- Thread starter
- #361
Thank you for the prayers. If I weren't stuffed from the brisket, my mouth would be watering about the Tamales...
Dignity and the Wet shave
- Thread starter BigAlVista
- Start date
They were out the park. My son rarely says anything is good without being asked. The first bite he took of them, the next thing out of his mouth was “These are goooooooddddd!!!!!” I told Alice, my tech, she received a rare high praise from Cam Hall.
I'm full of brisket myself right now. My dear wife had it on for 12 hours and took care of it. Had some this evening and it was among the best brisket I've had. It was magnifico!
- Thread starter
- #364
Any pics? I could live vicariously...our brisket was cooked in a Dutch oven with onions, Lawrey salt, Heinz ketchup and Harvey's Bristol Cream sherry. My grandma's recipe from the 1950s. Surprisingly delicious. Flats only.
That said, there is nothing better than a properly smoked Kobe brisket...
Unfortunately, our place doesn't have a deck on the roof. So all I can do is look longingly at the pics and wish. I do the slow cooker version and it turns out well but it's not the same.
- Thread starter
- #367
While its great that this is a global communuty, it makes it hard to have a communal party.
Anyone have some ribs to add?
- Thread starter
- #368
April 27, 2024
Brisket
There is something about a proper BBQ that sets the mood for summer. While one can (and I certainly do) smoke meats in the fall and winter, there is something special about warm weather BBQ. In the winter, the cold wind not only gets into the BBQ, making it difficult to stabilize the temperature, it also gets into my bones, making the process an effort, rather than a zen-like joy. But when the weather get’s warmer, out comes the beer, a good play list and hours watching the thin blue veins of smoke trail out from the top of the Big Green Egg into the blue sky above.
I’ll smoke ribs, chickens, turkey, fat back, pork shoulder, trout, salmon– heck, I’ll smoke just about anything (ba-da-boom). But, without a doubt, my favorite is brisket.
If you are a purist, you may want to stop reading now, as some might call what I do sacrilege. But, if you are open to new techniques, you might want to give this little approach a try. The results are, well, “proper”, even if the technique is not.
First, I start with a well marbled and moderately trimmed brisket. The flat and point should be together. I have ordered mine locally, but the best brisket I’ve purchased was a wagyu from Snake River Farms. I usually get a 16 to 18 pounder.
When it comes in, there is often a significant differential in thickness across the slab. I will typically butcher it into two pieces, based on thickness. I season with coarse salt, thickly crushed pepper, some onion and garlic powder. I load the egg up with good quality coal and a blend of apple, pecan and hickory chunks. I fire it up, get the temp to about 225 and let the smoke stabilize until it has a wispy blue quality. I put the two slabs of meat in and let it go for about 6-8 hours, until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 155 Fahrenheit, spraying the meat with a water mist every half hour (and trying not to destabilize the temperature) to keep it moist.
Now, here's where things get interesting. The stall. In years past I’ve worked through the stall with butcher paper and butter. No longer. Instead, rather than taking the brisket up to 180 F. and dealing with the stall on the smoker, I take the meat off at 155 F., put the two slabs into vacuum sealed plastic, and put them in the sous vide at 155 F. for 30 hours. When that’s done, I’ll let one bag cool down, then put it in the freezer for a future date.
I’ll let the second bag rest for about 45 minutes. While that’s happening, I’ll fire the egg back up with the same wood blend, but set the temp to 300 Fahrenheit.
I’ll cut open the remaining bag, and pour the juice into a pan for reduction and incorporation into the BBQ sauce – I honestly don’t have a favorite. Any good Texas style sauce (e.g. Stubbs, Dinosaur, etc.) will do. Mustard bases sauces are great, but not for blending with the smoked juice. Be careful with adding the juice to the sauce, as it can be salty, depending on how much salt you used when prepping the meat. Alternatively, you can make sauce from scratch, starting with the juice from the sous vide bag. I typically don’t. The brisket is usually so good, the sauce is almost an afterthought.
Once the smoke is wispy, I’ll put the slab on and let it go for about two hours, until there is a good bark (Don't forget to spray with water periodically or baste with sauce). As the meat had been cooking in the sous vide for so long, I don’t need to worry about the internal temperature, as long as it’s at least 180 F. Once the bark and internal temp is good, it’s ready to rest, slice and serve.
Good eat’n!
Today’s SOTD
I continued with the LA Faulx + today, though the Captain Titan Mild blade finally lost its fine edge. I used a Sawdust Creations brush with Stirling Beeswax soap. A good shave, but not as close as the prior ones with the La Faulx + and this blade (the blade started getting tuggy on the second pass). Tomorrow’s plan is to continue with the LA Faulx +, but use a Feather Pro blade. I want to see if that will be just a tad closer, without amping up the alum feedback. We’ll see. It's hard to improve on near perfection.
Brisket
There is something about a proper BBQ that sets the mood for summer. While one can (and I certainly do) smoke meats in the fall and winter, there is something special about warm weather BBQ. In the winter, the cold wind not only gets into the BBQ, making it difficult to stabilize the temperature, it also gets into my bones, making the process an effort, rather than a zen-like joy. But when the weather get’s warmer, out comes the beer, a good play list and hours watching the thin blue veins of smoke trail out from the top of the Big Green Egg into the blue sky above.
I’ll smoke ribs, chickens, turkey, fat back, pork shoulder, trout, salmon– heck, I’ll smoke just about anything (ba-da-boom). But, without a doubt, my favorite is brisket.
If you are a purist, you may want to stop reading now, as some might call what I do sacrilege. But, if you are open to new techniques, you might want to give this little approach a try. The results are, well, “proper”, even if the technique is not.
First, I start with a well marbled and moderately trimmed brisket. The flat and point should be together. I have ordered mine locally, but the best brisket I’ve purchased was a wagyu from Snake River Farms. I usually get a 16 to 18 pounder.
When it comes in, there is often a significant differential in thickness across the slab. I will typically butcher it into two pieces, based on thickness. I season with coarse salt, thickly crushed pepper, some onion and garlic powder. I load the egg up with good quality coal and a blend of apple, pecan and hickory chunks. I fire it up, get the temp to about 225 and let the smoke stabilize until it has a wispy blue quality. I put the two slabs of meat in and let it go for about 6-8 hours, until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 155 Fahrenheit, spraying the meat with a water mist every half hour (and trying not to destabilize the temperature) to keep it moist.
Now, here's where things get interesting. The stall. In years past I’ve worked through the stall with butcher paper and butter. No longer. Instead, rather than taking the brisket up to 180 F. and dealing with the stall on the smoker, I take the meat off at 155 F., put the two slabs into vacuum sealed plastic, and put them in the sous vide at 155 F. for 30 hours. When that’s done, I’ll let one bag cool down, then put it in the freezer for a future date.
I’ll let the second bag rest for about 45 minutes. While that’s happening, I’ll fire the egg back up with the same wood blend, but set the temp to 300 Fahrenheit.
I’ll cut open the remaining bag, and pour the juice into a pan for reduction and incorporation into the BBQ sauce – I honestly don’t have a favorite. Any good Texas style sauce (e.g. Stubbs, Dinosaur, etc.) will do. Mustard bases sauces are great, but not for blending with the smoked juice. Be careful with adding the juice to the sauce, as it can be salty, depending on how much salt you used when prepping the meat. Alternatively, you can make sauce from scratch, starting with the juice from the sous vide bag. I typically don’t. The brisket is usually so good, the sauce is almost an afterthought.
Once the smoke is wispy, I’ll put the slab on and let it go for about two hours, until there is a good bark (Don't forget to spray with water periodically or baste with sauce). As the meat had been cooking in the sous vide for so long, I don’t need to worry about the internal temperature, as long as it’s at least 180 F. Once the bark and internal temp is good, it’s ready to rest, slice and serve.
Good eat’n!
Today’s SOTD
I continued with the LA Faulx + today, though the Captain Titan Mild blade finally lost its fine edge. I used a Sawdust Creations brush with Stirling Beeswax soap. A good shave, but not as close as the prior ones with the La Faulx + and this blade (the blade started getting tuggy on the second pass). Tomorrow’s plan is to continue with the LA Faulx +, but use a Feather Pro blade. I want to see if that will be just a tad closer, without amping up the alum feedback. We’ll see. It's hard to improve on near perfection.
That, my friend, is a unique way of cooking brisket, but the 30 hour in the sous vide must render all the fat in the brisket, back on the BGE to form a bark, all sounds like it would make an outstanding brisket. There's more than one way to skin the cat, just don't tell the cat.
- Thread starter
- #370
The picture above was from one of those briskets. There is still a good bit of fat between the flat and the point, but it is really buttery.
- Thread starter
- #372
April 28
Redemption and Return
Striving for perfection can be frustrating. It can also be fun. Sometimes, the two sentiments can go hand-in-hand, sometimes not.
This morning was one of those nothing-but-joy moments in life's fight for glory.
I return to work tomorrow after a 7-week leave of absence. I've had a few physical therapy sessions, and the therapist actually told me the sessions weren't needed. Woo Hoo! For you Family Guy fans, "I'm in too good shape, Lois. Too good a shape". Sarcasm totally intended.
When shaving with my La Faulx + to date, I have been getting super shaves with the Captain Titan Mild blade. They have been some of the best shaves I've ever had. While I could wheel the razor across my face at will, I've found putting a bit of attention into each stroke gives me more satisfaction. I really like the sound the blade makes when it's cutting at just the right angle, and that A. Durdan razor sings like Pavarotti when I'm wielding it well.
Of course, I could not leave well enough alone.
I popped a Feather Pro blade in today, not sure if the change might cause me to violate my own "no blood on the furniture" rule. First, I lathered up with a menthol PAA cube. Then, I scrubbed in some Grooming Dept. Pre Shave and let my face marinate. I put some hot water on a tub of Stirling Beeswax and let it brew. I looked in the mirror while I waited for the soap to soften. Hot water poured into the scuttle. I moistened my 2-band badger brush from Sawdust Creations, and massaged the soft bristles into the tub. Forty seconds later and the brush looked like it had been in a painter's tray of latex paint that was mixed too thick.
With the well wetted brush, I built up a good head of yogurt-like lather. I worked it into my face until I looked like the guy on the Arko stick label. I warmed the razor in hot water, brought it up to my face and took one carefully drawn XTG stroke on the right side my face from my mouth to my ear. I took the razor from my face, wetted my hand, and took a feel.
It was as smooth as I've ever felt on a first pass, and there was no hint of irritation. So far, so good.
I continued on down my face. The draw from my Adam's apple to under my right ear usually needs multiple passes using both J-strokes and angled slides. Not this time. Two angled strokes and the area was clear of stubble.
Going from right to left across the Adam's Apple is usually a multi-pass event as well. Not today. Two XTG strokes and I was good. I finished the first pass and my face was smoother than a waxed apple. I thought about stopping, but figured I might pick up a few stragglers with an ATG pass. I re-lathered and went to town, carefully paying attention to irritation risk.
I rinsed and reassessed. Perfect. Now the moment of truth...The alum bar. I put a bit of water on it and took a few passes across my face and neck. Almost no sting. I didn't think I'd be able to improve on that La Faulx and Kai blade. I was wrong.
I'm thinking I should be able to get 10 or more great shaves from that combo and am looking forward to each one.
After the shave, I went down to the range for a bit of training with some of the other RSOs...my first real day of running and gunning in months. Like with the shave, I started out with some trepidation. The first drill was to draw from concealment and take 6 shots, with a 5-second par time. I took my time to make sure I didn't break anything that the surgeon had recently fixed. No problem. I cleared the drill with a careful but slow seven seconds. Time to speed things up a bit. I'm not a competitor in the sport, but I am competitive. By the time I finished the second box of amo, I was back to where I was 3-months ago. I had a great shave and a great day at the range. I haven't felt this good in months.
I'm looking forward to seeing my inbox tomorrow. I'm sure there will be the usual dose of corporate mail blasts, suggestions to take this and that training, emails that folks have me CC'd on for no good reason other than CYA... But, its all good. I am ready to return. I am officially putting my cervical collar in the closet and hope to never see it again!
Redemption and Return
Striving for perfection can be frustrating. It can also be fun. Sometimes, the two sentiments can go hand-in-hand, sometimes not.
This morning was one of those nothing-but-joy moments in life's fight for glory.
I return to work tomorrow after a 7-week leave of absence. I've had a few physical therapy sessions, and the therapist actually told me the sessions weren't needed. Woo Hoo! For you Family Guy fans, "I'm in too good shape, Lois. Too good a shape". Sarcasm totally intended.
When shaving with my La Faulx + to date, I have been getting super shaves with the Captain Titan Mild blade. They have been some of the best shaves I've ever had. While I could wheel the razor across my face at will, I've found putting a bit of attention into each stroke gives me more satisfaction. I really like the sound the blade makes when it's cutting at just the right angle, and that A. Durdan razor sings like Pavarotti when I'm wielding it well.
Of course, I could not leave well enough alone.
I popped a Feather Pro blade in today, not sure if the change might cause me to violate my own "no blood on the furniture" rule. First, I lathered up with a menthol PAA cube. Then, I scrubbed in some Grooming Dept. Pre Shave and let my face marinate. I put some hot water on a tub of Stirling Beeswax and let it brew. I looked in the mirror while I waited for the soap to soften. Hot water poured into the scuttle. I moistened my 2-band badger brush from Sawdust Creations, and massaged the soft bristles into the tub. Forty seconds later and the brush looked like it had been in a painter's tray of latex paint that was mixed too thick.
With the well wetted brush, I built up a good head of yogurt-like lather. I worked it into my face until I looked like the guy on the Arko stick label. I warmed the razor in hot water, brought it up to my face and took one carefully drawn XTG stroke on the right side my face from my mouth to my ear. I took the razor from my face, wetted my hand, and took a feel.
It was as smooth as I've ever felt on a first pass, and there was no hint of irritation. So far, so good.
I continued on down my face. The draw from my Adam's apple to under my right ear usually needs multiple passes using both J-strokes and angled slides. Not this time. Two angled strokes and the area was clear of stubble.
Going from right to left across the Adam's Apple is usually a multi-pass event as well. Not today. Two XTG strokes and I was good. I finished the first pass and my face was smoother than a waxed apple. I thought about stopping, but figured I might pick up a few stragglers with an ATG pass. I re-lathered and went to town, carefully paying attention to irritation risk.
I rinsed and reassessed. Perfect. Now the moment of truth...The alum bar. I put a bit of water on it and took a few passes across my face and neck. Almost no sting. I didn't think I'd be able to improve on that La Faulx and Kai blade. I was wrong.
I'm thinking I should be able to get 10 or more great shaves from that combo and am looking forward to each one.
After the shave, I went down to the range for a bit of training with some of the other RSOs...my first real day of running and gunning in months. Like with the shave, I started out with some trepidation. The first drill was to draw from concealment and take 6 shots, with a 5-second par time. I took my time to make sure I didn't break anything that the surgeon had recently fixed. No problem. I cleared the drill with a careful but slow seven seconds. Time to speed things up a bit. I'm not a competitor in the sport, but I am competitive. By the time I finished the second box of amo, I was back to where I was 3-months ago. I had a great shave and a great day at the range. I haven't felt this good in months.
I'm looking forward to seeing my inbox tomorrow. I'm sure there will be the usual dose of corporate mail blasts, suggestions to take this and that training, emails that folks have me CC'd on for no good reason other than CYA... But, its all good. I am ready to return. I am officially putting my cervical collar in the closet and hope to never see it again!
Last edited:
Wishing you a good day back
- Thread starter
- #374
Thanks, Thom. I'm psyched!
- Thread starter
- #375
April 29
It's good to be missed
I started the morning off with another dandy shave with the La Faulx and Feather blade. Great shave. I'm afraid that when this blade is done and I go back to my DE razors, I'll feel let down. I'm thinking that if there were a "Highlander 12 - There can be only 1, Razor", than this would definitely be a candidate. I'm putting myself on abstention for the rest of this month and next, but, I may need to send Atelier Durdan some more money at some point. I'm thinking that a hand polished La Faulx + in bronze or Ti may need a place in my den at some point. Just because.
Today is my first day back at work and my colleagues made it easy for me. I had a couple of phone calls, some email to catch up on and one deal that will need my attention - tomorrow. My team was great. They gave me the third degree on our morning call - in a good way. When they started getting too personal, I told them about the huge black bear that visited us a couple of weeks ago and shared the following pic from my Arlo camera. My boss lives about 20 miles away. She was not happy about the prospect of such an animal showing up on her deck. Note that the table next to the bear seats 6 - comfortably.
That said, I do need to be careful (not just because of the bear). When I reached out to HR and told them "I'm baaack", they asked me for a permission slip from my doctor. Surprise!. Luckily, I had one. No lost pay.
I'm enjoying this forum and I do hope that work won't get in the way of my fun...
It's good to be missed
I started the morning off with another dandy shave with the La Faulx and Feather blade. Great shave. I'm afraid that when this blade is done and I go back to my DE razors, I'll feel let down. I'm thinking that if there were a "Highlander 12 - There can be only 1, Razor", than this would definitely be a candidate. I'm putting myself on abstention for the rest of this month and next, but, I may need to send Atelier Durdan some more money at some point. I'm thinking that a hand polished La Faulx + in bronze or Ti may need a place in my den at some point. Just because.
Today is my first day back at work and my colleagues made it easy for me. I had a couple of phone calls, some email to catch up on and one deal that will need my attention - tomorrow. My team was great. They gave me the third degree on our morning call - in a good way. When they started getting too personal, I told them about the huge black bear that visited us a couple of weeks ago and shared the following pic from my Arlo camera. My boss lives about 20 miles away. She was not happy about the prospect of such an animal showing up on her deck. Note that the table next to the bear seats 6 - comfortably.
That said, I do need to be careful (not just because of the bear). When I reached out to HR and told them "I'm baaack", they asked me for a permission slip from my doctor. Surprise!. Luckily, I had one. No lost pay.
I'm enjoying this forum and I do hope that work won't get in the way of my fun...
I love bears from a distance. There is at least one in our neighborhood or someone with horrible indigestion is haunting our neighbor’s back yard
Glad to read your first day went well
Glad to read your first day went well
Yeah, I had a bear swat a tent in on me and my wife at the time. We were camping in N. Sask and at some point the bear came snuffling around the tent. I was asleep, she was awake and although I generally do not snore, I was that evening. I dunno maybe my snores sounded like some sort of insult to Yogi because all of a sudden BOOM! No bada about it. The tent is all over us and she's screaming at me to do something. Like what? So I started to scream and yell too. That woke up some of the other campers and with all the noise the bear left for quieter places. We slept in the car.
So yeah I agree bears are ok...over there, waaay over there.
So yeah I agree bears are ok...over there, waaay over there.
Congrats on the retirement of the neck brace and best of luck with returning to work. You have more experience with bears, only ones I've seen up close and personal are of the stuffed variety.
- Thread starter
- #379
I wish the same were true for me. We had to stop feeding the birds from mid-March to late December.
If there is a bear on the loose where I live some zoo is bound to set up a search and rescue after finding out they are missing an inhabitant. If not it would be plain weird.
Either way I would seriously be scared *brown stuff*-less
Either way I would seriously be scared *brown stuff*-less
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