my daughter used to call "Brisket on a Stick"

[Bbq Bubba]

Originally Posted by huminie

Best way to test flavor profiles with brisket is to take a brisket and cut it in half lengthwise. No two briskets will taste the same, so this way you can see how it tastes in all the different parts. If you cooked two you could test 4 different flavor combinations.

No 2 briskets taste the same?

[Divemaster]

Originally Posted by Bbq Bubba

No 2 briskets taste the same?

And watch out for those left and right side pork shoulders!

[bigabyte]

Originally Posted by Bbq Bubba

No 2 briskets taste the same?

I cooked a brisket like a tri-tip and it didn't taste like other briskets.