Sous-vide, a French cooking method that involves vacuum-sealing food and cooking it in a water bath at a precise temperature for a specific amount of time, has gained popularity in recent years. Many people believe that sous-vide is the best way to reheat leftover brisket, as it allows for precise control of the cooking temperature and can help to restore the meat to a state close to its original freshness. In this article, we will explore the sous-vide method for reheating brisket in depth, including the benefits and drawbacks of using this technique, as well as tips and tricks from the experts on how to get the best results.
Sous-vide is a popular method for reheating leftover brisket because it allows for precise control of the cooking temperature, which helps to restore the meat to a state close to its original freshness. The sous-vide method involves vacuum-sealing the brisket in a bag and cooking it in a water bath at a specific temperature for a specific amount of time. This slow cooking process helps to evenly cook the inside of the meat without overcooking the outside, resulting in a moist and tender brisket.
To cook sous-vide, the easiest way is to use a vacuum packaging machine to seal the meat and a sous-vide machine to control the temperature of the water bath. However, it is possible to cook sous-vide without these specialized tools. Instead, you can use regular zip-lock bags and a pot of water on the stove to reheat leftover brisket sous-vide.
To do this, fill a pot with water and bring it to a low simmer, then place the vacuum-sealed or zip-locked bag of brisket in the water and use a meat thermometer to monitor the temperature until it reaches your desired level of doneness. This method is a bit more hands-on and requires more attention and monitoring, but it can still produce excellent results.
Key Points
- Sous-vide is a popular method for reheating leftover brisket, as it restores the meat close to its original freshness
- Sous-vide involves cooking vacuum-sealed food in a water bath at a specific temperature for a specific amount of time
- Reheating brisket sous-vide is safer and more precise than other methods, as it is difficult to overcook the meat
- Sous-vide equipment such as a vacuum packaging machine and immersion circulator can be used, but regular zip-lock bags and a pot of water can also be used
- To reheat brisket sous-vide, defrost the meat in the refrigerator and then cook it in a water bath at 150-160°F or on the stove at a low simmer until it reaches 140°F
- Keeping the brisket whole and slicing it after cooking helps to retain moisture and flavor
- Serve the reheated brisket with your desired side dishes and enjoy!
Brisket Leftovers
I’ve experimented with different methods for reheating leftover brisket, and have found that sous-vide is the most effective way to restore the meat to its original glory. There’s nothing wrong with reheating leftover brisket in the oven or stove, but these methods don’t produce the same level of tenderness and flavor as sous-vide.
And you need to be careful reheating brisket on the stove or in the oven. If you’re not careful, the meat will dry out and become overcooked. The microwave is the fastest option, but it can lead to uneven heating and a loss of texture and flavor. In contrast, sous-vide allows for precise control of the cooking temperature, which helps to evenly cook the inside of the meat without drying out the outside. As a result, sous-vide is the best method for reheating leftover brisket and restoring it to its original glory.
What Is Sous-Vide?
Sous-Vide is a cooking method which has been used by chefs in fancy restaurants for years. The word sous-vide is French for “under vacuum”, referring to vacuum-sealed food. Sous-Vide is a form of slow cooking, as this method requires the bag of food to swim in a pot of water for a long time.
Precision is the key for sous-vide cooking. We must cook the food in a water bath that is a specific temperature and for a specific amount of time. Some sous-vide recipes will only take 1 hour, while other recipes will have the meat slowly cooking in water for 2 to 3 days.
The Benefits of Cooking Sous-Vide Brisket
The advantage sous-vide is the meat is cooked evenly. Using this method, we cook the inside of the meat to perfection without overcooking the outside.The water temperature for sous-vide beef is usually around 150⁰ to 160 °F. However, if you are reheating brisket, the meat has already been cooked.
The benefit of sous vide cooking is you don’t have to worry about overcooking your meat. Other low and slow forms of cooking can still overdo meat, but sous-vide is much harder to mess up. Since we keep the water at precise temperatures, it’s difficult to overcook. When reheating brisket in the oven, you have to be very careful. However, reheating brisket sous vide is much more passive and safer for the brisket.
| Method | Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|---|
| Sous-vide | Precise and controlled cooking temperature | Can be time-consuming and requires specialized equipment or a thermometer and zip-lock bags |
| Oven | Can be faster than sous-vide | Risk of overcooking or drying out the meat |
| Stove | Quick and easy | Risk of overcooking or drying out the meat |
| Microwave | Very fast | Can result in uneven heating and loss of texture and flavor |
The Two Methods of Cooking Sous-Vide Brisket
There are a few different ways to reheat sous-vide brisket:
- Cook on the stove without a sous-vide or vacuum sealer
- Cook with a sous-vide machine and vacuum sealer
The easiest way is to use a sous-vide machine. If you don’t have a machine, you can use the stove. With a sous-vide machine, the temperature for a reheated brisket should be about 150⁰F. This temperature will slowly bring the brisket back up to serving temperature and will be as close as possible to as it was when you removed the brisket from the smoker. If you don’t have a sous-vide machine, just simmer some water in a pot and slowly bring the brisket back up to serving temperature (140⁰F).
Method 1: Cooking Sous-Vide With No Machines
- Sous vide cooking typically involves using specialized equipment, such as vacuum sealers and immersion circulators, but you can also get the job done with a few zip-lock bags and a pot of water.
- To cook brisket sous vide using this method, fill a pot with water and heat it to the desired temperature.
- Place the brisket in a zip-lock bag and seal it, removing as much air as possible.
- Submerge the bag in the water bath and cook the brisket for the desired amount of time, depending on its size and thickness.
- Once cooked, remove the bag from the water bath and let the brisket rest before slicing and serving. This method allows you to achieve tender, juicy results without the need for specialized sous vide equipment.
Step 1: Vacuum Seal Meat Without a Machine
To vacuum seal meat using zip-lock bags instead of a machine, you will need a pot or container of water, some zip-lock bags, and a way to weigh down the bags. Here is the process:
- Fill a pot or container with water and bring it to a boil.
- Place the meat in a zip-lock bag and seal it, leaving a small opening at the top.
- Slowly lower the bag into the boiling water, allowing the steam to escape through the opening at the top.
- Once the bag is fully submerged, seal the opening and press out any remaining air.
- Place a weight on top of the bag to keep it fully submerged in the water.
- Cook the meat according to your desired recipe.
| Step | Instruction |
|---|---|
| 1 | Fill a pot or container with water and bring it to a boil. |
| 2 | Place the meat in a zip-lock bag and seal it, leaving a small opening at the top. |
| 3 | Slowly lower the bag into the boiling water, allowing the steam to escape through the opening at the top. |
| 4 | Once the bag is fully submerged, seal the opening and press out any remaining air. |
| 5 | Place a weight on top of the bag to keep it fully submerged in the water. |
| 6 | Cook the meat according to your desired recipe. |
Step 2: Heat “Sous-Vide” on the Stove
For this method, you will need a pot of water, a thermometer, and zip-lock bags. The target temperature for the water is 165⁰F, and it should take just over an hour to come up to serving temperature. If the brisket is room temperature, the water should remain 165⁰F. However, if the meat is cold, the sous-vide bath will drop about 20⁰F. The best way to manage this is to bring your water up to 185⁰F, then lower the temperature to 165⁰F once you’ve placed the meat in the bath. Otherwise, leave the meat on the counter until it reaches room temperature.
I’ve tried this method of reheating brisket on a regular stove top with a pot of water at 165⁰F. It took about 2 hours for the brisket to reach serving temperature of about 150⁰F. To heat sous vide on the stove, you will need a pot of water and a stove. Follow these steps:
- Fill the pot with water and place it on the stove.
- Turn the stove on to medium-high heat and bring the water to the desired temperature. You can use a meat thermometer to monitor the temperature of the water. In this case, the water should be heated to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once the water has reached the desired temperature, carefully place the zip-lock bag containing the brisket into the pot. Make sure the bag is fully submerged in the water.
- Allow the brisket to cook in the water bath for the desired amount of time. In this case, it took about 2 hours for the brisket to reach a serving temperature of around 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once the brisket is heated to the desired temperature, carefully remove the bag from the water bath and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
Sous-Vide Without Machines: Step-by-Step
| Step | Instruction |
|---|---|
| 1 | Fill a pot 3/4 of the way with water, making sure to leave enough room to insert the meat. |
| 2 | Attach a meat thermometer to the pot using a clip, and insert the probe. |
| 3 | Bring the temperature of the water up to around 185°F. |
| 4 | Place the brisket in the bath, leaving it in the bag. |
| 5 | Adjust the stove to maintain a target cooking temperature of 165°F. |
| 6 | Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes. |
| 7 | Check the internal meat temperature using an instant-read thermometer. The ideal serving temperature is 150°F. |
| 8 | Remove the brisket from the water and slice it. |
Method 2: Cooking Sous-Vide With Machines
To cook sous vide using machines, you need a vacuum sealer and an immersion circulator. A vacuum sealer removes air from the bag and seals it to preserve the freshness of the food. The water bath is heated using an immersion circulator, which is placed in a large pot or container of water. The immersion circulator circulates the water and maintains a precise temperature throughout the cooking process.
| Equipment | Use |
|---|---|
| Vacuum sealer | Removes air from the bag and seals it to preserve the freshness of the food and prevent contamination during the cooking process. |
| Immersion circulator | Maintains a precise temperature in the water bath and circulates the water to ensure even cooking. |
To cook sous vide using a vacuum sealer and a proper sous vide machine, follow these steps:
- Fill a large pot or container with water and place the immersion circulator in the water, making sure it is fully submerged.
- Set the immersion circulator to the desired cooking temperature for the food.
- Season the food (in this case, brisket) with your desired spices and place it in a vacuum-sealable bag.
- Using a vacuum sealer, remove as much air as possible from the bag and seal it.
- Place the vacuum-sealed bag with the food into the water bath, making sure it is fully submerged.
- Allow the food to cook in the water bath for the desired amount of time, depending on the size and thickness of the food. For example, to cook a brisket, you would typically cook it for 1-2 hours per pound at a temperature of around 135-145 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once the food is done cooking, remove the bag from the water bath and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
Sous-Vide with an Immersion Circulator
| Step | Equipment | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Large pot or container, immersion circulator | Fill the pot with water and place the immersion circulator in the water, making sure it is fully submerged. Set the immersion circulator to the desired reheating temperature for the brisket. |
| 2 | Vacuum sealer | Place the brisket in a vacuum-sealable bag and use the vacuum sealer to remove as much air as possible from the bag and seal it. |
| 3 | Immersion circulator | Place the vacuum-sealed bag with the brisket into the water bath, making sure it is fully submerged. |
| 4 | Immersion circulator | Allow the brisket to reheat in the water bath for the desired amount of time. The exact time will depend on the size and thickness of the brisket. |
| 5 | – | Once the brisket is reheated to the desired temperature, carefully remove the bag from the water bath and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving. |
What Is a Vacuum Sealer?
A vacuum sealer or cryovac machine is the best way to store leftover barbecue. You can seal brisket in airtight bags, and place the meat in the fridge for a few weeks, or the freezer for several months. Then, when you’re ready to eat the brisket, the sous-vide method will restore the leftovers almost as good as it was after you took it out of the smoker. The NutriChef is the number one selling vacuum sealer on Amazon. You can check it out here.
Sous-Vide Machine
Sous-vide machines are appliances that allow you to cook food using the sous vide method, which involves cooking food in a temperature-controlled water bath. There are two main types of sous-vide machines on the market:
- Immersion circulators: These devices look like stick mixers and are designed to be placed in a pot or large container of water. The device is submerged in the water and circulates it to maintain a precise temperature. Many immersion circulators come with an app that allows you to set the desired cooking temperature and monitor the progress of your food.
- Water bath sous-vide machines: These appliances are similar to slow cookers and have a built-in water bath and controller. There is no need for a separate container or an app, as the water bath and temperature control are built into the appliance.
The Best Sous-Vide Machines
There are several great sous vide machines on Amazon. The Anova is an Amazon choice with thousands of positive reviews. The Dash Chef is an all-in-one Sous-vide machine.
Reheating Leftover Brisket
There are several methods for reheating leftover brisket, including using an oven, grill, or microwave. Each method has its own pros and cons, and the best method for you will depend on your preferences and the equipment you have available.
One common method for reheating brisket in the oven is to wrap it in foil and pour some broth or another liquid into the package before closing and placing it in the oven set to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Leave the meat in the oven until it reaches a serving temperature of around 150 degrees Fahrenheit. This method can produce tender and flavorful results, but it can take a significant amount of time to reheat the brisket.
Another option is to reheat the brisket on the grill. To do this, bring the temperature of the grill or smoker up to 225 degrees Fahrenheit and place the wrapped brisket on the grill, pouring some broth or another liquid into the foil before closing it. Make sure to place the brisket in the cool zone on the grill, on the opposite side of the fire, and use a meat thermometer to ensure it reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees Fahrenheit. This method can add additional smoky flavor to the brisket, but it requires access to a grill and can be time-consuming.
Using the microwave to reheat brisket is the quickest method, but it can result in a noticeable decrease in the quality of the meat.
